THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH AND THE POPE ATTENDED THE INAUGURATION CEREMONY OF THE CHAIR OF ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT, WHICH BEARS THEIR NAME, AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LATERAN

Phto by Vatican Media

 His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, together with His Holiness Pope Francis, attended on 7 October 2021, at the Pontifical University of Lateran, the founding ceremony of the UNESCO Chair of Ecology and Environment, which bears their name.

The ceremony included addresses of the Director-General of UNESCO, Mrs. Audrey Azoulay, His Eminence Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Chancellor of the University, Mr. Vincenzo Buonomo, Rectorof the University and at the end the Ecumenical Patriarch and the Pope. The foundation of this UNESCO Chair, as all the speakers pointed out, will contribute to a better knowledge of the issues of the protection of the environment as a gift of God to humanity.

In the afternoon, the Pope and the Ecumenical Patriarch participated in the final event of the International Inter-religious Meeting “Peoples as Brothers, Future Earth. Religions and Cultures in Dialogue” of the Community of Sant’Egidio in the historic site of the Colosseum. The event was attended by representatives of the Orthodox Churches of Russia, Serbia and Romania, as well as other Orthodox Oriental Churches and other Christian and religious communities. The event was also welcomed by Mrs. Angela Merkel, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany.

 Remarks by His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Launching of the UNESCO Chair in Honor of Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew (Pontifical Lateran University, October 7, 2021)

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