A Discussion with His All Holiness Bartholomew: Global Environmental Challenges and the Role of Faith and Religious Freedom

On November 4, the Brookings Institution hosted His All Holiness Bartholomew, Archbishop of Constantinople, New Rome, and Ecumenical Patriarch of the Orthodox Christian Church. In his speech, His All Holiness addressed how global environmental challenges relate to the role of faith and religious freedom in public life.

As the spiritual leader of over 300 million Orthodox Christians worldwide, His All Holiness has been one of the world’s leading religious figures over the last two decades.  In his eighteen years as Ecumenical Patriarch, he has been active on a range of issues, including interfaith dialogue, religious liberty, and environmental protection.  In particular, the Ecumenical Patriarch is a tireless advocate of efforts to address climate change and a wide range of environmental issues. He came to Washington having just convened a four day symposium on the Mississippi River, exploring and drawing attention to climate change and the role that rivers play in a range of ecosystems. 

Brookings President Strobe Talbott provided welcoming remarks. Paul Sarbanes, a former United States senator who represented the state of Maryland and was the state’s longest-serving senator, provided introductory remarks.