Environmental Ethics

The Very Rev. Dr. John Chryssavgis, Archdeacon of the Ecumenical Throne and a leading Orthodox theologian, educator, and environmental advocate, has been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the General Division of the 2026 King’s

Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Buffalo, New York powered up its new solar energy project on Tuesday, December 10, marking a major milestone in its commitment to sustainability and community leadership. The parish made a

“John, it was so good to see you! Thank you for your help!” That was the last text I received from Jane Goodall. It arrived the morning after the ceremony at Lincoln Center in New

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:1-2 “And

On September 2, the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross, alongside Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals (POCA) announced a graduate-level essay competition on the theme “Advancing Christian Respect and Responsibility for Animals.” This competition

We have published His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s address to the Templeton Foundation in its entirety here. Last night, the Templeton Prize was conferred on His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew for his enduring commitment to

Where Heaven Meets Earth: A Meditation on Faith, Science, and Our Planet +B A R T H O L O M E W Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch Address delivered on acceptance of

Manhattan, N.Y. — The opening of His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s speech at the 2025 Concordia Annual Summit was guided by a sense of urgency for environmental action. Returning to Manhattan for its fifteenth session,

Yesterday morning, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew went aboard the R/V Peconic-Southampton from Stony Brook University’s marina to tour an inlet of Shinnecock Bay, in the east end of Long Island. Aboard a trawler, His

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew arrived in Washington, DC this evening, September 14, 2025, for his eighth Apostolic Visit to the United States.  He was officially welcomed at the airport by His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros

When Fr. Alexander Karloutsos speaks of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, he does so with a mixture of reverence and candor that befits a man who has spent more than half a century at the heart of

His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and primus inter pares (“first among equals”) overseeing the global communion of Eastern Orthodox Churches, is the spiritual father and pastoral leader of hundreds of

For nearly forty years, the Orthodox Church—led by the Ecumenical Patriarchate—has been at the forefront of faith-based engagement with issues pertaining to the integral health and well-being of the natural world.

In this piece, Ben Malian, a contributing writer to the Orthodox Observer, interviews Fr. John about Orthodoxy and ecology, and His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew’s awarding of the Templeton Prize.

Yesterday, Orthodox faithful across the globe marked the Feast of the New Indiction, signifying the beginning of the liturgical year. 

More than thirty-five years ago, in one of his final acts as head of the Private Patriarchal Office before assuming the Ecumenical Throne himself, then-Metropolitan Bartholomew of Chalcedon commissioned the renowned hymnographer, Fr. Gerasimos Mikrayannanitis (since canonized as St. Gerasimos of Mt. Athos), to compose a special vesperal service for September 1st. Known formally as the Office of Vespers for the Preservation of Creation, this service wonderfully exemplifies the cosmic character and essential continuity of Orthodox worship and witness as participation in the ongoing incarnation in space and time of the eternal Logos of God, the divine-human person of Jesus Christ at the very heart of our faith. 

By the good pleasure of God the giver of all, we embark today upon a new ecclesiastical year, glorifying His heavenly name for the uninterrupted and bounteous fruitfulness of the initiatives of His Holy Great Church in the field of creation’s protection.

Leader of the Orthodox Church’s 300 million faithful worldwide, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew will return to the U.S. next month for an official visit. Ahead of his visit, the Orthodox Observer has prepared an introduction to His All-Holiness’s life, work, and legacy. 

Since late June, wildfires have destroyed an estimated 10,000 acres in Chios’s northwestern evergreen thickets.

The world has recently witnessed alarming environmental degradation—with climate change, the loss of biodiversity, and the pollution of natural resources—accompanied by a widening gap between rich and poor and the ongoing failure to implement ecologically sound and sustainable policies. Yet for nearly four decades now, one religious leader has discerned the signs of the times and called people’s attention to this social and ecological situation. 

This week, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America will visit the fire-stricken areas of Chios, Greece, where wildfires continue to rage across the island’s northwest portion.

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne in America, the clergy, and the faithful Orthodox people of the United States will joyfully welcome His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the United States for an official visit in September 2025.

His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America, the hierarchs of the Ecumenical Throne in America, the clergy, and the faithful Orthodox people of the United States will joyfully welcome His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to the United States for an official visit in September 2025.

The Huffington Ecumenical Institute (HEI) at Hellenic College Holy Cross is pleased to announce two compelling and engaging online courses for Fall 2025.