On Saturday, September 20, 2025, marking World Coastal Cleanup Day, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew visited the Southampton Marine Science Center of Stony Brook University in New York.

He was received by University President Andrea Goldsmith and Council Chairman Kevin Law, who, together with the Center’s researchers, accompanied him on a boat tour of Shinnecock Bay, Long Island. During the visit, they presented the environmental initiatives implemented in recent years, which successfully transformed the once-polluted marine area into a restored and thriving ecosystem.

Immediately afterwards, in a special ceremony held in the central amphitheater, and in the presence of Hierarchs, members of the academic community, university supporters, and local representatives, the Ecumenical Patriarch was awarded The Stony Brook Council University Medal for his outstanding contribution to raising global awareness on the protection of the natural environment.

In his address, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized that for more than fifty years—even before his election to the Patriarchal Throne—he has sought to awaken the conscience of all people: Heads of State and political leaders, members of the academic and scientific community, the Christian family, and followers of other faiths, regarding the sacred duty to preserve God’s Creation.

He noted that his origins from the island of Imbros have given him a deep understanding of the importance of safeguarding coastlines, while for many years he has consistently voiced concern for the protection of water resources and ecosystems. He also recalled the international symposia organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on endangered aquatic ecosystems, as well as the conferences and seminars convened at the Halki Seminary and in Constantinople.

Earlier, the University’s President and Chairman of the Council addressed the Ecumenical Patriarch with words of appreciation and respect, while a representative of the Shinnecock Nation—on whose ancestral land the University’s facilities are located—also offered a heartfelt greeting.

Ecumenical Patriarch met the Hierarchs of the Throne in America

In the afternoon, the Ecumenical Patriarch presided over the gathering of the Hierarchs of the Throne in America, held at the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Southampton.

In his address, the Ecumenical Patriarch, among other points, emphasized the following:

“Our era places great demands on those who serve the Church of Christ. Hidden currents threaten both the sanctity of the human person and the integrity of creation. They fill souls with idols and illusions, obstructing the evangelical message of freedom in Christ from reaching the minds and hearts of people.

In the face of these challenges, the Church is called to exercise its sanctifying and diaconal ministry in Christ. This cannot be achieved through an attitude of introversion. The Ecumenical Patriarchate has never represented a closed Orthodoxy. At no point in the Church’s history did introversion reflect the authenticity of the Christian ethos, nor did it ever serve the Church or its sacred mission.

Elsewhere in his address, he emphasized that care for the younger generation must stand at the very heart of the Church’s pastoral ministry. “Youth is always called to enter and live within a cultural environment that it has not itself created. Today, their anxiety is particularly evident, faced with rapid global upheavals, climate change, and the astounding advances of technology,” noted the Ecumenical Patriarch.

In the evening, the Ecumenical Patriarch attended a dinner hosted in his honor by the Community of the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos. In his address, he expressed heartfelt congratulations to Protopresbyter of the Ecumenical Throne, Alexandros Karloutsos, his wife Xanthi, and their family for their devoted service to the Parish. He also praised all the members of the Community for their dedication and contribution.

He made special mention of the beautiful church and the remarkable Community Cultural Center, highlighting the outstanding modern mosaics that adorn both. Above all, he emphasized the Orthodox witness of the Parish within the wider Community of Southampton.

The Ecumenical Patriarch at the Council on Foreign Relations

On the previous day, Friday, September 19, the Ecumenical Patriarch addressed the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

In his remarks, he referred to the condemnation of ethnophyletism by the Synod convened by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1872, and made special mention of the war between Russia and Ukraine, and of the stance of the Russian Church in supporting the invasion.

At this point, he also recalled the decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in 2019, to grant Autocephaly to the Church of Ukraine. He likewise spoke about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, expressing sorrow for the continued loss of life in Gaza and concern for the Christians of the region, whose numbers are steadily declining.

In the afternoon, the Ecumenical Patriarch attended a special event at the National Shrine of the Church of St. Nicholas at “Ground Zero,” where he addressed the youth of the Archdiocese of America.

Deeply moved, he urged the young people of the Greek Diaspora to preserve the Greek language—“the language of our fathers and of the Gospel,” as he called it—and to safeguard Greek culture. “We are proud of you; we rely on you,” he said, highlighting the achievements and ongoing progress of the Greek-American community.

Later that evening, the Ecumenical Patriarch offered a blessing at a dinner hosted by the Council of the National Shrine of St. Nicholas, during which individuals and organizations who were tested or called upon to respond to the national tragedy of September 11, 2001, were honored.

In his speech, he paid tribute to the heroic police officers, firefighters, and first responders who rushed to the site of the Twin Towers in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks, where thousands of lives were lost.

The Ecumenical Patriarch underlined that naming this event the “Beacon of Hope” reflects the dedication and self-sacrifice of those who responded first at “Ground Zero”—an act of indescribable glory that continues to serve as both an inspiration and a moral compass for our lives.

Photos: Nikos Papachristou

Tags: Archbishop Elpidophoros of AmericaArchdiocese of AmericaEcumenical Patriarch Bartholomewecumenical patriarchate