With less than eight years remaining to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the President of the UN General Assembly convened a ‘Moment for Nature’ debate on Tuesday to examine the interconnected environmental threats hampering efforts to achieve sustainable development.
The day-long event is being held to assess recent decisions on the global environment agenda and to present solutions to common bottlenecks, such as the gaps between commitments and actions, as well as the need for wider mobilization.
“We know that we have backed ourselves into a corner with our recklessness. We know that this will only get worse, and quickly, as we continue to delay the actions that are needed,” said Mr. Shahid.
Despite the immense challenges facing the world, he was adamant that humanity can effect change, as witnessed by the development of technologies that were once inconceivable.
“I myself remember a time when the power of renewable energies was viewed as far too weak and expensive to make a difference,” he said. “Today, fleets of vehicles and countless homes run on renewables. Entire cities and countries aspire to be run on renewable energies. The possibilities are endless.”
Global ‘triple crisis’
UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the meeting, where participants are reviewing information from major UN conferences issues such as climate, desertification and biodiversity; the state of the oceans, and sustainable transportation, food systems, and energy.
It comes as countries are facing what he called a “triple crisis” of climate disruption, biodiversity loss and pollution.
“Our ways of life – based on producing, consuming, discarding and polluting – have brought us to this dire state of affairs,” the UN chief said in video message.
“But, since human activities are at the root of this planetary emergency, that means we also hold the key to the solutions. Now is the time to transform our relationship with nature and chart a new path.”
Climate Visuals Countdown/Raphael Pouget
A women’s cooperative in southern Mauritania is using solar energy to operate the borehole that supplies water to the market garden.
Take action now
The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, outlined areas where governments can take action, including in transforming how we view and value nature.
“We must strengthen nature’s capacity to protect us from hazards and extreme events. This means accelerating implementation of national restoration policies, programmes and plans for marine and terrestrial ecosystems while creating new jobs, tackling poverty and improving sustainable development,” she said.
Countries also need to “close the biodiversity finance gap” by 2030, she added, which currently stands at some $700 billion per year. This can be done through repurposing and re-directing the $500 billion per year for “harmful subsidies” towards more biodiversity-positive activities.
Change our ways
The President of the UN’s Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Collen V. Kelapile, underscored the urgency to act on the “mounting scientific evidence” on climate change. The world is at the brink of a precipice, he warned.
“We should either do everything we can to change our consumption and production patterns and make transformative change to nature-sensitive economic growth, nature-based solutions to rebuild our societies after COVID and preserve our environment,” he said.
“Or we can get further deeper into the abyss of continuous calamities, until we destroy the entire humankind.”
A school of fish swim in the Pacific Ocean in Australia.
‘Massive political lift for nature’
The review under discussion at the meeting was conducted by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), whose chief, Inger Anderson, catalogued the numerous outcomes from global gatherings over the past year, such as the COP27 climate conference in Glasgow, and the fifth UN Environment Assembly held in Nairobi.
“But we have not yet reached that moment for nature – the moment when we truly find common ground for nature and deliver on the many commitments and pledges that have been made,” she said in a video message.
This December, countries will gather in Montréal to conclude the Global Biodiversity Framework, a new set of goals for nature over the next decade. Ms. Andersen said it must result in “a massive political lift for nature”, as well as adequate resource mobilization.
She also urged countries to adopt a General Assembly resolution on the universal human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
“What Member States are deliberating on is the very foundation of human life because the environment sustains humanity and indeed the other rights we enjoy,” she said.
The chances of seeing unprecedented temperatures of 40 degree Celsius (40°C) or more in the UK could be up to 10 times more likely in the current climate than under a “natural climate unaffected by human influence,” the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) declared on Monday.
In a statement, the WMO noted that the UK’s Met Office has, for the first time, issued a “Red Warning” for exceptional heat, and forecast temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) on Monday and Tuesday.
For the first time temperatures of 40°C have been forecast in the UK and UK MetOffice has issued the first ever Red warning for exceptional #heatwave. In Portugal and Spain, temperatures have reached highs around 46 degrees Celsius. Details here👇https://t.co/S4R5we1xsD… pic.twitter.com/HK4EwESAc9
— World Meteorological Organization (@WMO) July 18, 2022
The current record high temperature in the UK is 38.7 degrees Celsius, which was reached just three years ago.
“Nights are also likely to be exceptionally warm, especially in urban areas”, said Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen. “This is likely to lead to widespread impacts on people and infrastructure. Therefore, it is important people plan for the heat and consider changing their routines. This level of heat can have adverse health effects”.
The heatwave is also acting as a lid, trapping atmospheric pollutants, including particulate matter, resulting in a degradation of air quality and adverse health effects, particularly to vulnerable people, explained Lorenzo Labrador, Scientific Officer at WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch Programme.
“Likewise, the abundant sunshine, high concentrations of certain atmospheric pollutants and stable atmosphere is conducive to episodes of ozone formation near the surface, which has detrimental effects on people and plants,” he continued.
Dr Nikos Christidis, climate attribution scientist at the Met Office, added that a recent study has found that the likelihood of extremely hot days in the UK has been increasing and will continue to do so during the course of the century.
“Climate change has already influenced the likelihood of temperature extremes in the UK”, said Dr. Christidis. “The likelihood of exceeding 40 degrees Celsius anywhere in the UK in a given year has also been rapidly increasing, and, even with current pledges on emissions reductions, such extremes could be taking place every 15 years in the climate of 2100”.
Extreme heat events do occur within natural climate variation due to changes in global weather patterns. However, the WMO points out that the increase in the frequency, duration, and intensity of these events over recent decades is clearly linked to the observed warming of the planet and can be attributed to human activity.
Wildfire havoc in southern Europe
News of the exceptional highs expected in the northern European country broke amid huge wildfires across the southwest of the continent, which have caused hundreds of deaths, and seen thousands of people evacuated from their homes.
In Portugal, temperatures have reached highs up to around 46°C, and red warnings are in effect for much of the country, as hot conditions increase the risk of wildfires.
More than 13,000 hectares of land were on fire in the French Gironde region, and 15 of France’s 96 departments were listed on Red alert and 51 on Orange alert, with residents of those areas urged to be vigilant. The heatwave in western France is expected to peak on Monday, with temperatures climbing above 40 degrees Celsius.
‘Half of humanity in the danger zone’: UN chief
In his video message to a high-level climate event in Germany on Monday, UN chief António Guterres warned that “half of humanity is in the danger zone,” facing floods, drought, extreme storms, and wildfires.
Addressing ministers from 40 nations in the city of Petersberg, Mr. Guterres said that the 2015 Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, was already on life support coming out of COP26 last November, and its “pulse has weakened further”.
“Nations continue to play the blame game instead of taking responsibility for our collective future”, declared the Secretary-General, calling on countries to rebuild trust, and come together.
During today’s Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels, ministers agreed on a set of conclusions for the further development of sustainable aquaculture in the EU.
Ministers welcomed the strategic guidelines for a more sustainable, resilient and competitive EU aquaculture for the period 2021 to 2030 proposed by the European Commission. They also underlined the importance of giving the appropriate high priority to the sector. The Council voiced its support for the development of new freshwater and marine aquaculture methods with low environmental impact and emphasized the need to ensure the provision of nutritious, healthy and safe food and to reduce the EU’s high dependence on imports of fishery and aquaculture products, therefore contributing to food security.
Today, we managed to agree on the main direction for further development of the aquaculture in the EU. It is a fast growing and also diverse sector, producing both marine and freshwater species. I truly believe aquaculture plays an important role in strengthening our food security, but also in contributing to our goals set in the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork and EU biodiversity strategy. Highlighting the main challenges and threats can help us to increase the competitiveness and resilience of the aquaculture sector in the EU.
Zdeněk Nekula, Czech Minister of Agriculture
In this context, ministers pointed out the need for intensive cooperation between all relevant stakeholders in order to implement aquaculture guidelines, as well as the need to always take into account the specificities of each type of aquaculture system, both marine and freshwater. Ministers further noted the necessity to dispose of the used water in accordance with applicable law and the fact that the emission of certain amounts of nutrients into the water cannot be entirely avoided. They called on the Commission to improve coherence between the objective of a growing sustainable aquaculture sector in the EU and the EU environmental legislation.
Ministers also noted with concern the growing populations of predators, in particular protected species such as cormorants and otters, which have become a considerable challenge for aquaculture operators, causing significant damages to many businesses. As such, they urged the Commission to identify effective and efficient EU-wide management measures to prevent and reduce the damage caused by these predators. They also underlined the importance of disease management, in which animal welfare and research play a key role.
Finally, ministers stated that further steps in increasing the environmental performance of EU aquaculture include the growth of organic aquaculture, as envisaged in the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Action Plan for the Development of Organic Production. As such, they invited the Commission to consider proposing an amendment to the regulation on organic production and labelling of organic products, which currently only allows the certification of shellfish and fish farming as organic under very strict conditions. Some freshwater, marine and other aquaculture systems achieve higher environmental performance, but there is currently no EU level scheme to label or certify sustainable products and no conditions are set to favour these types of aquaculture. Ministers therefore invited the Commission to propose the establishment of a transparent EU system for recognising and rewarding producers for aquaculture management that is environmentally friendly or enables additional ecosystem services, to motivate producers and ensure a long-term support scheme for these activities. They also recommended increasing consumer awareness of all the benefits of aquaculture.
That’s a first single like we’d love to hear more often. I just ran into it at random, browsing Spotify looking for some good new stuff, and I’ve been surprised.
First, Mike Pasarella has a pleasant and plain voice, which he masters pretty well. The track is evolving from an acoustic ballad to a more grunge arrangement with a crunchy guitar in the back and a rock vintage and loud drum accompanying the evolution of the song. And in terms of evolution, the song is rich and diverse. There is a great deal of composition in it, with fluent changes which resonate with old progressive rock tracks, and keep you interested all along.
Our fellow singer is Dutch and says he lives “between The Hague, Rotterdam and Paris”. He also says that whilst having been engaged in music since his younger age, he only recently found the recording studio. I guess he means that he finally decided to go public and share his talent. And that’s definitely a good thing!
The track is well-produced, well mixed (I have no idea if he did it himself or has other fellows around him) and the arrangement, whilst not gushing, makes the job.
Future will tell us if he also has the needed resilience to make a carrier and stand out as a productive singer / songwriter, but if that is the case, I am sure he will encounter success and his public.
That is a REALLY good first single which deserves your attention.
Switzerland wants to remain a neutral state, media say
Switzerland refused to accept military and civilian victims of Ukraine for treatment. This was reported by the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger.
“In mid-June, the [Switzerland] Foreign Ministry wrote in an appeal to other departments that it refused admission [for treatment] for legal and practical reasons,” the publication reported. According to the newspaper, the country received a request from the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center with a request to accept military and civilian victims of hostilities in Ukraine for treatment back in May. Later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs dealt with the implementation of this request for three weeks, after which the department refused to fulfill the request.
As an argument, the Swiss Foreign Ministry stated its unwillingness to violate the status of a neutral state in accordance with international law, the newspaper reports. Thus, one of the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Convention of 1907 require guarantees from neutral countries that the military will not be able to take part in hostilities after recovery, the authors explained.
In addition, Switzerland refused to accept civilians for treatment. Deputy Foreign Minister Johannes Matiassy explained: “Currently, many civilians in Ukraine are also taking up arms.”
Since February 24, 2022, a special operation of the Russian Federation has been carried out on the territory of Ukraine to demilitarize the country. Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that its main goal is the liberation of the territories of the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that the priority of the RF Armed Forces is to exclude unnecessary victims among the civilian population of Ukraine.
The largest active volcano in Europe – Etna is sliding eastward into the sea, and scientists fear that it could cause a catastrophic tsunami, the “Greek Reporter” reported.
Scientists are concerned that the slow movements that have been measured on Etna’s southeast slope could increase and cause it to partially collapse into the water.
Such an event would put Sicily and the Ionian Sea at risk as debris would enter the water, possibly causing devastating waves.
Researchers have announced that all they can do for now is to “keep an eye” on the active volcano, as there is no way to tell if this acceleration of Etna’s movements will come in years or centuries.
In February 2022, Mount Etna spewed a massive twelve kilometer tall column of volcanic ash into the sky above the Italian island of Sicily.
“You can think of a slow landslide at the moment – 4 cm in 15 months, so it is moving very slowly, but there is a danger that it will accelerate and form a landslide that is moving very quickly towards the sea,” said Dr. Morelia Urlaub.
Vladimir Putin arrived on a visit to Iran. The Russian president will participate in a summit with his Iranian and Turkish counterpart on the Syrian conflict. The three countries are cooperating to reduce violence in Syria, despite being on different sides of the conflict. Russia and Iran are the biggest backers of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey backs the rebels.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened to launch a new operation in northern Syria, but Tehran and Moscow have spoken out against it. In Tehran, Putin and Erdogan will have a bilateral meeting, where they will discuss the export of Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, writes Reuters.
It is the Russian leader’s first visit outside the former Soviet Union since Moscow invaded Ukraine.
Putin’s visit to Tehran is being watched closely as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the situation in international oil markets, but also in view of Washington’s warning to Iran to abandon its intention to supply Russia with several hundred drones. Tehran has denied selling drones to Moscow for use in Ukraine.
Buoyed by high oil prices because of the conflict in Ukraine, Tehran is also betting that, with Russia’s support, it will be able to force the United States to make concessions on the issue of resuming the 2015 nuclear deal.
Jeddah Security and Development Summit Declaration meeting
The final declaration of the Jeddah Security and Development Summit (Jeddah Summit) was issued last July 16th, to the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq and the United States. It reads as follows:
Jeddah Summit Declaration
1. At the invitation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Iraq, and the United States of America held a joint summit in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 16, 2022, to underscore the historic partnership among their countries and to deepen their countries’ joint cooperation in all fields.
2. The leaders welcomed President Biden reiterating the importance the United States places on its decades-long strategic partnerships in the Middle East, affirming the United States’ enduring commitment to the security and territorial defense of U.S. partners, and recognizing the region’s central role in connecting the Indo-Pacific to Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
3. The leaders affirmed their joint vision towards a peaceful and prosperous region, stressing the importance of taking all necessary measures to preserve the region’s security and stability, developing joint areas of cooperation and integration, collectively confronting common threats, and abiding by the principles of good neighborliness, mutual respect, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
4. President Biden reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive Middle East peace. The leaders emphasized the need to bring about a just resolution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict on the basis of two-state solution, noting the importance of the Arab Initiative. They stressed the need to stop all unilateral measures that undermine the two-state solution, to preserve the historical status quo in Jerusalem and its holy sites, emphasizing the crucial role of the Hashemite Custodianship in that regard. The leaders also stressed the importance of supporting the Palestinian economy and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). President Biden commended the important roles played by Jordan and Egypt, and the members of the GCC, and their support for the Palestinian people and institutions.
5. The leaders renewed their commitment to enhance regional cooperation and integration, and build joint projects between their countries to achieve sustainable development and collectively address the climate challenge through accelerating climate ambition, supporting innovation and partnerships, including the Circular Carbon Economy Framework, and developing renewable sources of energy. In this context, the leaders commended the finalization of the agreements to connect electrical grids between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, between the Gulf Cooperation Council and Iraq, and between Saudi Arabia and Jordan and Egypt, as well as connecting the electrical grids between Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq.
6. The leaders commended the Saudi Green Initiative and the Middle East Green Initiative announced by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. The leaders expressed their hope for positive contributions by all countries towards a successful COP 27 hosted by the Arab Republic of Egypt, COP28 which will be hosted by the United Arab Emirates, and the International Horticultural Expo 2023 to be hosted by the State of Qatar titled “Green Desert, Better Environment 2023-2024.”
7. The leaders affirmed the importance of achieving energy security and stabilizing energy markets, while working on increasing investments in technologies and projects that aim to lower emissions and remove carbon, consistent with their national commitments. The leaders also noted the efforts by OPEC + that aim to stabilize oil markets in a manner that serves the interests of consumers and producers and supports economic growth, welcomed the decision by OPEC+ to increase production for the months of July and August, and commended Saudi Arabia for its leading role in achieving consensus among the members of OPEC+.
8. The leaders renewed their support to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, and the objective of preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons in the region. The leaders also renewed their call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and with countries in the region to keep the Arab Gulf region free from weapons of mass destruction, and to preserve security and stability regionally and globally.
9. The leaders renewed their condemnation in the strongest terms of terrorism in all its forms and affirmed their commitment to strengthening regional and international efforts aimed at confronting terrorism and violent extremism, preventing the financing, arming, and recruitment of terrorist groups by all individuals and entities, and to confronting all activities that threaten regional security and stability.
10. The leaders condemned, in the strongest terms, the terrorist acts impacting civilians, civilian infrastructure, and energy installations in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and commercial ships navigating critical international trade routes, in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al Mandab, and affirmed the need to adhere to relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, including UNSCR 2624.
11. The leaders expressed their full support for Iraq’s sovereignty, security, and stability, its development and prosperity, and all of its efforts to combat terrorism. The leaders also welcomed Iraq’s positive role in facilitating diplomacy and confidence-building among countries in the region.
12. The leaders welcomed the truce in Yemen, as well as the establishment of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) in Yemen, expressing their hope to achieve a political solution in line with the references of the GCC initiative, its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of the Yemeni comprehensive national dialogue, and UN Security Council resolutions, including UNSCR 2216. The leaders called on the Yemeni parties to seize this opportunity and engage immediately in direct negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations. The leaders also affirmed the importance of continuing to support the humanitarian needs of the Yemeni people, as well as provide economic and developmental support, while ensuring it reaches all areas of Yemen.
13. The leaders stressed the need to intensify efforts to reach a political solution to the Syrian crisis, in a manner that preserves Syria’s unity and sovereignty, and meets the aspirations of its people, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254. The leaders stressed the importance of providing the necessary support to Syrian refugees and to the countries hosting them, and for humanitarian aid to reach all regions of Syria.
14. The leaders expressed their support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, security, and stability, as well as all the reforms necessary to achieve its economic recovery. They noted recently-conducted parliamentary elections, enabled by the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and Internal Security Forces (ISF). With a view to upcoming presidential elections, they called on all Lebanese parties to respect the constitution and carry out the process in a timely manner. The leaders praised the efforts made by friends and partners of Lebanon that have renewed and strengthened the confidence and cooperation between Lebanon and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and that have supported the LAF and ISF in their efforts to maintain security in the country. The leaders took particular note of Kuwait’s initiatives aimed at building joint action between Lebanon and the GCC countries, and commended the State of Qatar’s recent announcement of direct support for LAF salaries. The United States confirmed its intention to develop a similar program for the LAF and ISF. The leaders also welcomed the support of the Republic of Iraq to the people and government of Lebanon in the fields of energy and humanitarian relief. The leaders welcomed all friends of Lebanon to join this effort to ensure the safety and stability of Lebanon. The leaders emphasized the importance of the control of the government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory, including with reference to fulfilling the provisions of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the Taif Accord, and for it to exercise full sovereignty, so there will be no weapons without the consent of the government of Lebanon or authority other than that of the government of Lebanon.
15. The leaders renewed their support for efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions, including Resolutions 2570 and 2571, the need to hold presidential and parliamentary elections, in tandem, as soon as possible, and the departure of all foreign forces and mercenaries without delay. They continue to support Libyan efforts to unify the country’s military institutions under the auspices of the UN process. The leaders expressed their appreciation for the Arab Republic of Egypt’s hosting of the Libyan constitutional dialogue in support of the UN-facilitated political process.
16. The leaders affirmed their support for efforts to achieve stability in Sudan, resume a successful transitional phase, encourage consensus between the Sudanese parties, maintain the cohesion of the state and its institutions, and support Sudan in facing economic challenges.
17. Regarding the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the leaders reiterated their support for Egypt’s water security and to forging a diplomatic resolution that would achieve the interests of all parties and contribute to a more peaceful and prosperous region. The leaders reiterated the imperative of concluding an agreement on the filling and operation of the GERD within a reasonable timeframe as stipulated in the Statement of the President of the United Nations Security Council dated September 15, 2021, and consistent with international law.
18. With regard to the war in Ukraine, the leaders reaffirmed the importance of respecting the principles of international law, including the UN Charter, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and the obligation to refrain from the use of force and the threats of using force. The leaders urged all countries and the international community to intensify their efforts aimed at achieving a peaceful solution, ending the humanitarian crisis, and supporting refugees, displaced persons and those affected by the war in Ukraine, as well as facilitating the export of grain and other food supplies, and supporting food security in affected countries.
19. With regard to Afghanistan, the leaders stressed the importance of continuing and intensifying efforts to support humanitarian access to Afghanistan, to address the threat posed by Afghanistan-based terrorists, and striving for the ability of all Afghans to be able to enjoy their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including their right to education and enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and, particularly for women, the right to work. The leaders expressed appreciation for Qatar’s role in promoting security and stability for the Afghan people.
20. The leaders welcomed the preparations by the state of Qatar for hosting the 2022 World Cup, and reiterated their support for all efforts to ensure its success.
21. The participating countries affirmed their commitment to convening again in the future.
In a statement on July 3, Metropolitan John of Belgorod became the first Russian hierarch to say that Ukraine is at war and called for the bloodshed there to stop and “swords to be turned into plowshares.” He did so after debris from a Ukrainian missile intercepted by Russian forces fell on an apartment block in Belgorod, killing three people.
And more specifically, Metropolitan John stated:
“Tonight, rockets of the Ukrainian armed forces hit sleeping residents of Belgorod in residential areas. Among the dead are residents of Kharkiv region, who came to take refuge from the war in peaceful Belgorod. However, no one knows the day or the hour when our earthly life will end, no one knows how it will happen (Matt. 24:36-39). We call for increased prayer for the repose of the dead and for the healing of the wounded, as well as for an end to the bloodshed that is happening on Ukrainian soil, but which today has reached our homes. It is time, in the words of Holy Scripture, “to beat swords into plowshares” (Is. 2:4). May God save all the living and grant peace on earth.”
Until now, already five months after the start of the war, this is the boldest statement by a Russian hierarch, which gained strong popularity and caused various comments. Here are some of them:
Vadim Yakunin, professor of history at Samara State University and member of the Academy of Military Sciences of the Russian Federation:
“Belgorod Metropolitan John (Popov) called for ‘swords to be turned into plowshares.’ This is a very important signal – both for believers and non-believers, as well as for politicians. Because today the ROC is inseparable from politics and the state, unfortunately. I got personally acquainted with Mr. John in the late 90s, when he came to Togliatti. It was a different time, another patriarch ruled the church, and it was truly separated from the state, and its hierarchs were servants only of the church, but not of the state – in any way. One could easily converse with the metropolitan (then still a bishop) over a cup of tea, in the truest sense of the word. Mitr. Ioan is a lover of rock music and has even recorded his own rock songs without promoting them. From 1994 to the end of 2021, he was the head of the missionary department of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Today, despite the dependence of the Russian Orthodox Church on the state, the Metropolitan stated: “… We call for intense prayer for the repose of the dead and for the healing of the wounded, for an end to the bloodshed that is happening on Ukrainian soil, but has already reached our homes. It is time, in the words of Holy Scripture, “to beat swords into plowshares” (Is. 2:4). May God save all the living and grant peace on earth.”
These are very important, symbolic words of one of the highest hierarchs of the Russian Orthodox Church. For now, however, they sound “like the voice of one crying in the wilderness” against the background of the official statements of the representatives of the Moscow Patriarchate. For example, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church repeats in almost every sermon that “Russia has never attacked anyone”, that “all wars in our history have been defensive” and that “she has never invaded foreign territory” (but then what happened in Hungary in 1956 and in Czechoslovakia in 1968?)…
It is in what Mitr did. John, his call for peace, consists the work and duty of the clergy. And it cannot be ignored by the authorities and society.”
Sergey Chapnin, theologian and publicist, former editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate:
“Many are calling Metropolitan John’s statement, published the day before yesterday on the diocese’s website, a remarkable example of anti-war speech. Alas, I cannot share the general enthusiasm. The short statement – only five sentences – was made in the fifth month of the war (before that there was silence) and only in connection with the deaths of civilians in the Belgorod region. Is the metropolitan not interested in the death of civilians in the neighboring Kharkiv region? Or had he not noticed until July 3 that a war was being waged several tens of kilometers from his home? Or does he think in the following way: this is a neighboring diocese, I will not interfere in its affairs?
Yes, in his statement, Metropolitan John spoke directly about the war and did not use the euphemism “special military operation (SVO)”, which is mandatory for officials. Was this done on purpose or due to oversight? Is it a dare or an oversight? It’s hard to say. Let’s see if the metropolitan will not be suggested to change it and if the press office will correct the text afterwards.
But note: the metropolitan is not at all calling for an end to the bloodshed. It calls for “strong prayer … for an end to the bloodshed on Ukrainian soil”, i.e. it is a most general, comprehensive and pious appeal to God. There is not even a hint of intercession for the peoples before the Russian authorities who have ignited this war and can end it. Nor is it an appeal to the Russian soldiers who went to fight and kill in a neighboring country. This complaint does not name anyone by name. I do not see much courage in condemning “bloodshed in principle” and saying that war is evil. I cannot advise you exactly what the Metropolitan should say, but what he has said is clearly not enough. Will there be a second and third statement? Will there be real steps? We will see. Alas, I do not strongly believe in this.’
An unknown god described in inscriptions from the ancient city of Palmyra, located in modern Syria, has long puzzled scientists. But now a researcher says she’s cracked the case, Live Science reports. Palmyra has existed for millennia, and the city flourished about 2,000 years ago as a trading center that connected the Roman Empire with trade routes in Asia, such as the Silk Road. The nameless deity is mentioned repeatedly in numerous Aramaic inscriptions at Palmyra. Many of these inscriptions are around 2000 years old. The unknown god has been called “He Whose Name is Blessed Forever,” “Lord of the Universe,” and “The Merciful,” according to the science journal Science in Poland. Alexandra Kubiak-Schneider, a researcher at the University of Wroclaw in Poland, compared the Palmyra inscriptions with inscriptions found in other Mesopotamian cities dating from the first millennium BC. She discovered that the gods worshiped in Mesopotamia were named in the same way as the unnamed god of Palmyra. For example, Bel-Marduk – the supreme god of Babylon – was also called “The Merciful”. The phrase “Lord of the World,” like “Lord of the Universe,” is sometimes used to refer to Baal-Shamin, the god of heaven. Kubiak-Schneider suggests that the unknown deity mentioned in the Palmyra inscriptions is not one god, but several deities, including Bel-Marduk and Baal-Shamin. She also claims that people did not mention the names of the deities as a sign of respect for them.
Also, when people wrote inscriptions calling for divine intervention, they were not always addressing a specific god, but rather any god who could hear their prayers. “There was no nameless god, any god who listened to prayers and showed favor to the person who turned to him deserved eternal praise,” says Kubiak-Schneider.
Live Science editors reached out to scientists who weren’t involved in the study to get their perspective. The responding researchers were cautious about this assumption. “Kubiak-Schneider presented his hypothesis to the scientific community, which will discuss it, and each scientist will decide to accept or reject it, presenting counterarguments in the latter case,” says Leonardo Gregorati, an archaeologist and author of studies on the history of Palmyra. Another researcher, who wished to remain anonymous, agreed that the unnamed deity was probably multiple deities, but expressed concern that some of the Babylonian texts cited by Kubiak-Schneider as arguments predate the Palmyra inscriptions by centuries.
