"We are relational beings and institutions, and as such, we are both responsible and accountable for one another. We are social beings, and as such, we share the world and the planet's resources. In other words, we live in a global community, and as such, we share common values which transcend national, political, religious, racial or cultural boundaries", said His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I in his address to the Assembly.
"This ethical awareness does not merely depend on our religious convictions but on the universal dignity of all people. And here, the far-sighted and at the same time realistic perspective of religion can play a vital role," he added.
In a world that is "proving to be increasingly divided and divisive, we feel an obligation and vocation to build bridges of peace and unity as well as of co-operation and collaboration", the Patriarch underlined. "The Ecumenical Patriarchate is living proof that different cultures and different faiths can coexist in solidarity and peace."
"We can make a difference in the world. We can bring greater healing to its people. We can provide renewed hope if all of us political and religious leaders work together towards a shared goal, namely to leave behind a better world for our children than what we inherited or created", His All Holiness said. "A world where conflict and war are not the ways of resolving disputes and divisions, where all religions and all races are equally and indiscriminately respected, where people have enough love as the mother tongue of all humankind, and where nature's diversity is protected", Patriarch Bartholomew I concluded.
