SIBIU, Romania, SEPT. 7, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The orthodox patriarch of Constantinople appealed to Christians to be responsible stewards of creation at the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu.
"We are concerned for God's creation," Bartholomew I said Wednesday. He said that the planet "is continually the object of shameless exploitation," and that "it waits for redemption and protection from us."
The Orthodox patriarch added: "We are worried about the climate and other conditions -- literally, we are worried about the air and the oxygen that man breathes today, and that future generations, we fear, will search for in vain.
"In the end, we are worried about the simple survival of humanity on this continent and on the planet."
The Orthodox patriarch is co-patron of the international symposium titled "The Arctic: Mirror of Life." The conference, is under way in Greenland through Sept. 12.
The symposium is organized by an Athens-based nongovernmental organization called Religion, Science and the Environment.
ZE07090706 - 2007-09-07