P R A Y I N G W I T H T H E C H U R C H
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INTENTION : |
That the riches of the created world may be preserved, valued, and made available as God's precious gift to all.
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There have always been natural disasters which have caused damage and devastation to the human population. The difference between the present situation and previous times is that we are beginning to be aware that many of the climatic ills that affect us have human causes. The power of human beings over nature is today, for the first time in history, a threat to their own survival. This conviction, which is clear to scientists, has gained ground among political leaders, even though there are some who deny the validity of the conclusions which attribute global warming and climate change to human causes. Care for creation, Pope Benedict says in his New Year message for 2010, 'has become essential today for the peaceful coexistence of humanity' (1). But there is still a long way to go, as was shown by the breakdown of the ecological summit in Copenhagen in December 2009, where the conomic interests of powerful nations took first place, preventing the achievement of more important agreements. The meeting was a disappointment for the world, and will be paid for at a high price, to the detriment of the whole human race.
The Pope's intention for prayer this month calls on our responsibility to safeguard creation for future generations. He tells us that there is need for 'a profound revision of the development model, with a vision for the future, reflecting still more on the meaning of the economy and its purpose, to correct its dysfunctions and distortions' (5), at the same time urging a change of mentality and a revision of our lifestyle. (cf.11)
Today the discourse on social justice must include the theme of ecology; the theme of ecology can no longer leave aside the promotion of justice. Each has a bearing on the other, as the Church's social doctrine teaches. We have seen very clearly that the nations which consume most, and thereby pollute most, are not those who suffer most from the damage caused to creation. As always it is the poorest, those who have the least resources to defend themselves from climate change, who pay the consequences, at the highest prices. Just as an example: in the regions of the world affected by cyclones, last year there were four times more storms and typhoons than was usual a few years ago. Another example is the dumping of toxic waste, prohibited in the legislation of rich countries, which is done secretly in poor countries where corruption makes it easy to break their own law. The same thing happens with large-scale illegal deforestation in poor countries. The tragic outpouring of oil in the Gulf of Mexico some months ago has made clear the fragility of our defence against disasters of this kind.
The subject of ecology cannot be avoided on the political, cultural and artistic agendaˇK as also on the religious and ecclesial agenda. It is present in the struggle by Christians for a more just world, in ecumenical dialogue, or in our formation programmes, and so on. The numerous and ever more frequent pronouncements of Pope and bishops on the subject are proof of this.
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