Just days before Pope Francis is due to release his long-awaited and much-anticipated encyclical letter on climate change, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew organized the second Halki Summit in Istanbul, Turkey, from June 8-10, 2015. On Thursday (June 18, 2015), the Pope is expected to refer by name to the spiritual leader of the worldwide Orthodox Church, citing his long advocacy and prophetic stand against environmental degradation.
On the island of Heybeliada (Halki) off the coast of Istanbul, countless cackling gulls gathered in the sun-filled sky, relentless and unaware of deliberations and connections being forged on the ground below. At Halki Summit II, hosted by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and co-sponsored by Southern New Hampshire University, a number of distinguished artists, academics, activists, theologians, and volunteer participants joined in an effort to foster dialogue on one of the most crucial challenges of our time. Entitled "Ecology, Theology, and the Arts," this summer's conference aimed to incorporate the artistic senses and spiritual dimension of environmental stewardship into the broader conversation on climate change. Three years after the first summit, the work of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew continues to bridge the divide between the disparate yet essentially interconnected ideas of nature, art, and spirit.
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