Church of Greece Primate calls climate crisis a challenge for the Church

Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece. Photo: Orthodoxia News Agency

On September 1, 2025, the Interdisciplinary Ecological Forum opened in the Greek village of Neochori. Speaking at the opening, Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and All Greece expressed concern about the climate crisis, calling it a serious challenge for both science and the Church, reports Orthodoxia News Agency.

In his address, the Primate of the Church of Greece noted that climate change affects all areas of life and requires a new approach:
“The climate crisis causes grave concern at the global level. Yet without the Church the world remains captive to secular criteria – productivity, efficiency, and profit. For such an outlook, nature ceases to be sacred: there is no forest, only timber; no river, only a hydroelectric station. This mindset lies at the root of today’s ecological problems.”

Archbishop Ieronymos stressed that science and the Church must act together to find answers to the challenges of the climate crisis.

He also reminded that for the Orthodox Church care for creation is part of theology.
“Matter and all creation have their place in God’s plan and will be transfigured in the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, preserving nature is not a fashion or a political campaign, but a matter of our identity and a condition for human survival,” he said.

The forum gathered representatives of the Church of Greece, theologians, scientists, and state officials, including Greece’s Minister of Rural Development Konstantinos Tsiaras. They emphasized the importance of joint efforts by the Church, science, the state, and civil society in ecological issues.

The event was organized by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece with the support of the Synodal Committee on Economy and Ecology. Its aim was to discuss practical steps for protecting the environment, including developing joint solutions for ecosystem preservation and fostering ecological awareness.

Earlier, the UOJ reported that a conference in Greece had discussed Orthodox anthropology and the challenges of AI.

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