On 22 August 2026 Mattias Klum took part in the diocesan festival at Visby Cathedral on Gotland, joining a day devoted to reflection, sustainability and our relationship with the living world.

Around 200 participants gathered for the event, which opened with coffee and music by the Sankta Maria Youth Choir. Mattias then joined parish priest Per-Anders Sandgren for a panel discussion moderated by dean Anna Lundgren.

The conversation explored the environmental challenges facing both Gotland and the wider world, and the importance of knowledge, humility and engagement. Mattias reflected on how a deeper understanding of nature can strengthen our sense of responsibility for it, and on the need to support those working to protect and care for the environment.

The discussion also touched on the value of simple, direct experiences of the natural world – from looking up at a clear, star-filled sky to watching fish beneath the surface of the water – and how such encounters can remind us of what is at stake.

Attention then turned to challenges closer to home, including Gotland’s groundwater, biodiversity and the lasting consequences of environmental degradation. The conversation raised an important question: how can individuals, communities and churches mobilise for meaningful change? Among the tools discussed were information, public engagement, prayer and hope for the future.

After lunch, participants could choose between twelve different seminars. One of them, led by priest Claes Hedström, focused on the transition towards sustainable change and the need to live within the ecological limits of a finite planet.

The day concluded with a festive service led by Bishop Erik.