Head of the Eastern Orthodox Church Discusses Religion and Global Challenges : CSPAN2 : October 6, 2025 11:07am-11:48am EDT

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, provided a religious perspective to global challenges in keynote remarks at an event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City. He touched on several topics, including the war in Ukraine, the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and the impact of the internet and social media on society. Following his remarks, Archbishop Elpidophoros of the Greek Orthodox Church of America sat down for a conversation with Frances Townsend, former White House homeland security adviser (G.W. Bush administration). The archbishop expanded on Patriarch Bartholomew's remarks and also answered questions on the environment and climate change, as well as how artificial intelligence (AI) will impact the world.

Sponsor: Council on Foreign Relations