(ZENIT News / Pennsylvania, 04.13.2025).- The 2025 Templeton Prize has been awarded to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the spiritual leader of Eastern Orthodoxy and a visionary voice in the global movement for ecological justice. The £1.1 million prize honors a lifetime of prophetic leadership that has redefined the moral dimensions of environmental stewardship and challenged both faith communities and secular institutions to see the Earth not merely as a resource, but as a sacred inheritance.
Often referred to as the “Green Patriarch,” Bartholomew is not only the first among equals in the hierarchy of Orthodox Christian leaders, but also one of the first major religious figures to consistently frame environmental degradation as a spiritual crisis. Decades before climate change entered mainstream conversation, he had already begun weaving together theology and ecology in a call for moral responsibility toward creation.
The John Templeton Foundation, which announced the award on April 9, praised Bartholomew for “pioneering efforts to bridge scientific insight and spiritual wisdom in our relationship to the natural world.” The foundation highlighted how his tireless engagement with scientists, theologians, and policymakers has helped reframe environmental harm not simply as a technical or political issue, but as a profound ethical and spiritual failure.
Heather Templeton Dill, president of the Foundation, emphasized how Bartholomew’s leadership exemplifies the prize’s original purpose—what its founder, Sir John Templeton, called “progress in religion.” “Patriarch Bartholomew has made care for the environment central to his spiritual mission,” she said, “demonstrating how religious faith can be a powerful catalyst for scientific understanding and global action.”
Indeed, Bartholomew’s influence has extended far beyond the walls of churches and cathedrals. Through international symposia that bring together ecologists, climate scientists, political leaders, and religious scholars, he has helped cultivate a language of unity—a shared vocabulary for environmental ethics rooted in reverence, not rivalry. One of his most impactful theological contributions has been his articulation of “ecological sin”—a concept that now shapes global religious discourse on environmental justice.
For Bartholomew, ecology is not merely about conservation; it’s a form of reverence. “This is not a political or economic issue,” he has said. “It is primarily spiritual. God created the world and entrusted it to us—not to exploit, but to nurture.” His words resonate deeply in an age of increasing ecological urgency, where rising temperatures and shrinking biodiversity demand a new moral imagination.
This year’s recognition places him in the distinguished company of past laureates such as Mother Teresa, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Dame Cicely Saunders, and the Dalai Lama—figures whose work has altered the spiritual landscape of their time. Yet Bartholomew’s path is uniquely interdisciplinary. He stands at the confluence of theology and biology, ritual and research, prayer and policy. He does not merely preach about the Earth—he elevates it to the altar.
What sets his mission apart is not just his message, but his method. He is a unifier. A connector. Someone who sees faith not as a boundary, but as a bridge. “We may differ in our methods,” he once remarked, “but we share a common vision: to save this planet, our only home, and to build a life worth living for all its inhabitants.”
Thank you for reading our content. If you would like to receive ZENIT’s daily e-mail news, you can subscribe for free through this link.
