Department for External Church Relations
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DECR chairman attends Climate Change Summit of Religious Leaders in Rome
On October 4, 2021, with a blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, head of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, attended the Summit of Religious Leaders held in anticipation of the 26th session of the UN Conference on Climate Change.
The event was organized by the embassies of Great Britain and Italy to the Holy See and attended by heads and representatives of Christian Churches, world religions and diplomatic corps.
The participants were addressed in particular by Pope Francis of Rome, Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar University Ahmad Muhammad al-Tayyeb, acting Secretary General of the World Council of Churches Archpriest John Sauka, Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Luigi di Majo, chairman of the 26th Session of the UN Climate Change Conference Mr. Alok Sharma.
Addressing the assembly on behalf of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia, Metropolitan Hilarion stressed that in accordance of the document “The Position of the Russian Orthodox Church on Pressing Ecological Problems”, which was adopted by the 2013 Bishops’ Council, the Russian Church “believes it to be her duty to promote the strengthening in people belonging to different social, ethno-cultural and professional communities the feeling of common responsibility for the preservation of God’s creation and to support their efforts in this area”. According to the hierarch, the present ecological situation is caused by the wish of some to make a prophet out of others, as well as unjust enrichment. The DECR chairman called upon the religious leaders to assume common responsibility for the present and future of humanity by working for the preservation of the globe and prevention of a global ecological disaster.
DECR Communication Service
Department Chairman
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