Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew received the Templeton Award yesterday, Wednesday, September 24, at a ceremony held in New York. During his speech he focused on the relationship between faith and science and the need to protect the natural environment.

The Templeton Award is accompanied by a cash prize of more than $ 1 million, which is available to support the project and initiatives of the award -winning. Since 1972 he has been awarded every year to personalities who contribute to the bridging of religion and science and to promote spiritual understanding.

In the past, Mother Teresa, Tibetan Spiritual Leader Dalai Lama, Nobel laureate Irene and Archbishop of South Africa, are honored, among other things, the Mother Teresa and Archbishop of South Africa, as well as the British astrophysicist and former president of the Royal Society.

Receiving the award, the Ecumenical Patriarch emphasized that the distinction “does not belong to a person but to a vision that inspires the Ecumenical Patriarchate for three decades”. He recalled the initiative of his predecessor, Patriarch Demetrius, in 1989, to establish September 1st as a day of prayer for the protection of creation, which was subsequently adopted by other Christian churches.

In his speech entitled “where heaven meets the earth: reflection on our faith, science and planet”, he emphasized that “alienation between science and religion must be ended”, noting that “when a scientist studies the melting of the ice and a theologian.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch referred to the environmental crisis, the loss of the “sacred rhythm of natural time” and the consequences for young people, noting that “when our children lose hope, this is a moral failure and a spiritual crisis”. He also emphasized the need for “exercise” and “measure” against over -consumption, describing them as “liberation from the endless cycle of greed”.

Finally, he called on collective action to tackle climate change. As he typically said, “scientific knowledge exists, spiritual resources are sufficient, technological tools are available. What is missing is the will. “