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Archbishop of Constantinople addresses city church
The Archbishop of Constantinople addressed the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford.
The Archbishop of Constantinople – Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I – addressed the University Church of St Mary the Virgin in Oxford last Thursday during a week-long trip that also saw him visit King Charles at Balmoral.
The Patriarch, known for his environmentalism and inter-faith work, is the leader of 300 million orthodox Christians worldwide.
His address – Religious Liberty in Contested Ecosystems: Law, Religion and Foreign Policy in a New International Order – touched on the issues of universal religious liberty, faith as a pillar of democracy and how religious institutions are crucial, non-partisan actors in a fracturing international order.
Earlier in the day he had taken part in a discussion about human rights and religious freedom at the Centre for Law and Religion at the University of Oxford.
The Patriarch also spoke about how social justice, human rights and ecological protection are interconnected and cannot be separated from humanity’s relationship with God.
The Revd Canon Dr Will Lamb, vicar of the University Church, said: “This was a major event for the university and for the University Church.
“In recent years we have hosted a number of ecumenical guests, and this was the first time ever that an Ecumenical Patriarch has given a lecture at the University of Oxford.”
All photos are copyright: Nikos Papachristou
