Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, leader of over 300 million Orthodox Christians, spoke at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, warning against authoritarianism, nationalism, and the negative impacts of social media. He called for a renewed reliance on faith as a stabilizing influence in a fractured world.
He praised America’s founding documents, viewing them as essential safeguards against absolute power, influenced by Judeo-Christian thought. Bartholomew lamented the global trend toward charismatic leaders who erode democratic institutions and criticized nationalism as “perhaps the most destructive force in human history.” He highlighted the fragmentation it causes in the church and referenced Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, condemning the Moscow Patriarchate’s support of the war.
Additionally, he addressed the conflict in Gaza, denouncing the Hamas attacks while acknowledging the suffering of civilians, particularly Christian minorities in the region. Bartholomew concluded by discussing the broader divisions in society fueled by politics, identity, and social media algorithms, emphasizing the urgent need for unity.
