To many people, if the oceans were of no use to humanity, there would be nothing wrong with their current critical state. According to the Patristic and liturgic tradition of Orthodox Christians, this utilitarian mentality is at the heart of the grave problems facing humanity today. We believe that all efforts to save the natural environment, and the oceans in particular, should be underlined by a profound understanding that this world belongs to God. The Christian tradition attributes special significance to water. The sea is sanctified during the Epiphany when the cross is immersed in the waters.
Baptism is performed in water.
Also, to many great theologians, such as St. Basil the Great, the beauties and the intricate nature of the seas prove the infinite wisdom of God. The human person has been appointed as steward to love and live in communion with creation and the Creator. According to the patristic tradition of our Church, the feature that distinguishes the human person from the rest of God's creation is self-determination. This God-given freedom to choose between love and hatred lies at the bottom of the environmental crisis. The efforts of the Ecumenical Patriarchate aim at stressing the need for a unified approach to the environmental crisis and a sacramental and eucharistic approach to God's creation.