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INTENTION : |
That we may take good care of creation - a gift freely given - cultivating and protecting it for future generations.
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Lead the way in creation
Our time cannot ignore the issue of ecology, which is vital to man's survival, nor reduce it to merely a political question: indeed, it has a moral dimension that affects everyone, such that no one can ignore it. As disciples of Christ, we have a further reason to join with all men and women of good will to protect and defend nature and the environment. Creation is, in fact, a gift entrusted to us from the hands of the Creator. All of nature that surrounds us is created like us, created together with us, and in a common destiny it tends to find its fulfillment and ultimate end in God himself - the Bible says "new heavens and a new earth" (cf. Is 65:17, 2 Pet 3:13; Rev 21:1). This doctrine of our faith is an even stronger stimulus for us to have a responsible and respectful relationship with Creation: in inanimate nature, in plants and in animals, we recognize the imprint of the Creator, and in our fellow human beings, His very image.
Living in closer contact with nature, as you do, entails not only respect for it but also the commitment to contribute concretely to eliminate the wastefulness of a society that increasingly tends to throw away goods which are still useful and which can be donated to the many who are in need. [ ... ]
POPE FRANCIS
8 November 2014
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