Pat. Bartholomew blesses establishment of Greek Institute for Ethics and AI

Patriarch Bartholomew and Deputy Minister of Development of Greece Stavros Kalafatis. Photo: Nikos Papachristou

Patriarch Bartholomew received Stavros Kalafatis, Deputy Minister of Development of Greece, at the Phanar on June 25, 2026, reports the official website of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

The delegation included the President of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), Dr. Evangelos Bekiaris, and staff members of the centre. The guests presented a project to establish the Institute of Ethics, Theology and Philosophy in Science and Technology (ITHOS), which will become a division of CERTH and will be located at the Patriarchal Institute of Patristic Studies in Thessaloniki.

The new institution is intended to become an international centre for dialogue among theologians, philosophers, scientists and engineers. Experts will examine the ethical aspects of artificial intelligence, bioethics, digital governance and human identity.

It is noted that Patriarch Bartholomew blessed the establishment of the institute, emphasising the importance of interaction between the Orthodox tradition and modern science and new technologies at a time when the development and application of AI are at the centre of public debate.

As the UOJ reported earlier, Patriarch Bartholomew discussed the reopening of the Halki Seminary with the leadership of PACE.

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