Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Signs Joint Environmental Statement with Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby of Canterbury

September 7, 2021

For the first time, the leaders of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Anglican Communion have jointly warned of the urgency of environmental sustainability, its impact on poverty, and the importance of global cooperation. 

The three leaders have urged everyone to play their part in ‘choosing life’ for the future of the planet. In a joint statement, they called on people to pray, in this Christian season of Creation, for world leaders ahead of COP26 next month in Glasgow. The statement reads: ‘We call on everyone, whatever their belief or worldview, to endeavour to listen to the cry of the earth and of people who are poor, examining their behaviour and pledging meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the earth which God has given us.’

The joint declaration strikes a clear warning - ‘Today, we are paying the price …Tomorrow could be worse’, and concludes that: ‘This is a critical moment. Our children’s future and the future of our common home depend on it.’

The spiritual leaders of billions of Christians worldwide spoke against injustice and inequality, saying: ‘We stand before a harsh justice: biodiversity loss, environmental degradation and climate change are the inevitable consequences of our actions, since we have greedily consumed more of the earth’s resources than the planet can endure. But we also face a profound injustice: the people bearing the most catastrophic consequences of these abuses are the poorest on the planet and have been the least responsible for causing them.’

They also warn of the consequences of short-termism, saying: ‘We have maximised our own interest at the expense of other future generations... Now, in this moment, we have an opportunity to repent, to turn around in resolve, to head in the opposite direction.’

Read the full statement here [https://ec-patr.org/a-joint-message-for-the-protection-of-creation2/].