Head of Phanar warns against new ecumenism around traditionalistic values

Patriarch Bartholomew. Photo: 2023cecassembly

On June 18, 2023, at the Assembly of European Churches in Tallinn, Patriarch Bartholomew announced that modern Europe is no longer Christian, the Assembly website reports.

“Needless to say, today, we are living in a very different Europe, one in which the landscape of religious affiliation has changed. As Christian churches, we can no longer take for granted that Europeans will identify with national churches or, indeed, with any particular form of belief..”

At the same time, the head of the Phanar said that today "there are some who call for a ‘new ecumenism’ – namely, a unity of Christian churches around what are labelled as ‘traditionalistic values.’"

According to him, “This form of ecumenism inevitably creates strange alliances among Christian churches. Those churches who were once opposed to any type of ecumenical conversation are now willing to participate in this so-called ‘new 5 ecumenism’ that champions traditionalistic values.”

He cited the United States as an example, where "some American evangelical Christians, who had previously considered Catholic and Orthodox Christians as pagans worshipping idols, now appear willing to work with certain Catholic and Orthodox Christians in order to support these values."

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that according to Patriarch Bartholomew, today's ecumenical dialogue is focused on Islam and Judaism.

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