Patriarch Bartholomew Honored with 2025 Laudato Si’ Award

The Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome recently hosted a distinguished ceremony honoring four recipients with the 2025 Laudato Si’ Award, recognizing their outstanding contributions to ecological advocacy and integral ecology.

Among the honorees was Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, celebrated for his exceptional ecological leadership and profound influence on Pope Francis. Known as the “Green Patriarch,” Bartholomew’s inspiration was pivotal to the writing of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ and the establishment of the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on September 1.

During the event, moderators highlighted that Francis explicitly credits Bartholomew for these landmark initiatives. The patriarch’s acceptance speech emphasized the ecumenical significance of the September 1 celebration, rooted in Orthodox tradition and increasingly embraced by other Christian denominations worldwide.

“If there is no true human conversion, the ecological crisis cannot be resolved,” Patriarch Bartholomew declared. “Any human action that harms the environment must be considered a grave sin.”

The ceremony honored theologian Leonardo Boff, the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM), and the Laudato Si’ Movement. The event coincided with three major anniversaries: the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures, the 10th anniversary of Laudato si’, and the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea.

Fr. Massimo Fusarelli, Minister General of the Franciscan Order, spoke of the awards as a universal call to ecological conversion. He stressed the importance of recognizing creation as a gift from God and urged unity in praising God with all creatures.

In his remarks, Bartholomew reflected on the Orthodox Church’s early environmental advocacy dating back to the 1980s. He recalled Patriarch Dimitrios’ 1989 encyclical that warned against the exploitation of nature driven by consumerism rather than fundamental human needs.

Since his election in 1991, Bartholomew has sought to raise awareness about the environmental crisis’s spiritual and social justice dimensions. He called for a renewed Eucharistic vision of creation, highlighting the early Church’s understanding of humanity’s deep connection to the Creator and all created beings.

Leonardo Boff urged a transformative mindset shift—from viewing nature as something to dominate to embracing a familial relationship as “brothers and sisters” with all creation, advocating for care as a “Christian caress.”

Bishop Rafael Cob García, Vicar Apostolic of Puyo, accepted the award on behalf of REPAM, emphasizing their ongoing pilgrimage of hope toward the paradise God has promised.

Lorna Gold, Executive Director of the Laudato Si’ Movement, accepted the award for her organization and called for urgent collective action. “We are at an ecological turning point that has become a full-blown crisis of conscience,” she said. “As people of faith, we must unite to transform this dark moment into a Kairos—a time of divine opportunity.”

The 2025 Laudato Si’ Award ceremony marked a historic celebration of faith-driven ecological commitment, inspiring the global Church and communities to deepen their dedication to caring for our common home.