Ecumenical Patriarchate
KEYNOTE ADDRESS By His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Arctic Circle Assembly (Reykjavik, October 13, 2017)
It is an honor to address the
Arctic Circle Assembly at the gracious invitation of the organizers,
especially its founding Chairman and former President of Iceland, His
Excellency Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson. Moreover, it is a privilege to be
among you in this remarkable conference center for a fresh deliberation
on the fate of the earth. In many ways, both symbolical and substantial,
this part of the world represents and reflects the very core of how we
approach and address global climate change. Not only because the danger
of an avoidable environmental catastrophe is today more acute and more
actual than ever, but also because we are in a region whose awesome but
fragile beauty is at once an inspiration and a warning to anyone who
cares about the future of our planet.
Of course, you may be wondering why a
church leader is addressing a secular organization. It is now more than
two decades since we began convening our symposia on Religion, Science
and the Environment, with a particular emphasis on the waters of the
earth. In the early days of our endeavour, many people were puzzled by
the links we were trying to establish. Indeed, religious people were
relatively indifferent, and sometimes even hostile, to science; and many
scientists and ecologists could see little relationship between their
worlds and the world of faith and spirituality. Today, however, as some
of those connections have become more perceptible and tangible, there is
hardly a religious leader in the world who is not in one way or another
concerned about the challenges posed by pollution and climate change.
At this moment in time, more and more people recognize that religious
consciousness and environmental science are both concerned with the
ultimate questions – with the way that we are shaping the destiny of
humankind, the planet, and the whole of creation.
For that reason alone, then, spiritual
leaders and ecologists cannot avoid engaging in a profound dialogue with
one another. Moreover, neither our revered scientific friends nor our
fellow faith leaders would engage in such dialogue if we thought that
the future of the planet was hopeless or irreversible. It is precisely
because all of us believe in the potential of saving the earth and of
restoring the covenant between human beings and the creator God in a
spirit of humility, repentance, and gratitude. Discussion of climate
change frequently tends to focus on political, economic, and technical
issues rather than human influence and impact. However, the truth is
that creation care is a profoundly religious, even spiritual matter. We
need at all times to be aware of the dramatic social and cultural
impacts that people face as a result of climate change. Climate change
is a matter of livelihood, food, and individual and cultural survival.
Indeed, for the indigenous people of the Arctic, climate change is not
just a theory in the Arctic; it is a stark and dangerous reality. It is –
above and beyond all else – a vital human issue. It matters to people
and all creatures, which means it matters to God as their living
Creator.
Scientists tell us that the Arctic is a
vibrant image and vivid mirror of the state of our planet as a whole.
For scientists, the Arctic is the barometer of the globe's environmental
health. The ecological misdeeds committed in other regions – including
chemical contamination and nuclear radiation – are clearly evident in
the Arctic environment. Above all, the dramatic rise in global
temperatures is having a palpable effect on the Arctic landscape.
Nevertheless, so many industrial societies and activities that cause
climate change are often blind to the consequences of their behavior.
But here, in the Arctic Circle, it is possible to see all manner of
things so much more clearly. When we visit this pristine part of the
planet, we cannot hide our eyes, either from the beauty of God’s
creation or from the changes which human folly has generated. Nor can we
avoid pondering the terrible consequences for the remainder – and the
future – of the world, if glaciers continue to melt and sea-levels
continue to rise.
This is why, during our Arctic Symposium
almost exactly ten years ago, we stood in silent prayer before the
melting glaciers and the wisdom of the indigenous people of neighboring
Greenland. Afterward, together with all religious leaders that we
present, we signed the Icefjord Commitment, “recognizing the
interdependence of all life, that in its many manifestations sustains
this planet, and realizing our dependence on this myriad of
relationships; committing ourselves to the simplest acts of love,
compassion and gratitude toward the vast web of life; and proclaiming
the task of our generation to leave this sacred earth, in all its wisdom
and beauty to the generations to come.”
Dear friends, creation is an intricate
web of life, and the actions of human beings can either develop or
destroy it. What happens, then, in the far North will affect what
happens in the deep South. If the environment of the Arctic Circle is
now changing at a frightening pace, it is because of economic activities
and energy choices in the industrialized world in the south, west and
east. Any alteration in the Arctic environment has the potential to
inundate islands in the tropics, or cities as far away as Manila or
Miami, as we repeatedly witness in the relentless climate conditions of
our world. Quite simply, there is no segment of the human race – no
nation or government, and no culture or community – that can isolate
itself from the destiny of mankind, and of life on earth in general.
Of course, in order to change what we
see, we have to change how we see it. We have to change how we perceive
and treat the world, how we use our knowledge and skills to sustain and
enhance it. This new intimacy and the attendant interconnection in the
web of creation need not be a bad thing, if we learn to discern what
Christian Scripture calls “the signs of the times.” (Matt. 16.3) To some
degree, we are all drawn closer by a common experience of fear and
suffering, as the consequences of climate change are felt in different
ways. At a time when climatic emergencies of many different kinds are
affecting the lives of hundreds of millions of people, most recently in
the form of devastating hurricanes in the United States of America, we
have no moral choice but to “bear one another’s burdens,” as the New
Testament (Gal. 6.2) enjoins us. In the Arctic, melting glaciers are
threatening traditional lifestyles; indeed, the worldview of the
indigenous peoples of this region should remind us of the responsibility
and respect that we owe to creation and, through creation, to our
Creator.
At the same time, the Arctic Ocean not
only infiltrates the Pacific Ocean, but impacts the rest of the world
through global warming, sea-level rise, and shifting patterns of life.
It no longer comes as a surprise to us that, in Southeast Europe, there
is an alarming combination of heat-waves and floods. In Africa,
desertification and water shortage lead to endless health problems. In
Asia, there are increasing droughts and fires. In South America, fires
and deforestation are among the many factors altering the climate. And
scientists inform us that all these phenomena are inseparably and
immediately interconnected.
If only we knew how to learn the right
lessons, the web of causal connections between extreme events in
different parts of the world could have a sobering effect. These
linkages ought to bring home to every nation and every community how
closely involved it is with every other nation and community. It should
now be more obvious than ever that no national state or ethnic group –
and certainly no economic class – can hope to advance its own interests
indefinitely at the expense of the remainder of humankind and the
planet’s resources. We need leadership from government; and we depend on
inter-disciplinary collaboration. To restate a simple truth, which has
guided all of our ecological initiatives related to protecting the
earth’s waters: we are all in the same boat!
As leaders and members of the Arctic
Circle, we appreciate your sincere dedication and enormous
responsibilities. These responsibilities are graver now than at any time
in history. We all have a unique opportunity – for the first time in
history – to change and direct the course of our future and planet.
Therefore, on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which is endowed by
history with a distinct responsibility for the welfare of the whole
inhabited earth, we pledge to you that we stand with you stand with you
in conscience and conviction. We stand with you in prayer and
persuasion. And we stand with you in partnership and solidarity. May God
bless you all.