THE POCA YEARLY REVIEW 2025

POCA consists of a group of well-respected Orthodox theologians, ethicists, academics and laity, whose mission is to promote Christian respect and responsibility for the animal creation through Eastern Orthodox teachings. We began in 2017, are a Registered Charity in the UK and this is our Review of 2025.

JANUARY

We began the year with the good news that both of our books on Climate Crisis and Creation Care were now available in paperback, and thus greatly reduced in price.

https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-7421-2

https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-7420-5

FEBRUARY                                                                                                                               In February we produced our first Webinar on the work of Met. Kallistos of Diokleia and Animals, using unseen videos produced for our charity. We were blessed to have top theologians from various countries – Archdeacon Fr John Chryssavgis from the USA; Fr Nektariy Sokolov from Russia; Dr Nikolaos Asproulis from Greece and Dr Elizabeth Theokritoff and Dr Christina Nellist from the UK, discussing themes mentioned by Met Kallistos. It was hosted for us by the Volos Academy in Greece, which is one of the organisations we work closely with throughout the year. Here is the link:  THE WORK OF MET. KALLISTOS OF DIOKLEIA ON CARE FOR ANIMALS AND THE ENVIRONMENT. WEBINAR 1 – Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals

MARCH                                                                                                                                     In March we promoted petitions to end cages and crates for all farmed animals, and to ban the culling of badgers, calling for the government to accept the science and adopt other approaches to bovine TB control, and you will see, later in the year this produced some successful results.

We also posted an important interview with one of our Patrons Met. Seraphim on Ecological Repentance and here is the link –  WCC interview with POCA Patron Met. Seraphim on ‘Ecological Repentance is the path to Justice’ – Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals

APRIL                                                                                                                                       In April, we posted the lecture by Ekaterini Tsalampouni, a supporter of our work and Professor of New Testament in the Faculty of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, “‘Cosmic Liturgy’ and the Care for the Creation.” See: https://acadimia.us8.listmanage.com/track/click?u=9eb49964b8f057dadfc67eaea&id=82c8c64b85&e=11fd27f327  or here https://acadimia.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=9eb49964b8f057dadfc67eaea&id=0dd25ede1a&e=11fd27f327

We began working in earnest on the forthcoming book on presenting the papers from our  session on compassionate care for animals/creation at the International Orthodox Theological Association’s conferences in Volos, Greece. The working title Creation Care: Eastern Orthodox Christian Perspectives. It will be published by Holy Cross and is edited by Dr Christina and Dr Nikolaos. It will be  available in the new year.

MAY                                                                                                                                                   In May our President was invited to give a workshop to the Orthodox Fellowship of St John the Baptist Youth Group, where she discussed the animal food diet and environmental damage, and asked for information on their views of climate change.

At the end of the month our President was invited to give two lectures on the same day, one in Greece and the other in the UK. The lecture for the Volos Academy, was for their conference on ‘Food in the Anthropocene: Ecotheological and Scientific Perspectives.’ This a topic that has not been discussed yet in any Orthodox context, while it is variously related to the current climate crisis (e.g. agriculture, production models, carbon emissions, lifestyle, poverty). The conference invited participants to consider food cultures, food security, and agricultural systems as gateways to examining the dialectical relationship between ecosystems, cultural beliefs and practices, and religious cosmologies and rituals in sustaining meaningful and equitable ways of living in the Anthropocene. The focus on food allows for the examination of collective human beliefs and practices related to land and natural resource use and patterns of production and consumption in a time of rapid ecosystem collapse, evidenced by ever-increasing wildfires, heat waves, droughts, floods, economic instability, and wars dislocating people from life-sustaining resources and settlements. However, with foresight, the lecture was sent to Dr Asproulis, who read the paper when the Zoom connection was lost just before her presentation! The feedback was that the paper provoked a good discussion on the need for each of the 8.5 billion people on the planet to reflect on their intake and where possible to reduce the consumption of animal and dairy products as a first step in reducing the harmful impact of this diet on water, soil and GHG emissions.

Dr Nellist chose to give her  lecture ‘The Animal-Based Diet: Important Considerations’ at the Deanery Conference, part of which also included the need to reduce our consumption of animal-food products, and where the subject provoked an interesting discussion on how people received the same lecture with polar-opposite views!

JUNE

In June we informed our readers of the agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), also known as the High Seas Treaty, which aims to safeguard marine life in international waters. During the Ocean conference, nineteen countries ratified the treaty, taking the total to fifty of the sixty countries required for the treaty to enter into force, with others indicating their intent to ratify the treaty in the near future. A notable event was the statement from Angelika Lātūfuipeka Tukuʻaho, the princess of Tonga, who called for the “recognition of whales as legal persons” and that “The time has come to recognise whales not merely as resources, but as sentient beings with inherent rights.” The Pacific island nation could move forward with legislation ensuring this recognition and allowing for “appointing human guardians to represent [whales] in court.” The bill would also seek to ensure whales’ “rights to life, migration, a healthy habitat and cultural protection.”

JULY

 In July we attended an event in the UK Parliament on a new bill which aims to Ban the importation of hunting trophies into the UK.

See our post on this here: https://panorthodoxconcernforanimals.org/uncategorized/trophy-hunting-what-the-evidence-says/.

We also shared a discussion between the AIA’s scientific advisor Dr Andre Menache with famous actor and supporter Peter Egan. Peter Egan Q&A with Dr Andre Menache.

Our President as a private individual, (as Charities are banned from campaigning against animal experimentation), made a significant financial contribution to a major publicity campaign on ending animal experimentation, which informed the public on the modern science on this subject. As you will see later, we believe this campaign put significant pressure on the government to make changes in the law on this subject.

Our representative attended the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics Summer School which this year discussed the topic of The Ethics of Captivity, What was noticeable was the number of papers being given on industrial fishing. For those of you who have our  2021 book on Climate Crisis and Sustainable Creaturely Care: Integrated Theology. Governance and Justice, you will remember that it contains a chapter on ‘Fish the Forgotten Species’ by Chris Fegan and Gerald Taylor, which gives a good representation of what was discussed this year.

Much  happened over these few months, including the writing of chapters based upon the presentations of the POCA panel at the IOTA Conference 2023, for our new book with Holy Cross publications; increasing the numbers involved in helping our group, which include  three new members Stephanie Muzekari, who now posts regular and theologically relevant social media postings, Michael Lee our Social Media expert, who trained Stephanie and is developing our new website, and Dr Louk Andrianos, who is a World Council of Churches consultant on the Care for Creation, Sustainability, and Climate Justice. As you can imagine we are absolutely delighted at God’s blessing here. In addition, we are always trying to find interesting ways to reach the public on aspects of animal suffering, and we are unique in this sense.

We also shared this work by Prof Fr. Serafim Seppälä from the University of Eastern Finland, a Philosopher and Theologian, as we are delighted that this subject is now being discussed at this level. See ‘Animals as ἄλογα: A Critical Appraisal of a Murky Concept.’

(61) Animals as ἄλογα: A Critical Appraisal of a Murky Concept

https://doi.org/10.61560/ORTODOKSIA.147640.

His abstract states:

 In our times, phenomena such as industrial animal agriculture, increased meat consumption, and the loss of species necessitate an urgent shiſt in human attitudes towards animals. Within the Orthodox Church, there seems to exist some discrepancy concerning different approaches to animals. On the one hand, the ideals and praxis of monastic saints demonstrate a harmonious relationship with animals, supported by the idea of a return to the original paradisiacal state. On the other hand, this seems to have minimal impact on the broader Church, or its teachings. The patristic, hymnographic, and even modern Orthodox discourses are inherently linked with the concept of animals as αλόγα, beings lacking the faculty of reason. Historically, this notion has frequently been used to justify human entitlement to treat animals as objects of consumption and mistreatment. The validity of this argument was debated already in antiquity, and its integration into patristic theology created some tensions with the paradisiacal ideals. The notion of animals as ἄλογα is problematic in several ways related to its semantic ambiguity, inconsistent applications, and practical realities. Therefore, the argument requires reinterpretation in the light of contemporary concerns and modern scientific discoveries regarding animal cognition. This paper seeks to trace and examine the principal uses, applications, and problematic aspects of the idea of animals as αλόγα, focusing on patristic sources with some reference to Greek antiquity, in addition to some insights of modern natural science.

SEPTEMBER

In September we launched our exciting joint venture with the Huffington Ecumenical Institute at the Hellenic College, Holy Cross Seminary, Boston USA. This is new for both groups and we are not sure what engagement to expect but think it worth the effort and money to generate more academic work by Orthodox students on this subject.

Again, in September we were invited along with other faith groups, to sign an open letter to the new Pope urging an update to the Catholic Church’s teaching on Human-Animal relations. The letter can be seen here: https://panorthodoxconcernforanimals.org/uncategorized/christian-animal-advocacy-and-protection-organizations-sign-letter-to-pope-leo-xiv-urging-an-overdue-update-to-the-churchs-teaching-on-human-animal-relations/.

Our President was invited to give a key-note speech  in Norway by Professor Tom Sverre Bredal-Tomren  at a conference on ‘Ecotheology as an Academic Discipline’, organised by the European Christian Research Network (WW.ECErN.org) and the research group Ecotheology, Sustainability and Education (EcoSE) at VID specialized university. Her talk was titled ‘Orthodox Ecotheology: An Evaluation of Orthodox, Academic & Seminar Engagement and Examples for discussions.’ Dr Nellist surveyed the engagement on the subject by Orthodox theological institutions across the globe and alas in general terms there was virtually no engagement. However, in recent months there has been two important additions to that run by Elizabeth Theokritoff at IOCS in Cambridge, and it is worth noting that one is at the Huffington Ecumenical Institute in the USA, run by Archdeacon Fr John Chryssagis, a former student of Met. Kallistos and an advisor to POCA, and the second by the Volos Academy for Theological Studies and the Orthodox Church in Estonia, which includes a section on Animal Theology, taught by Dr Nicholaos Asproulis, who is Chair of POCA. During the presentation Dr Nellist commented on the ‘Public Theology’ that is being undertaken by POCA and facilitated at times by Orthodox institutions, and here are the two slides detailing the most significant achievements undertaken by POCA these past years.

She noted that whilst a causal link between these academic activities by members of our team and the very recent development/engagement with animal theology cannot be proven,it is widely acknowledged that increasing willingness to engage with hitherto perceived ‘difficult’ subjects, comes via increasing exposure to the subject. As a result of this significant academic work, together with interviews, engagement with other groups such as the Animal Interfaith Alliance in the UK and the Orthodox Fellowship of the Transfiguration in the US, engagement by our POCA team in other countries, such as the Volos Academy in Greece, or the inclusion of our Creation Care Christian Responsibility Course in home-schooling, or information in Diane’s Parish Newsletter  in Columbus, Ohio USA, see- https://d.docs.live.net/98e64fa4c0b7a3e8/Documents/POCA%20charity%20comm%20annual%20accounts%20etc/CHARITY%20COMM%20REPORTS/POCA%20YEARLY%20REVIEWS/CGC%20Newsletter%5eJ%20Fall%202025%20(1).pdf –

we believe we are, by God’s grace, making a significant impact in the Orthodoxy academic arena and the wider Christian movement. This will increase as the two new courses develop, and with Dr Nellist’s inclusion in the editing team of a new European journal on Ecotheology starting next year. Her presentation was also requested by one of our new colleagues for his work at the World Council of Churches.

OCTOBER

In October we all received the awful news of the death of the wonderfully inspiriting women Jane Goodall. We were asked to produce a short piece on her influential work. See here:

https://panorthodoxconcernforanimals.org/uncategorized/dr-jane-goodall-with-thanks/.

On a personal note, this is my photo of Jane speaking in the Houses of Parliament at the first event to ban trophy hunting imports into the UK. (Apologies for the inferior quality!) Somewhere there is a photograph of Jane and I together taken by the event’s official photographer, which sadly I never received. I am not one for ‘selfies’ but how I regret not doing so that day!

In October we reported that the Farm Assurance scheme known as Red Tractor, has had its advertising banned for making false claims on their environmental practices. POCA was heavily involved with the ecumenical Christian Ethics of Farmed Animal Welfare Research project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) between 2018 and 2022. We evaluated systems according to the opportunities they provide for flourishing with systems graded poor, better, or best available. We found that Red Tractor assurance scheme was the worst in all categories receiving Poor as its standard score across all types of animals farmed. Frankly, it is not worth the paper it is written on and despite what the farming lobby would have you believe, the report states ‘We conclude that production systems that provide poor opportunities for farmed animals to enjoy flourishing lives are inadequate.’ The government and farming bodies should withdraw this failed assurance scheme and ‘work for legal, regulatory, and trade changes that raise farmed animal welfare systems.’ One obvious suggestion would be to take advice from independent bodies like the RSPCA who have no vested interests in the present system to create a credible scheme. You can order a copy of the report here cefaw@abdn.ac.uk

Also in October, it was a great honour to receive an invite from His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos to their Nayrouz Service at St Margaret’s, Westminster Abbey, where we also heard messages from His Majesty King Charles III, The Archbishop of York, and The Prime Minister.

We were also contacted by two Greek Orthodox sisters from America, Lexi & Zoe Doukakis, who have written and illustrated a children’s book titled Why did God make Beasts & Bugs? We were also delighted to receive a copy, and our team discussed it at that month’s meeting. We are pleased to say that we all found it delightful. The style and language are age appropriate, and the illustrations are delightful. It begins with a page that commemorates St Gerasimus of the Jordan, pictured with the famous injured lion. We are told that St Gerasimos was filled with love and compassion for the suffering lion, who in turn felt such gratitude and love for the saint that he became his loyal companion for the rest of his life. We are then taken through a story of a young boy, his mother, and other creatures, many of whom are not the cute fluffy ones that Met. Kallistos speaks of, but those who may at times scare us. Throughout the story we are reminded of the goodness that the animal’s carry, and end with the little boy thanking God for the beasts and bugs, “for it is your love that I see in them.” We can certainly recommend this to all of you with young children or grandchildren – see contact details here.

Why Did God Make Beasts and Bugs?

NOVEMBER

In early November, a POCA representative  laid two wreaths at this year’s Animals War Memorial service in London in honour of all the animals who served and died in human conflicts. One was from POCA, the other as a representative of the Animal Interfaith Alliance, where we have a seat on their Board of Directors. This is an outdoor faith-based service with hymns and prayers and the opportunity to lay wreaths.  The service was conducted as usual by the Revd Samantha Chandler.

See our report here: Animals in War Memorial 2025 – Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals

Also in November, we reported that the Labour government published its long-awaited ‘Replacing Animals in Science Strategy,’ marking a major step toward ending cruel and outdated animal experiments. This strategy sets out a vision for accelerating the use of modern, non-animal research methods. Sadly, there will still be the provision for animal experiments, so we must continue with our efforts. What is needed now is a timeframe for implementing those plans, as the vested interests will not change without government enforcement. We can celebrate that the government has at last accepted 21st century science and recognized the failed Animal Testing Model for what it is – the misuse of God’s good creation.

It was also a great privilege to be invited to Windsor Castle by our dear friend and colleague Barbara, head of the AIA, when she received her MBE from King Charles 111, for her work in Animal Welfare. It was a wonderful, joyous day, and a rare event for those of us who have devoted our lives to the suffering of animals, as each of us in the group photo have done.

Barbara is the beauty in white. We thank you Barbara for involving us in your day and we celebrate our ecumenical ties with the other faith groups in the Animal Interfaith Alliance who are all working to the common goal of reducing the suffering of God’s other creatures.

At the end of November, we received good news and a photograph from one of our team, Fr Dimitrios in Greece, that he had conducted the liturgy in his Church with one of his parishioners and her support-dog. It can be done, and is being done both in Greece and America, was undertaken in the UK when Fr Simon was alive, and it would be good to know of other countries.

DECEMBER

In early December  we received another email from a family who found great comfort from our ‘Prayer for the Death of a Companion Animal’ just at the moment their animal was leaving them. Here is their first sentence in a long and detailed email:

“I want to thank you for posting this prayer. It was the last thing our beloved Great Pyrenees, Snoe, heard before she passed away, mid prayer. In a way, perhaps it was God’s mercy to me, confirming He has her and that it was her time.”

See https://panorthodoxconcernforanimals.org/prayers-for…/

Advice was also sought on the depth of their grief. We responded and received this affirming email in response, along with photos of their beloved dog:

Good Evening,

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply and for your kind words. It means more than you know that you took the time to reply to me, and your words are a great comfort: I’ve re-read your email several times and each time I cry, not so much out of grief, though there is that too, but because I’m so touched by your kindness. When the weather is warmer, I’ll plant a rose bush. I love that idea. I’m attaching some photos of dear Snoe, and please feel free to share my comments. You may need to crop some of these a little.

Thank you again.

With love and gratitude…

Perhaps today you might consider including prayers for the end of animal suffering in all its forms.

On December 9, 2025, the second Webinar organized by the Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals (POCA), in cooperation with the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, was successfully convened. The session focused on Metropolitan Kallistos’ (Ware) recollections of his encounters with animals.

The POCA panel featured distinguished speakers, namely Rev. Prof. Andreas Andreopoulos (King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, UK, shown left in middle row), Dr. Elizabeth Theokritoff (Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge, UK, bottom left), and Dr. David Goodin (Laval University, Canada, bottom middle). Using previously unreleased video footage, recorded for POCA by another member of our team, James, the panellists discussed themes raised by the late Metropolitan Kallistos concerning his interactions with cats, lynxes, and wolves.

The Webinar commenced with an opening prayer for animal care offered by Fr. Dimitrios Zacharopoulos (bottom right) ,who also conveyed the official blessings of Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece. A brief introduction to the topic and the POCA activities was provided by its founder and president, Dr. Christina Nellist. Following each video presentation, the panellists offered expert commentary. Discussions centred on the profound relationship between humans and animals; the specific care monastics have historically demonstrated toward animals on Mount Athos (drawing on stories recounted or written by Metr. Kallistos) and the overarching need for an inclusive ethos that recognizes animals as “fellows” to humans. The Webinar concluded with teachings by one of POCA’s patrons, His Grace Metropolitan Seraphim of Zimbabwe and Angola, (top right), a personal reflection of Fr Simon, one of our co-founders, and a final prayer for the welfare of both humans and animals. The Webinar was moderated by Dr. Nikolaos Asproulis, Deputy Director of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, and Chair of POCA(top left). The video-recording of the event is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuNQxYFtwu4

There was  more good news and hope for serious reductions in animal suffering for animals in the UK, as the government announced its national ‘Animal Welfare Strategy.’ If this, or even part of it is delivered, it will significantly impact the lives of millions of animals every single year. There is:

• A pledge to end high-intensity CO₂ gassing of pigs at slaughter, which causes agonising acid to form in their eyes, lungs, and noses.
• An end to cruel cages for hens and mother pigs.
• ​​​​A commitment to introduce slaughter protections for farmed fish.
• Action for chickens bred for meat, whose unnaturally fast growth leads to broken legs and heart attacks.
• Support for the egg industry to stop killing male chicks, deemed ‘worthless’ because they don’t lay eggs.
• Banning Trail-hunting is also on the agenda.

And underpinning all of this: real enforcement — so laws are not just words on paper, but protections that animals actually experience. We like so many other groups and individuals who have worked for decades to reduce the suffering of animals, will continue to monitor the government’s progress and push for a period to ensure these pledges come to fruition before the next election.

Finally, as we end this Review, we add a note to say that we have closed one of our pages to make it less confusing and we shall be revealing a new website in the new year.

Our group consists of well-respected Orthodox theologians, ethicists, academics and laity, whose mission is to promote Christian respect and responsibility for the animal creation through Eastern Orthodox teachings. We also believe that all peoples have the right to freely exist and to be treated with love, compassion, and respect. We began in 2017 and are a Charity.

As a cautionary note,  the Icons for our group are as follows:

And this

We thank you all for your support throughout these years, and we work hard to gain your respect and trust.

From every one of the POCA team, we send you love and blessings for a peaceful and healthy New Year.

Summary of webinar

On December 9, 2025, the second webinar organized by the Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals (POCA), in cooperation with the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, was successfully convened. The session focused on Metropolitan Kallistos’ (Ware) recollections of his encounters with animals.

The panel featured distinguished speakers, namely Rev. Prof. Andreas Andreopoulos (King’s Foundation School of Traditional Arts, UK), Dr. Elizabeth Theokritoff (Institute for Orthodox Christian Studies, Cambridge, UK), and Prof. David Goodin (Laval University, Canada). Using previously unreleased video footage, the panelists discussed themes raised by the late Metropolitan Kallistos concerning his interactions with cats, lynxes, and wolves.

 

The webinar commenced with an opening prayer for animal care offered by Rev. Demetrios Zacharopoulos, who also conveyed the official blessings of Archbishop Hieronymos of Athens and All Greece. A brief introduction to the topic and the POCA activities was provided by its founder and president, Dr. Christina Nellist.

Following each video presentation, the panelists offered expert commentary. Discussions centered on the profound relationship between humans and animals; the specific care monastics have historically demonstrated toward animals on Mount Athos (drawing on stories recounted or written by Metr. Kallistos) and the overarching need for an inclusive ethos that recognizes animals as “fellows” to humans.

The webinar concluded with a general reflection by His Grace Metropolitan Seraphim of Zimbabwe, a patron of POCA, and a final prayer for the welfare of both humans and animals. The webinar was moderated by Dr. Nikolaos Asproulis, Deputy Director of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies and Chair of POCA.
The video-recording of the event is available here: https://youtu.be/KJbOs34PnYk

Book Review

Dame Valerie Jane Morris Goodall (April 1934 – 1 October 2025) was an English primatologist and anthropologist. She is regarded as a pioneer in primate ethologist and described by many as the world’s preeminent chimpanzee expert. She was best known for more than six decades of field research on the social and family life of wild chimpanzees in the Kasakela chimpanzee community at Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania, and for  establishing wildlife sanctuaries and reforestation  projects in Africa.

The sadness across the world at this saintly women’s death, speaks not only to her work, but also to her inner beauty. Her organisation, the Jane Goodall Institute, said in a statement  on social media, that  “Dr. Goodall’s discoveries as an ethologist revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world.” We Orthodox like so many, can add something more personal.  I met her at the Houses of Parliament when  supporting the campaign of Edwardo Gonzalas eduardo@bantrophyhunting.org and the All-Party Bill that we all hoped would ban the importation of hunting trophies. My top photo, shows Dr Jane speaking at this meeting and Edwardo seated and to the right. My other photo, is H.A.H. speaking at the 2022 Halki Theological School conference on  Animal Welfare, Ethics and the Law, and I will speak to their long-lasting friendship presently.

Four decades earlier, she had changed what I taught my science students, and how I viewed what science had to say about animals ever since. She found, for example, that Chimpanzees are omnivorous, not vegetarian; that they are capable of making and using tools; and, in short, that they are sentient beings who have a set of hitherto unrecognized complex and highly developed social behaviours. In 1965 she was awarded a PhD in ethology from the University of Cambridge. She wrote numerous books and articles about various aspects of her work, notably In the Shadow of Man (1971), and summarized her years of observation in The Chimpanzees of Gombe: Patterns of Behavior (1986). In 2002 she became a UN Messenger of Peace, was the  recipient of numerous honours over the years, one of which  was becoming a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2003.

In 2012, Dr. Goodall was invited by His All-Holiness Bartholomew, to be one of the keynote speakers at the inaugural Halki Summit — the ecological conference series of the Ecumenical Patriarchate that succeeded the Halki Summer Seminars, and the International Symposia. There appears to be little available to us from that Summit except a post on her keynote speech by Nik Anton, which I have paraphrased here:

‘We had the pleasure this morning to be in the presence of greatness.  Dr. Jane Goodall, in her soft-spoken manner shared with us her journey, her present efforts and hopes for the future…Most moving were her stories of the forest and the chimpanzees she came to know. How she was welcomed into the inner circle by David Greybeard – who allowed her to follow him one day through a bushel of thickets. As Jane appeared on the other side, he was waiting for her. She offered him a favoured food, but he denied it. In response, however, he reached for her hand and held it as if to say – thank you…She reminisced about an afternoon on her veranda in Dar es Salaam when twelve young Tanzanian girls shared their concerns about the state of their environment. They had asked Jane to help them, yet Jane’s reply was to challenge them on what they could do to make change. The result of this afternoon was the start of Jane’s most successful education program Roots and Shoots; now in over 130 countries.’

Nik informs us that after they had taken a tour of the Halki School of Theology, they were to head back to the hotel on one of the horse-drawn carriages, however she refused: “No”, Jane said, “I could not bear to put those poor creatures through any more misery then what they are already exposed to.” He explained that there are no cars allowed on the island, so horse and carriage provided the only transport, yet even this type of alternative transport  was not acceptable as it was at the cost of another living being. This was also my concern when I was invited there by His All-Holiness in 2022, to give a presentation to him and members of the Orthodox clergy, specifically relating to the inclusion of Creation Care into Orthodox seminary and academic courses. Thankfully by then horse-drawn carriages had been replaced by small vehicles. Nik  marvels that such an icon can be so humble and so effective, and this was my own impression of her, noted above, when we met in the Houses of Parliament as part of our respective campaigns to rid the UK of the evil of trophy hunting, via a Bill to prevent the imports of trophies from this evil ‘sport’. He  also informs us of her great wit and sense of humour as evidenced when she charmingly compared David Greybeard’s beard to that of His All-Holiness as he sat in the front row and a “truly a surreal moment for all those attending.”

Since that time, she remained a close friend and steadfast supporter of the Ecumenical Patriarchate’s environmental initiatives and our own work at Pan Orthodox Concern for Animals, for she like us, also campaigned for the ethical treatment of animals in animal husbandry and captivity. Whilst she served on the board of the Nonhuman Rights Project from 2022 until her death, we at POCA also worked closely with its founder Steve Wise, by writing Amici Curia briefs on their behalf for the Supreme Courts of America, in their campaigns to get Happy, Amahle, Nolwazi, and Mabu elephants, and other animals released from American Zoos and into sanctuaries. She was also against testing on animals, something we have fought tirelessly against for decades. She like us believe that God cares for all of his created beings, and that it is part of our duty as Image of God to protected them from all forms of harm as proclaimed in the Orthodox service Vespers for the Environment.  More recently she was awarded the Templeton Prize (2021), the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication (2022), the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2025) and lastly, she participated in the Templeton Prize ceremony in New York City earlier this year, where His All-Holiness was the honouree. She continued to write and lecture about environmental and conservation issues until her death in Los Angeles on October 1 at the age of 91. This day, was, as we saw by the outpouring of tributes from across the world,  a very, very sad day for the creatures of this world.

Finally, in a short piece in the Orthodox Times we learn that upon hearing of the passing of Dame Jane Goodall, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed his heartfelt condolences for the loss of an extraordinary advocate for the environment and a devoted messenger of peace throughout the world. See the link below for a wonderful photograph of them together at that ceremony Ecumenical Patriarch expressed condolences on the passing of Jane Goodall | Orthodox Times (en). I end this short but deeply respectful piece with their final quote:

Her compassion, humility, and tireless advocacy for all of creation — both human and animal — will continue to inspire all who care for the sustainability and survival of our planet.

Dr Christina Nellist, President Pan Orthodox Concern for Animals Charity. 12 Oct. 2025

VATICAN CITY (October 1st, 2025) — Christian animal advocacy and protection organizations have written to Pope Leo XIV asking him to initiate work on the theological and doctrinal renewal of the principles governing the relationship between humans and animals, and on new social teaching of the Church in this regard. 

This highly important request urges the Pope to take into account current knowledge about animal sentiency, growing animal suffering in industrial agriculture, and the detrimental outcomes to mankind, the animals, and the planet which will continue including climate changes, pollution of the planet, and world hunger if theological and doctrinal renewal does not take place.

The signatories believe that a compassionate teaching on human–animal relationships, rooted in Scripture and Tradition, and updated according to present scientific knowledge is urgently needed to address widespread cruelty, environmental degradation, and climate crisis. That is why they request the Pope to establish a commission of theologians, ethicists, scientists, and other relevant experts to develop a teaching underlying the intrinsic value of all animals as God’s creatures and calling the faithful to eliminate cruelty, exploitation, and indifference to their suffering.

The letter states:

“We earnestly appeal to Your Holiness to open in the Church a new chapter of moral reflection and teaching that will include animals within the circle of compassion and justice. Just as the Church has played an important role in advancing environmental protection, now it has a chance to lead in healing our relationship with animals. “The whole of creation waits with eager longing for the children of God to be revealed” (Romans 8:19).”

“We respectfully request that Your Holiness establish a commission of theologians, ethicists, scientists, and other relevant experts to explore this issue in depth and to develop updated Catholic teaching on human–animal relationships that reflects contemporary scientific knowledge and will help shape people into the image of a loving and compassionate God.”

Read the complete letter and signatory list here. The letter is also available in French, Spanish, German, Italian and Polish.

English: https://chng.it/cgtZNBqNTX

Français: https://chng.it/DKMWpQ9GJ5

Polski: https://chng.it/jkcQ8QSrZk

Deutsch: https://chng.it/F7HgZP7mQ7

Italiano: https://chng.it/j2gXwNPjrB

Español:  https://chng.it/mHNzL88r5Z

Signatories:

All Creatures.org (USA) – Tams Nicholson, Executive Director    https://www.all-creatures.org/

AnimaTerra -Prendre soin de la Terre et du Vivant –  Christine Kristof    www.animaterra.fr

Catholic Action for Animals and St. Barnabas Laudato Si’ Group (UK) – Virginia Bell ; Virginia Bell vrbell18@yahoo.co.uk ; https://catholicactionforanimals.wordpress.com/

Catholic Vegetarians (Italy) – Marilena Bogazzi, President  cattolici.vegetariani@gmail.com ;  www.cattolicivegetariani.it

Christian Animal Rights Association (USA) – Matthew A. King, President info@christiananimalrights.com   https://christiananimalrights.com/

Christian Vegetarian Association (USA) – Stephen R. Kaufman, MD, Chair  https://www.christianveg.org/

Christians for Animals (Poland) – Barbara Niedźwiedzka, PhD chrzescijaniedlazwierzat@gmail.com  www.opowiedzwierze.pl f. https://www.facebook.com/ChrzescijanieZwierzeta

ChristInnen für Tiere (Germany) – Gabriella Perotto,  gabriperotto@hotmail.com

Fraternité pour le Respect Animal (France) – Estela Torres estelatorres@fra-respect-animal.org www. https://fra-respect-animal.org/

Jesuit European Social Centre (JESC) – Colm Fahy, Ecology Advocacy Officer  https://www.jcfj.ie/

Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals – President Dr Christina Nellist, panorthodoxconcernforanimals@gmail.com  https://panorthodoxconcernforanimals.org/

Vegan Catholic Christian – Daniel Mascarenhas, S.J.  vegancatholic.org ; dmascarenhassj@thejesuitpost.org

The list is still open for Christian faith based organisations to sign.

Contact:

Barbara Niedzwiedzka.

Christians for Animals – Poland

chrzescijaniedlazwierzat@gmail.com

JOINT PROJECT BETWEEN POCA AND HUFFINGTON ECUMENICAL INSTITUTE, HELLENIC COLLEGE, HOLY CROSS, USA.

Huffington Ecumenical Institute and Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals Announce Essay Competition on Christian Responsibility Toward Animals

Brookline, MA — The Huffington Ecumenical Institute (HEI) at Hellenic College Holy Cross, with support from the Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals (POCA), is pleased to announce a graduate-level essay competition on the theme:

“Advancing Christian Respect and Responsibility for Animals”

This competition invites students enrolled in Eastern and Oriental Orthodox seminaries and accredited theological programs worldwide to reflect on the theological, ethical, and ecological dimensions of Orthodox teachings regarding animals and creation. Participants are encouraged to explore both patristic and contemporary insights, highlighting the ecumenical potential of Orthodox theology in advancing animal welfare and ecological sustainability.

Eligibility

The competition is open to all graduate-level students currently enrolled in Eastern or Oriental Orthodox seminaries or accredited theological programs in the United States and abroad.

Awards (Funded by POCA)

• First Prize ($1,000)
  • Publication in the Greek Orthodox Theological Review and print
    • Featured on partner websites and promoted on social media
    • • Second Prize ($500)
        • Featured on partner websites and promoted on social media
        • • Honorable Mentions
          • Mentioned on partner websites
• Submission Guidelines
• Essays must be approximately 3,000 words (plus references and notes).
• Submissions must follow the Chicago Manual of Style and be formatted as academic essays.
• Deadline: December 31, 2025 (12:00 AM EST).
• Submit to: hei@hchc.edu
• Finalist interviews: February 2026
• Awards announced: March 2026
• Evaluation Criteria
• Essays will be reviewed by a panel of Orthodox clergy, scholars, and experts in theology, ethics, environmental studies, and animal studies. Submissions will be judged on:
• Academic merit and originality
• Clarity and coherence of argument
• Theological and ethical insight
• Relevance to POCA’s mission and concerns
• Contribution to Orthodox Christian discourse on animal welfare and ecological responsibility
• About the Organizers
• The Huffington Ecumenical Institute (HEI) at Hellenic College Holy Cross promotes ecumenical dialogue and scholarship within the Orthodox Christian tradition.
• The Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals (POCA) is a faith-based initiative that promotes education, advocacy, and research to advance Orthodox Christian concern for the welfare of animals and the care of creation.
• Media Contact
• Elena Kontogli
• Huffington Ecumenical Institute at Hellenic College Holy Cross
• hei@hchc.edu

With a powerful message on the urgent need to protect the natural environment,
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew issued a heartfelt appeal to the faithful on the occasion of September 1, the Day of Prayer for Creation and the beginning of the new ecclesiastical year.

---

August 27, 2025
The message of the Ecumenical Patriarch:

By the good pleasure of God the giver of all, we embark today upon a new
ecclesiastical year, glorifying His heavenly name for the uninterrupted and bounteous fruitfulness of the initiatives of His Holy Great Church in the field of
creation’s protection. The Ecumenical Patriarchate not only highlighted the
seriousness of environmental issues from an early stage, but focused attention
on their foundational causes — which are inner, spiritual, and moral — and
proposed solutions based on an Orthodox eucharistic and ascetic ethos.

Orthodoxy, in her faith, divine worship, and witness to the world, is, one
could say, the eco-friendly form of Christianity. Thus, the proclamation of the
Feast of the Indiction as a day of prayer for the protection of the natural
environment was not merely a reaction to the contemporary ecological crisis,
but a natural extension of the Church’s life as “applied ecology.”

From the beginning, we declared the inseparability of respect for creation
and the human person, revealing the common root and interconnection of
environmental and social problems. Alienation from God breeds a possessive
and exploitative attitude and behavior toward creation and fellow human
beings, while life in and according to Christ is a source of environmental
sensitivity and philanthropic action. As the Lord said: “Every good tree bears
good fruit, but a corrupt tree bears evil fruit. A good tree cannot bear evil fruit,
and a corrupt tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:17–18).

Respect for spiritual values sharpens our discernment of what is good and
what must be done. Indifference toward the Transcendent and the
“anthropomonism” that follows lead to the entrapment of the human being in
the earthly, that is, to a shrinking of freedom into pragmatic choices and
decisions, always intertwined with superficial views of reality and with the
identification of the good with “what happens to be useful.”

The timely call for “ecological repentance”—beyond the call to remorse for
the ecological damage already inflicted—and to a radical change in mindset and
behavior toward creation, also points to the need to transcend the erroneous
stance that upholds the view of the environmentally destructive “self-regulating
economy” as the only path to development. This stance further fuels the naive
belief in nature’s alleged ability to regenerate itself indefinitely, despite the
human-induced burdens it suffers, such as the intensification of climate change and its devastating global consequences.

Today, in addition to all this, is added the pandemonium of war cries,
bombings, missiles and explosions, which drown out the cry of the innocent
victims of merciless violence and the groaning of creation. The future of life on
our planet will either be ecological and peaceful — or nonexistent.

The Ecumenical Patriarchate, alongside its struggle for peace, justice, and
solidarity, will continue to lead in protecting nature, upholding ecological
themes as central issues in inter-Christian and interfaith dialogue, and
promoting the significance of Christian eco-friendly principles and traditions
within international institutions, environmental organizations, scientific
foundations, and civil society. We are confident that cooperation in the field of
ecology strengthens our sense of shared responsibility for the future and opens
up new and favorable prospects.

Returning to what we stated in a previous Message, we once again call upon
the Metropolises of the Mother Church around the world, parishes, and
monasteries to develop coordinated actions and specific interventions to
mobilize the faithful, with emphasis on educating the younger generation.
Applying the ecological implications of our faith in practice is a defining aspect
of our Orthodox identity.

In this spirit, we wish you all a blessed and fruitful ecclesiastical year in good
and God-pleasing works. We call upon the children of the Holy Great Church
of Christ across the globe to live in a true eco-friendly manner and in brotherly
love, to pray for creation and for peace, to strive for the integrity of the natural
environment and sustainability, and to cultivate a culture of solidarity. Through
the intercession and protection of the Most Holy Theotokos Pammakaristos, we
invoke upon you the life-giving grace and great mercy of the Almighty Creator
and All-Merciful God of love.
Blessed Ecclesiastical Year, brothers and children in the Lord!

LOAF MEALS Jesus blessed and broke bread and gave it to His disciples
saying. “Do this in remembrance of me.” He often celebrated communal meals with His
followers. You can follow His example when you have a Harvest, Alpha supper or picnic
on Environment Sunday, and choose food that complies with at least some of the LOAF
principles. Download LOAF placemats from our website. Layout 1 Then invite people to
enjoy their meal while thinking about the food they are eating. Some Churches provide
simple meals of homemade soup and bread with local, organically grown ingredients.
Others put on a spread of local cheeses, meat from humanely-reared animals, salads,
pickles, bread, desserts, fruit juices, wine, coffee and tea – all labelled to show where
they were produced and all following the LOAF principles. One Church distributed
seeds in Spring, and celebrated harvest with vegetables grown from the seeds. Use Your
LOAF! The decisions we make about our food have far-reaching effects, influencing the
way food is produced, and animals are treated. LOAF meals can raise questions about
over exploitation of soil and people, fishing methods which destroy the ocean floor, and
industrial agriculture’s dependence on oil for transport, fertilisers and packaging.
“Give us this day our daily bread” Matthew 6:11.

Locally Produced: helping community and neighbour
We believe that God created the Earth and its seasons. There is a time and a season for
everything and there are moral choices in what we eat. We live with an amazing amount
of choice and variety in our supermarkets. However, the transport of food from around
the world is a leading contributor to climate change. Our local farmers are struggling to
compete in a global market, and overseas farmers are under pressure to produce food
for export leaving little land and water for their own crops. Rainforests have been
cleared to grow food for export, devastating the environment.

By choosing food that is grown locally, we can provide a good livelihood to local
producers and cut down on fossil fuel emissions. We will also discover the joy of
seasonal eating: strawberries and apricots are a summer treat, pears in the autumn and
brussel sprouts are a winter speciality. We can remember God’s amazing goodness as
we think more carefully about where our food has come from.
Tip: sign up to a local veggie box scheme. For seasonal food choices visit:
eattheseasons.co.uk

Organically Grown: taking care of the Earth
We have a duty to care for the soil and water on which we depend. In the Genesis story
Adam was created from the soil of the Earth. We share our planet with the diverse
creatures that make up the Earth community, including the millions of creatures that
live in the soil.

The pesticides and herbicides that are used to grow our food are causing the pollution
of our rivers and loss of species and are a threat to bees which are vital to the food
production itself. Pesticide mixtures may be harming human health. Soils without
organic matter become lifeless, instead of teeming with worms and other soil creatures.
By choosing organic food we will have healthier soils. We will see meadows rich with
wildflowers and rivers full of fish again.
Tip: look for the Soil Association logo.

Animal Friendly: avoiding abuse
We have responsibilities from God for looking after animals (Luke 12:6, 14:5). Abundant
life for all demands that we produce our food in ways which nurture that life.
Animal welfare is neglected when eggs, dairy products, meat and fish are produced
using intensive farming methods and long-distance lorry transport. Animals are
sensate/sentient beings and feel pain and suffer when ill-treated. Carbon and methane
emissions from animal farming are boosting climate change.

All of us, whether vegan, vegetarian or meat-eater, can follow the ‘A’ of the LOAF
principles. We can choose to eat less meat and to buy higher welfare meat. We will be
respecting and nurturing the creatures that God made.
Tip: beware of confusing labels… look out for “free range” “outdoor reared/ bred”, or, as
a first step, “RSPCA Assured”. Organically reared animals are subject to the strictest
and best welfare regulations.

Fairly traded: creating social justice
We are called to act justly and not exploit the poor. Our neighbour is everyone anywhere
in the world that we interact with. Farmers and producers overseas and in the UK
deserve a fair price for their produce.

There will always be food that cannot be produced in quantity in Northwestern Europe,
including bananas, citrus, cocoa, olives, sugar, tea and coffee. Too often, prices to
farmers don’t even cover the cost of production. Thousands of coffee, tea and banana
workers and farmers are living in poverty. Trade needs to be both sustainable and fair.
Buying fair trade foods means that workers who produce the food get a fair wage and
better working conditions.

Tip: act justly by looking for the Fairtrade symbol.

There are many great resources available from the Green Christian website which are suitable for Orthodox parishes.

Ekaterini Tsalampouni
 
Thursday, April 10, 2025, 7 p.m. Paris time (CEST)

 

The next lecture in the series of events “Time for Action” of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, will take place on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 7 p.m. Paris time (CEST).

The speaker will be Ekaterini Tsalampouni, Professor of New Testament in the Faculty of Theology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The lecture will have the title “‘Cosmic Liturgy’ and the Care for the Creation”. The lecture is also part of the “Liturgy after the Liturgy” series, organized by the Holy Metropolis of France and the Vicariate of French-Speaking Parishes of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in collaboration with the Volos Academy.

The event will be accessible online, either via Zoom (at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84913433453) or via the YouTube channel of the Vicariate, at https://www.youtube.com/c/lalettreduvicariat. The event will be moderated by Dr. Nikolaos Asproulis, Deputy Director of the Volos Academy; it will be in Greek, and there will be simultaneous translation into French.

The participation of creation in the cosmic worship and praise of the Creator God has deep roots in the Jewish and Christian traditions. Concerning the latter in particular, the origins of this idea are to be found in biblical texts. The subsequent patristic production and liturgical practice creatively embraced and elaborated it. In this continuum of tradition, the non-human creation is presented as an active participant in this cosmic worship of the Creator. Their prayer is, on the one hand, an irrefutable testimony to the wisdom of the Creator and the world’s beauty and, on the other, an example and exhortation to human beings to join their voices with the rest of creation in a common praise of God. The first part of the introduction presents the basic qualitative characteristics of this cosmic worship as it is reflected in the biblical texts. Special attention is given to the question of whether these images of the creation’s praise can lead to a reconsideration of the anthropocentric view of both the history of creation and salvation, as well as the eschatological vision. In the second part, the soteriological potential of this image will be highlighted, and the connection with the Eucharistic event and the liturgical experience of the Church will be made. What is the place of creation in the cosmic liturgy, and how does its role within it lead to an enriched and less anthropocentric understanding of the role of man as priest of the creation? The third and final part of the paper considers whether this understanding of the role of creation in the secular liturgy can be relevant to contemporary reflection on the environment and contribute to the formation of an ecologically aware ethos among members of the Church community.

Ekaterini Tsalampouni is Professor of New Testament at the Department of Social Theology and Christian Culture, Faculty of Theology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Her research focuses on New Testament exegesis and theology and the Graeco-Roman context of the New Testament. She studied at the Faculty of Theology in Thessaloniki and continued her postgraduate studies in Heidelberg. In 1999, she defended her doctoral thesis titled “Macedonia in New Testament times”. She worked as a religion teacher in Secondary Education and as an appointed lecturer at the Department of Orthodox Theology of the University of Munich. She is a member of several academic societies: Society of Biblical Literature, European Association of Biblical Theology, Colloquium Paulinu,m etc. She is a member of the board of the Hellenic Bible Society and the Volos Academy of Theological Studies. Her publications include “Macedonia in New Testament Times” (2002), “Ecology and the New Testament: Method and Examples” (2013), “The Spirit as a Hermeneutical Lens of Israel’s Past and the Church’s Present and Future: 2 Cor 3:16-17 and its Reception in Patristic Tradition” (2019), “Sola Scriptura: A Greek-Orthodox Perspective”(2019) etc.

Interview with POCA Patron Met. Serafim of Zimbabwe and Angola

“Ecological repentance is the path to justice,” says Metropolitan Serafim at COP29

At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim Kykotis of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, a longstanding participant in COPs as part of the World Council of Churches (WCC) delegation, highlighted the critical role of faith in addressing the climate crisis. He underscored the need for ecological repentance and the pivotal role of youth leadership in advancing climate justice.

How would you explain to a young person the connection between Christian identity and the call to action for climate justice?

Metropolitan Serafim: Our hope relies on the youth to succeed in what we have failed. At the WCC 11th Assembly in Karlsruhe, one of the priorities was the climate change crisis. That’s why there was a resolution to establish the Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development.

We need ecological metanoia—ecological repentance. Historically, much ecological harm has come from negative anthropogenic activities, many of which Christians were complicit in, particularly during colonial rule. We must confess these ecological sins and demonstrate repentance through justice and sharing, just as the first Christian communities did. The youth must lead us now, as we have destroyed much of the world.

You have often spoken of ecological repentance. How does this reflect in Christian theology and practice?

Metropolitan Serafim: Ecological repentance means turning away from harm and restoring justice. It is the realization that when we abuse nature, we abuse God. Nature is our life; it is God’s creation. Protecting nature and sharing its gifts are acts of gratitude and love for God. Growing up in a large family, I learned to live simply and harmoniously with nature. This connection to creation shaped my understanding that we cannot survive without nature, though nature can survive without us. We must embrace the theology of sharing, as reflected in the Psalms, where Prophet David confessed his sins, showing that abusing nature is abusing God.

What is the role of church leaders in influencing global climate action?

Metropolitan Serafim: Church leaders must be the prophets of our time, as Jonah was for Nineveh. They must stand at the forefront, addressing political leaders with courage and conviction. At the WCC, we emphasize the importance of moving from resolutions to action. Theology must inspire real change. When leaders prioritize military spending over humanity’s needs, they harm the planet and the people. Faith leaders must advocate for these resources to be used to protect the earth and support the vulnerable. The WCC’s mission is to remind leaders that the planet is a gift from God and must be preserved for future generations.

How can churches regain their influence in global discussions about climate justice?

Metropolitan Serafim: In many communities, particularly in the global South, churches still hold moral authority. Church leaders must use their voices to engage with governments and media. They must inspire policymakers to fulfil their responsibilities and ensure that climate action addresses the needs of the most vulnerable.

We must also demonstrate the theology of sharing in our actions. By living simply and sharing resources, churches can model the justice and love that the Gospel calls us to embody.

What would you say for those struggling to find hope in the face of climate challenges?

Metropolitan Serafim: Hope lies in repentance and change. As the Bible says, “God is love,” and those who love live in God. The Parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us to act selflessly, caring for others as an expression of love for God. When we follow God, we follow the light. Without God, we walk in darkness, risking harm to ourselves, others, and the planet. Let us return to God, embracing ecological repentance as the path to justice, hope, and salvation.

`

We recently received this email from Steve Robinson a regular contributor to Ancient Faith Radio giving us permission to use his beautiful and moving podcast entitled ‘All dogs go to Heaven’.

‘I was just introduced to your website when I posted on Facebook about putting our dog down. 

Years ago I did a podcast on Ancient Faith Radio called “All Dogs Go to Heaven”. Here is the link if you want to include it in your resources. 

https://www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/stevethebuilder/all_dogs_go_to_heaven

All Dogs Go to Heaven | Ancient Faith Ministries Steve Robinson is heard regularly on Our Life in Christ with his co-host Bill Gould. But in this shorter podcast, Steve reflects on the practical side of being an Orthodox Christian working in a secular environment.www.ancientfaith.com

Thank you for your work regarding the blessings and gift from God of our animals!

We are delighted to announce the first in our series of Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia Webinars.

Using previously unseen video material specifically recorded for Pan Orthodox Concern for Animals Charity (POCA), our esteemed panel of Orthodox theologians will discuss themes from two videos entitled ‘Raising Awareness’ and ‘Leave us in Peace’.

The Flyer below gives further information and details of how to register. Please share with your friends and local churches to encourage Parish engagement with the subject of Creation Care.

JANUARY

We began the year with the good news that the accomplished Orthodox theologian and philosopher, Nikolaos Asproulis will join Pan Orthodox Concern for Animals as its new Chair, whilst Dr Christina Nellist will remain President and become its new Treasurer, following the death last year of Father Simon Nellist.

Dr. Nikolaos is currently Deputy Director (2017- today) of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, Volos, Greece, and Lecturer at the Hellenic Open University, Patras, Greece. He graduated in Theology (University of Athens, 1997). He obtained MTh (2007) and PhD degrees (2016) in Theology at Hellenic Open University. Asproulis’ research focuses on the history and development of contemporary Orthodox theology (20st – 21st century), a field in which he approached several research avenues: systematic theology, ecclesiology, political theology, spirituality, hermeneutics, and animal theology. During his doctoral research, he specialized in the study of contemporary Orthodox theology with a special focus on the neo-patristic movement and its main figures (Florovsky and Zizioulas). His dissertation was entitled “Creation, History and Eschaton in Contemporary Orthodox Theological Hermeneutics: From Georges Florovsky to John D. Zizioulas.” He published articles in peer-reviewed journals like the Review of Ecumenical Studies, Communio Viatorum, Participatio, et. al., while he serves as reviewer in journals like Critical Research on Religion (Sage), Open Theology (De Gruyter) and Review of Ecumenical Studies (De Gruyter). Dr Nikolaos was an academic associate of the official scholarly theological journal of the Orthodox Church of Greece, Theologia (2009-2016). He is currently an official representative of the Church of Greece in CEC thematic group on Economic and Ecological Justice (2017-8, 2019-2023), Coordinator of the Network of Ecumenical Learning in Eastern and Central Europe (Nelcee – http://www.nelcee.org/); WP5 Volos Academy Team member of RESILIENCE (https://www.resilience-ri.eu/) ; and project manager of the Ecotheological project and activities of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies (https://churchgoesgreen.acadimia.org). Furthermore, he is fluent in Greek (native), English (excellent), French (reading, understanding). Despite the demanding work to organize more than 15 international conferences at Volos Academy between 2009 till today, Nikolaos has not ceased publishing since the start of his doctoral trajectory with the resulting list of numerous contributions to international journals and book chapters. Nikolasos has published over 73 articles, written 5 books, edited, or coedited 15 books and translated 7 books. He is expected to publish in 2025, a first systematic contribution to Animal Studies from an Orthodox perspective under the title: Eastern Orthodox Christian Animal Theology: God, Animals and Creation in Dialogue (Lexington Books, forthcoming 2025). We are sure you will agree that this is an excellent appointment and join us in congratulating him on his appointment.

Throughout the year we continued to support various petitions and sign letters to government ministers or institutions to increase animal protection and decrease animal suffering. This covers Bills/Acts on a wide range of issues such as the Animals Low Welfare Activities Abroad Act; the banning of animal skins in London Fashion Week; switching from real fur to faux fur for the King’s Guard’s headwear; calling for the government to ban children from attending hunts; banning the use of harmful pesticides that kill insects and bees; stopping the unnecessary deaths of many horses each year in racing events; banning the Canadian seal hunt; banning greyhound racing; banning the horse-drawn carriages in Mallorca; banning the badger cull in the UK; urging airlines to stop shipping animals to research laboratories, etc.

We also continued to post details, teachings and icons of Orthodox Saints who are known for their kindness and care for animals (Orthodox and non-Orthodox) such as St Seraphim of Sarov; St Brendan; St Isaac the Syrian; St Paul the Hermit; St Ninian; St Gertrude; St. Paisios; St. Luke of Simferopol; St. Hubertus; St Blaise.

We also continued to post details or links to various Reports on aspects of animal protection and climate instability, such as the report on reducing meat and dairy diets, which is, of course, relevant for both issues.

On other occasions we published more detailed work or information of our presentations at various events, such as that of Dr. Nikolaos Asproulis, deputy director of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies and Chair of POCA, who delivered a talk at the conference entitled Together for Europe Workshop Ecology. This was on the ontological interdependence among all creatures of God and the need for Christian theology to reconsider the content of the imago Dei doctrine so as to also include non-human creatures, and his attendance at the latest Halki Summit and topic “Water: Spirit and Science – Exploring Spiritual and Scientific Perspectives”, organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in cooperation with the Hellenic Open University.

MARCH

In March we began to work on a new book relating to Orthodoxy entitled:  CREATION CARE: EASTERN ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES and this should be published during 2025.

We also began discussions on how we might begin a Newsletter for our followers. One outcome was to invite individuals from different countries to write a paragraph or so, on the situation in their respective countries regarding Animal Protection, including any events, seminars etc on this and related themes, by the church.

MAY

In May, Dr Christina Nellist was invited by the Volos Academy to present a paper at the European Academy of Religion’s conference in Sicily, on how farmed animals and the meat and dairy diet, play a significant part in climate instability.

AUGUST

 In August Dr Christina was invited by the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics to give a lecture at Merton College, Oxford, on the work of the great Russian Writer, Philosopher and Theologian, Count Lev Tolstoy. This was entitled ‘Ahimsa, Animals and Anarchy’, and will be published in a book of collected papers by Palgrave in the coming year.

Dr Christina was also invited to participate in an Interfaith Vegan Panel discussion organised by the Shamayim Jewish Animal Advocacy.

See – https://youtu.be/CJIgw9i1LMI

SEPTEMBER

We promote Orthodox and non-orthodox calls for papers from different publishing houses/ journals and organizations, and we publish details of our books and articles in journals/magazines, e.g.                             

https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-7420-5;

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=IfN0DwAAQBAJ

https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-7421-2.

https://ecen.org/articles/orthodox-church-addresses-climate-crisis

https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/priests-of-creation-9780567699107

OE Magazine 2nd Edition (1) – Flipbook – Page 1 (paperturn-view.com)

We also answer questions and requests from members of the public from across the world on a range of issues.

We continue to promote Green Parish initiatives and education at Parish level.

In September we were blessed with a new Patron, Met. Serafim Kykotis of Zimbabwe

and Angola.

His Eminence, the Most Reverend Metropolitan Serafim Kykotis of Zimbabwe is the Archbishop of Zimbabwe and Angola and Exarch of Southern Africa (Zimbabwe, Angola), part of the Church of Alexandria. Prior to his assignment to Zimbabwe  and Angola, Archbishop Seraphim was Archbishop of Johannesburg and Archbishop of Kenya.

His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim Kykotis was born on February 2, 1961 in Galataria, Paphos. George knew that he wanted to serve God at an early age so, at the age of twelve years, he was accepted as a novice, with the name Seraphim, at the Monastery of Kykkos on the island of Cyprus (hence the surname Kykkotis). Besides from working with agriculture at the monastery, the young Seraphim was a very good student, first attending the Pan-Cypriot High School and then the Lyceum of Kykkos from which he graduated with honors in 1982.

On September 8, 1983, Seraphim was ordained a Hierodeacon by Archbishop Chrysostomos of Nea Justiniana (1977–2006). He was then transferred from the Church of Cyprus to the Church of Greece under Archbishop Seraphim of Athens (1974–2004) in order to continue his education at the Theological School of the University of Athens, from which he graduated in 1987. During the period he attended the theological faculty, Hierodeacon Seraphim also served in Athens. Upon return to Kykkos in Cyprus, he served as Director of the Library of his Monastery.

From 1988 to 1991, Hierodeacon Seraphim continued his education in Great Britain, studying English and Patristics at Christ Church college in Canterbury and at the Universities of Oxford and Durham under His Eminence Kallistos (Ware)  then Bishop of Dioclea (1982–2007), Professor of Orthodox Theology at Oxford and Very Rev. Dr. George Dragas.

Metropolitan Serafim as ecologist stresses that everything one has received from God must be given back, without corruption. For him, hunger and poverty in Africa are a result of our sins and selfishness. He emphasizes the important of ecological metanoia (repentance) from our ecological sins, by starting a new green way of life without polluting the creation of God. “Because Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are everywhere present and fill all things, this gives us a holy vision in which we recognize that the life of God exists in all things, everywhere in the world. We must have respect for all things in the creation and treat every living thing, every person, every animal, every bird, every tree and every leaf with love, care and respect. As Orthodox Christians we inspire others by living our Christian faith. This is also our most powerful way of teaching. The scriptures tell us many things about the right operation of the earth. As Orthodox Christians we must strive to fulfil all of the Biblical teachings. Today we realize that the best ecologists are the saints. They often tame wild animals, bring healing to people and the earth, and teach a gentle, kind and loving way toward all things.”

He was elected Metropolitan of Kenya and Tanzania in 1997. In these countries today there are three Metropolis and five Bishoprics. He served also as the Dean of the Seminary of Nairobi “Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus”. Later he was elected Metropolitan of Johannesburg and Pretoria-Tsuane (2001 -2010). Since 2010, he serves as Metropolitan of Zimbabwe and Angola. He is a Member of the Patriarchal Commission on Environment and Sustainable Development, he represents the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate and His Holiness Pope and Patriarch Theodoros II at the International Organizations, UN, AU and to WCC and All African Conference of Churches as well as at the official International Theological Dialogue of Orthodox and Anglicans. He is also member of the Central com. of the WCC and member of the new commission on Climate justice and sustainable Development of WCC. His Eminence observes his name day on January 2 in memory of Saint Seraphim of Sarov.

We are also blessed with the inclusion of Dr David Goodin, Professeur Associé at the Université Laval, Institut de Théologie Orthodoxe de Montréal, as the latest member of our administrative team and our Canadian representative.

Dr David’s research interests include theodicy and eco-theology with a specialization on the sacred forests of the Ethiopian Täwaḥədo tradition. He is the author of numerous academic books and articles, including Confronting Evil: Theodicy in the Eastern Patristic Tradition (Alexander Press, 2021). Originally from Miami, Florida, Dr. David K. Goodin now resides and teaches in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

OCTOBER

In October our President was interviewed on her work and the work of our charity, by the Supreme Master Ching Hai International Association. This will be aired on their television channel in the near future.

At the end of the month Dr Christina attended a two-day Annual Egyptological colloquium at the British Museum, entitled: ‘Animal mummies: from beliefs to practice’ as part of her ongoing research into this subject.

 Mummy of a cat, Egypt, British Museum EA 65502 (photograph and x-ray image).

NOVEMBER

Our President attended the Animals in War Service at the Memorial in Park Lane, London, where she laid a wreath on behalf of Pan Orthodox Concern for Animals and the Animal Interfaith Alliance.

Here is the link to a short article on the service and this year’s speech from a member of the NOWZAD TEAM.

ANIMALS IN WAR REMEMBRANCE SERVICE – Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals

DECEMBER

In November and December much time was given to organising THE PAN ORTHODOX CONCERN FOR ANIMALS’ WEBINAR SERIES. Our first Webinar will be on the work of Met. Kallistos of Diokleia entitled: MET. KALLISTOS OF DIOKLEIA: EDUCATION ON ANIMALS AND CREATION CARE. It will take place on February 25^th, 2025, at the following times: US Pacific 10:00; US Eastern 13:00; UK 18:00; Greece 20:00; Moscow 21:00. The Panel will include Fr John Chryssavgis; Dr Nikolaos Asproulis; Fr Nektariy (Sokolov); Dr Elizabeth Theokritoff and Dr Christina Nellist.

Using unseen video material created for POCA, the panel will discuss themes raised in two Met. Kallistos videos – ‘Raising Awareness’ and ‘Leave us in Peace.’ Information will also be given on relevant Orthodox courses and materials followed by an audience Q & A. The Webinar will be hosted by The Volos Academy for Theological Studies. An official flyer will be produced in early 2025, and we will ask you to download it and circulate it among your churches and the wider communities.

Further invitations to give interviews and present at International conferences have been received for 2025 and we shall keep you updated on our FB group and page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/241617983038367

Facebook

Finally, the POCA team thank you for your help and support, which is so very gratefully received, and the pleasure of wishing you all a wonderful 2025.

by George P. Nassos

Sustainability Should Be Embedded in All Business Courses

After 32 years in the corporate world, which ended over 25 years ago, I went into academia as the Director of the MS in Environmental Management & Sustainability program at Illinois Institute of Technology’s Stuart School of Business. It was a few years later when I concluded that sustainability should not be a separate curriculum, but rather be embedded in all the courses of the other business curricula. I tried to convince the director of the MBA program, but it was too early in the understanding of sustainability strategies. Consequently, the business school professors did not want to make changes to their syllabi.

Since that time the major environmental issues of our planet have deteriorated further, and environmental sustainability has become even more important. Global warming, now known as climate change, has increased and exceeding the 1.5°C. increase limit is inevitable. The overconsumption of our natural resources continues to increase, and globally we are consuming the equivalent of 1.7 earths of resources such as food, wood, cotton, and other agricultural products. The quantity and quality of freshwater continues to decline with fracking as an example of the misuse of this valuable resource. And, of course, contributing to all of these environmental issues is the rapid growth of the population. In less than 100 years, we have more than quadrupled the global population, going from two billion to over eight billion. For these reasons, sustainability is much more critical in preserving our planet while the business organizations continue to provide their products and services.

Around the beginning of the 21st century, companies started to create positions for sustainability managers either by hiring someone who completed a sustainability program or promoting someone within to fill the position. Quite often, the person promoted into the position was not sufficiently knowledgeable to hold such a position, but the company fulfilled the requirements of its stakeholders to have such a position in the company.

Today, having a sustainability director or Chief Sustainability Officer can be asking too much from the person if s/he does not have a staff for support. A recent study of around 2,200 sustainability professionals found that one-third of the respondents were dissatisfied with the resources accessible to them. There were so few resources available to them that many cases resulted in burnout. The problem is that there are not enough fellow employees that are knowledgeable in sustainability. The obvious way to resolve this issue is for their fellow employees to learn something about sustainability. Companies should offer sustainability training to their employees so they can all work together to make the company truly sustainable while at the same time avoiding greenwashing.

This problem could easily be avoided if the schools, business schools and other colleges, embedded sustainability in the appropriate curricula. In a business school offering a major in marketing, for example, sustainability should be included in the various marketing courses teaching the students the benefits of sustainability for the purpose of marketing the product. An

operations management course should include sustainability in order to learn how to make a company’s operations sustainable in terms of material use efficiency and energy consumption. The finance courses would include something that has become very popular, that of ESG investing. ESG, the latest term referring to sustainable development, has led to ESG investing as those companies operating truly sustainably outperform those that haven’t found sustainability yet. Accounting students need to understand sustainability as there are many new SEC reporting requirements for companies operating sustainably.

I highly recommend that business schools eliminate their MS programs in Sustainability Management and embed sustainability in all their other curricula. This way all their graduates will understand the benefits of sustainability and how to implement them. However, the business schools should still offer a certificate program in sustainability for former students that never learned the subject. As an alternative to obtaining a sustainability certificate, companies should offer in-house training in sustainability for those employees that didn’t learn this very important strategy in school. Companies will then have a major portion of their employees knowledgeable about sustainability, and they can all work together to improve their company and the global environment as much as possible.

When considering the results of the recent presidential election, environmental sustainability, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), or ESG (Environment, Social, Governance), whatever you want to call it, may be more important than ever in the U.S. Donald Trump has pledged to terminate some Environmental Protection Agency rules targeting power plant pollution, end certain rules encouraging electric vehicle sales, ease liquid natural gas export permitting, increase oil drilling, and other environmental issues. Sustainability strategies should be integrated into the operations of businesses of all sizes as soon as possible so we can protect our environment regardless of the Trump administration’s new policies.

ANIMAL IN WAR 2024 LONDON

This is a brief commentary on the 2024 Animals in War Remembrance service for the millions of animals who have died in human conflicts.

We gathered at the beautiful Animals in War Memorial in Park Lane at 15:00 hours. It was cold as is usual at this time of year, but standing in that cold is a reminder of the tiny sacrifice we make to honour those animals who suffered and died, and continue to die, during the many human-made conflicts around the world.

This service is organized by The Anglican Society for the Welfare of Animals (ASWA), who are also part of the Animal Interfaith Alliance (AIA), as is our own organization Pan-Orthodox Concern for Animals (POCA).

The service was conducted by Rev Samantha Chandler and began with an Introduction, Welcome and first hymn ‘O God our help in ages past’, followed by an Old Testament reading from Isaiah 2:3-4 (NRSVA). This was followed by a poem by Richard Biby:

JUST A DOG

From time to time, people tell me, “lighten up, it’s just a dog,” or “that’s a lot of money for just a dog.”

They don’t understand the distance travelled, the time spent, or the costs involved for “just a dog.”

Some of proudest moments have come about with “just a dog.”

Many hours have passed, and my only company was “just a dog”, but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by “just a dog”, and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of “just a dog” gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it’s “just a dog”, then you probably understand phrases like “just a friend”, “just a sunrise”, or “just a promise.”

“Just a dog” brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.

 “Just a dog” brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of “just a dog” I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So, for me and folks like me, it’s not “just a dog” but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

“Just a dog” brings out what’s good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day. I hope that someday they can understand that it’s not “just a dog” but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being “just a man” or “just a woman.”

So, the next time you hear the phrase “just a Dog”, just smile, because they “just don’t understand.”

                                                                ………………..

This was followed by another poem, written and read by Janet Wilkes, then the Intercessions were read by Barbara Gardner. There was an Introduction to the Act of Remembrance and then The Two Minute Silence:

“They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old; age shall not weary the.                      At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”

This was followed by The Laying of Wreaths on the Memorial.

I laid a wreath on behalf of POCA and the AIA, and it was wonderful to be joined by a Chelsea Pensioner Terry, Barbara Gardner (Founder of AIA) and Richard Ryder (President AIA). We were also joined by our dear friends from the Save the Asian Elephants organisation Duncan and Emanuela ( www.stae.org), and David Hill from Nowzad, (www.nowzad.com) who gave the main speech and kindly gave me his copy to include  here:

“Conflict zones are not only battlegrounds for humans, but also sadly for animals too. In the chaos of war, countless creatures suffer and are often forgotten amidst the human tragedy. From dogs used to detect explosives to horses and donkeys carrying supplies, animals play a crucial role, without choice risking their lives alongside their human counterparts. The Nowzad charity was founded by a former Royal Marine Commando, Pen Farthing from his own personal experience in Afghanistan. Whilst on troop patrol in 2006 within the town of Nowzad, Helmand Province, Pen rescued a stray dog from a vicious dogfight set up by the locals, sparking a passion to help the countless other animals caught in the conflict. The Nowzad charity now provides vital veterinary care, rescuing animals from dangerous situations, and finding loving homes for those in need, with our family of supporters right across the world.

Last year, under the endorsement of the Taliban, we were so proud to open Afghanistan’s first and only veterinary hospital and run the country’s first mobile veterinary clinic – taking in and treating injured dogs, cats, horses, donkeys and a range of wildlife, 24 hours a day.

More recently, Nowzad has extended its reach to Ukraine, a country devastated by war. We have a base in Lviv, from where we distribute vital aid and supplies to animal shelters and rescue groups in the hardest-hit areas. Nowzad is also working to provide veterinary training and support to local organizations, ensuring that animals receive the care they need, even in the midst of conflict. Nowzad’s work is a testament to the power of compassion and the belief tat all creatures deserve the change at a life without suffering and harm, even during a war.

Today we remember those animals who had no choice when war came.”

The service ended with the hymn ‘Just as I am’, followed by the Final Blessing by Rev Samantha.

Article by Natalia Doran (Trustee POCA)

This article, originally intended to be a review of Hugh Warwick’s recently published Cull of the Wild, turned out, in the process of writing, to be more of a response to the book, a response explicitly from the point of view of animal rights. In the Introduction to his book Hugh Warwick states that he wants to have “an honest conversation about conservation”. My own aim is to suggest what a next turn in this conversation might be.
Overall, the main message of the book, imbedded in the dramatic framework of the
author’s interviews and travels, and accompanied by the recounting of many interesting and useful facts, is that we sometimes have to kill animals in the name of conservation. The message does not so much come across, as creeps into your consciousness through repetition: we have to kill some animals, sad though it is – sometimes to prevent the extinction of local species, sometimes to protect other animals, whom we deem to have a better claim to the habitat.
Many examples of this type of conservation are given: hedgehogs in the Orkney Islands, who threaten wading birds; mink who are blamed for the struggles of water voles, rats in various situations, deer, grey squirrels – the list goes on. Hugh Warwick meets and interviews many people, most of whom are conservationists engaged in the killing of animals, but some of whom, most notably the ethologist Marc Bekoff and Professor Wayne Linklater, are opposed to killing as a matter of principle. While the inclusion of these dissenting voices makes for ethically sound journalism, the overarching narrative of the book gives the impression that the author’s sympathies are on the side of the killers. Most sections reporting interviews with the killers are rounded off with tacit agreement, in the spirit of, “Well, this is very sad, but it has to be done”. Whereas the sections reporting opposition to the killing are concluded with an implied disagreement or criticism, e.g. “It was with Wayne Linklater that I found some of the stickier territory”. The criticism is twofold. First of all, those who oppose killing are accused of being unwilling to consider the middle ground – in Hugh Warwick’s view, a clear failure. Which begs the question of why the goal of every debate should be the finding of the middle ground. It could equally, if not preferably, be the finding of the truth, wherever it may lie. The second criticism is that humanity’s responsibility for saving species from extinction is being shunned. Especially in the cases where humans introduced predator species into new habitats, Cull of the Wild considers it the responsibility of the human to set things right, even if it takes extensive killing to do so. This criticism is far-reaching, and is worth considering in more detail. The following four considerations may be relevant.

1. Biodiversity, species, individual.
   In writing the Cull of the Wild, the author gives himself a rather generous starter pack: biodiversity is a self-evident good and species are self-evidently worth preserving. These propositions, however, can be, and are, questioned. As the ethicist Andrew Linzey pointed out, the concept of biodiversity is philosophically vacuous – why should there be a certain number of species, and not another? After all, it does not seem to bother anyone that only Homo Sapiens is left, of the many Hominid species that once walked the earth. As long as that one human species behaves itself, it does not occur to anyone to bemoan the fact that it is just one. With non-human animals, however, the survival of the largest possible number of species becomes an absolutized good, justifying the most horrific acts of cruelty. Furthermore, the extinction of species is demonstrably a natural and inevitable process. Yes, we should do all in our power to make sure we do not cause the extinctions. (A parallel with the death of individuals is valid: it is inevitable and natural that individuals die, but we should not cause these deaths.) But to make preventing these extinctions into an absolute goal, leading to extensive “eco-cleansing”, is simply illogical. Closely connected with the above point is the consideration of the moral value of individuals versus the moral value of species. This is where the watershed between conservation and animal rights often occurs: conservation prioritizes species (resulting in individual lives being sacrificed for their preservation), whereas animal protection prioritizes individuals (resulting in opposition to the killing of individuals for the sake of conservation). At first sight these priorities seem to be a matter of elective preference. But this is not so. If we ask ourselves why animals are accorded moral consideration in the first place, we usually answer that it is because of their sentience, i.e. the fact that animals feel joy, fear, pain, etc. But sentience is something that is predicated of individuals, not species. It is the individuals that feel joy, fear and pain, not the species. It follows that the moral priority of individuals is correct, and killing individual animals in order to preserve species is an example of putting the moral cart before the horse.

2. Philosophical basis of the discussion.
   The sort of conservation, largely espoused by Hugh Warwick, that considers it acceptable to kill some animals to help others, usually makes an appeal to science. The legitimacy of such an appeal can be questioned. Does science actually dictate that some animals are killed in order to help others? Science gives us the facts, the raw material for decision making, but it does not dictate one course of action or another. For example, science can tell us that euthanizing every human over the age of 60 would solve the NHS crisis. But the decision to thus cull or spare the seniors would be made with the help of a different set of decision-making tools, namely the tools of philosophy in general and ethics in particular. For most of the narration of the book the reader is invited to consider only two ethical positions: deontology, the idea that the most important thing in decision-making is abiding by the rules of morality (“do not kill”, “do not steal”, etc.), and utilitarianism, a system in which decisions would be made on the basis of the consequences of your actions, classically, whether your actions would cause pleasure or pain to the largest number of individuals. Hugh Warwick explicitly adopts the utilitarian approach, and this leads to problems. The most obvious problem is the frequent misapplication of the actual utilitarian principle. The book often morphs into the idea of the end justifying the means: for example, the extensive use of the anticoagulant poison brodifacoum and the deliberate introduction of myxomatosis into the rabbit population are mentioned matter-of-factly in this spirit. This is not a legitimate application of the utilitarian principle, which should be about calculating the pain and pleasure that an action causes, and not about justifying any course of action by its result. But even when applied in the correct way, utilitarianism in conservation is problematic. Utilitarian calculation of pain and pleasure is, by definition, based on exact and complete data. But in conservation such data is hardly ever available to us. There are just too many factors to consider, and it is usually impossible to predict exactly who will be affected by a certain action, and how. Human interference in nature is famously prone to the law of unintended consequences. One example was provided by the author himself: the reintroduction of red kites in Oxfordshire was deemed a “great conservation success story” – until it turned out that the kites have a taste for lapwing chicks, a bird that was marked for VIP conservation status. And the name of these examples is legion. Since utilitarianism requires exact and complete data, and in conservation it can never be fully reliable, it is questionable whether utilitarianism is in fact the best guide for decision- making in this human activity. Furthermore, there are instances where utilitarianism in conservation becomes completely self- contradictory, leading to the justification of illegal practices that fly in the face of public morality. One example is the killing of hen harriers by gamekeepers – in the utilitarian calculation, this is justified, because a large number of grouse benefit, as well as curlews. An ethical approach that runs into such contradictions is hardly fit for purpose. It is only on page 259 out of 293 that the third option (actually, the first option of classical philosophy), namely virtue ethics, is mentioned, and, even then, it is mentioned in such a cursory and slanted way as to present it as merely a kind of ethical instrumentalism, i.e. being nice to animals in order to promote human virtue. This position misrepresents, or rather under-represents, virtue ethics. Virtue ethics does not rule out the use of deontological or utilitarian principles, but makes them subordinate to the ethically thinking subject. We act in accordance with who we are. It is the only realistic ethical stance, since the only thing we can fully control is our own reaction to a situation. Unlike the utilitarian stance, it does not rely on evidence that is in principle unavailable to us, nor does its application lead to obvious moral contradictions.

3. Logical error is dealing with causation.
   Hugh Warwick’s argument for killer conservation, often centers around the fact that it was the humans who introduced ‘problem species’ into the habitat in the first place. The conclusion is drawn that it is therefore the responsibility of the humans to remove the offending individuals, most often by killing them. But to consider that the solution to a problem consists in reversing its cause is a logical error. If the cause of our breaking a leg was falling down the mountain, the solution is not climbing back up the mountain. Environmental toothpaste cannot be squeezed back into the tube, and, even if animals do cause problems and we did bring them into the habitat, killing them does not remove our misdeed, but adds another type of misdeed to it.
4. Positive and negative moral obligations
   Killer conservation usually stems from a confusion in the understanding of our positive and negative moral obligations. It would therefore be useful to make these concepts explicit. In the most basic terms, positive moral obligations are the “do’s”, the things we should do, whereas negative moral obligations are the ‘don’ts’, the things we should not do. For example, if I have small children, I have a positive moral obligation to feed, house, educate them, etc. I also have a negative moral obligation not to harm them. In the case of children I meet in the street, I do not have the same positive moral obligations to provide for them. But I have exactly the same moral obligation not to harm them. It becomes clear that our positive moral obligations are, of necessity, limited by our resources, whereas our negative moral obligations are more or less universal. In the case of animals, when we take on moral obligations to help them, care should be taken not to take on positive responsibilities (to provide safety, etc., to further the survival of species) that are not necessarily our own, while ignoring negative moral imperatives not to harm, that should be universal. No one appointed us to police the environmental impact of other species. It would be a full-time job to control our own.

With these four considerations in mind, it appears that the case for killer conservation falls apart
logically, as well as being self-evidently cruel; the latter point being something that even the author of the Cull of the Wild himself admits. So why do it?

This is an excellent video from BBC Bitesize, which covers a wide range of animal protection issues. Does it matter how we treat animals? – KS3 Religious Studies – BBC Bitesize