07/02/2025
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew is not just a powerful and prophetic voice for peace and reconciliation, and for stewardship of the natural environment. He is also, among many other things, a strong advocate for the importance of the arts and literature, saying that “there are dimensions of human life inaccessible to scientific knowledge and to all forms of objectification,” and describing poetry as an “invaluable gift from heaven to humanity.”
Demonstrating a profound and poetic sensibility himself, the Ecumenical Patriarch explained that “beyond self-interest and measurable reality, there exists the dimension of depth—the ‘profound mystery of the world,’ which, as the great theologian Fr. Alexander Schmemann wrote, ‘is revealed to saints, children, and poets’ (Feast, Akritas Publications, Athens 1997, p. 64).”
Poetry, said His All-Holiness, “is the realm where ‘numbers have nothing to say,’ where there is no place for those who ‘view the blossoming almond tree through the eyes of a woodcutter.’” This realm, he added, is the one in which the human soul encounters its Creator: “In this sense, every true believer is also a poet—one who is deeply moved by the mystery of divine glory. When we speak of Christ, the ‘Logos in the beginning,’ who became one with humanity to open the way to eternal life, our words become poetry, hymn, and doxology.”
Theology itself, His All-Holiness, was fundamentally a poetic endeavor: “The language of theology has never been mere information ‘about God’; it has always been poetic, heartfelt, and infused with spiritual beauty. Let us remember that the hymnographic texts of our Church are a literary marvel. There is never banality in the ecclesiastical language. For this reason, it is unimaginable to conceive of a true believer who does not also cherish literature and poetry.”
Further explaining the connection between theology and poetry on another occasion, His All-Holiness said: “Theology has never been mere ‘detached information’ about God. It is impossible to speak of the God of love and humanity’s unquenchable longing for eternity without our words becoming poetry and praise. There is no dullness in matters of faith. The hymnography of our Church is a literary marvel, a sublime hymn to the power and beauty of the Greek language. In general, authentic theological texts are closer to poetry than to prose.”
In this connection, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has praised in particular the work of three modern Greek poets: Kiki Dimoula (1931-2020); Odysseus Elytis (1911-1996); and George Seferis (1900-1971). His All-Holiness observed that “in the modern world of technocracy, economics, numbers, and quantitative criteria, our poets speak about the incomparable values of our tradition, about Europe, about culture, about art, which magnifies the mystery of the world, sharpens the sense of beauty and the truth of things.”
Of the poetry of Kiki Dimoula, the Ecumenical Patriarch said: “Her poetry delights our linguistic and literary sensibilities, our intellect, and our heart; it touches the most sensitive chords of the human soul.” He emphasized that “our era and modern society are in great need of poets with an imaginative mind, a sensitive soul, and a penetrating gaze, like Kiki Dimoula.”
His All-Holiness noted that the Greek language “has been and remains the voice of the native inhabitants of this City—the City of Archbishops Gregory the Theologian, the poet of theology, and John Chrysostom, ‘golden-tongued,’ the ‘Demosthenes of the Church’; the polymath Patriarch Photius the Great; hymnographers, poets, philosophers, and scholars of our Nation. We are all called to a shared effort so that future generations may also enjoy our poets and prose writers, the hymnographic texts of our Church, and take pride in the wealth of our language and culture. In this noble struggle, let us not forget that as bearers of a great spiritual heritage, ‘to whom much is given, from them much will be required,’ in accordance with the biblical verse: ‘To whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required’ (Luke 12:48).
As Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, we are deeply grateful to Almighty God that He has given us the immense blessing and responsibility of being guardians and protectors of this great spiritual heritage. Let us all hear and redouble our efforts to heed His All-Holiness’ call to take part in “a shared effort so that future generations may also enjoy our poets and prose writers, the hymnographic texts of our Church, and take pride in the wealth of our language and culture.”
✍️: Archons of the Ecumenical Patriarchate; 📸: Orthodox Observer/Brittainy Newman.
