The Ecumenical Patriarch has received the Ecumenical Award of the Catholic Academy of Bavaria. 

“He is a patriarch with a global vision and gentle strength,” said Bedford-Strohm. “Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is described as modest yet courageous, gentle yet determined, intellectually brilliant, pastorally compassionate, and ecologically prophetic.”

He is also a bridge builder, a moral compass, a defender of the voiceless and, above all, a servant leader who is deeply rooted in the Orthodox tradition yet radically open to the world, noted Bedford-Strohm. 

“Orthodoxy is not an addition to the WCC — it is part of its soul,” he said. “For the Ecumenical Patriarch, the smallest and most vulnerable members of the community play a special role.”

Bedford-Strohm also mentioned the Ecumenical Patriarch’s great commitment to initiatives promoting the rights and dignity of children around the world.

“He has actively collaborated with UNICEF and the World Council of Churches to combat child poverty, child trafficking, and exploitation,” said Bedford-Strohm. "Patriarch Bartholomew sees the relational nature of human existence not only in terms of relationships between people, but also in terms of the relationship between humans and nature.”

Bedford-Strohm reflected that, for His All-Holiness, the natural world is neither a neutral backdrop for human life nor a mere resource to be managed. “It is a sacred reality, a divine gift, a creation that sings of God's glory,” said Bedford-Strohm. “The idea of creation has always played a central role in Orthodox theology.”

Bedform-Strohm reflected on how much the voice of the Ecumenical Patriarch is needed today.

“It is a globally respected ecumenical voice,” said Bedford-Strohm. “This has also required a great deal of courage.”

The Ecumenical Patriarch has been sharply criticized by fundamentalist voices both within and outside Orthodoxy, noted Bedford-Strohm. “His efforts have often been viewed with suspicion by those who fear that dialogue will water down tradition,” said Bedford-Strohm. “And yet he persists—not because ecumenism is a trend, but because it is following Christ.”

In a world torn apart by war, inequality, climate collapse, and rising authoritarianism, Bartholomew has become a moral voice that knows no boundaries, said Bedford-Strohm. “He speaks not only as the spiritual leader of the Orthodox world, but as a global conscience.”

Bedford-Strohm concluded that the Ecumenical Patriarch embodies the best that religious leadership can be: neither sectarian nor self-protective, but prophetic, open, and deeply rooted in compassion.

“When we honor him, we are not simply honoring a church leader,” said Bedford-Strohm. “We are honoring a vision: of humanity reconciled with creation, of churches reconciled with one another, and of a world that still believes in justice and mercy."