JOINT
MESSAGE
OF
POPE FRANCIS
AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW
AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH BARTHOLOMEW
ON
THE WORLD DAY
OF PRAYER FOR CREATION
OF PRAYER FOR CREATION
The story of creation presents us
with a panoramic view of the world. Scripture reveals that, “in the beginning”,
God intended humanity to cooperate in the preservation and protection of the
natural environment. At first, as we read in Genesis, “no plant of the field
was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up – for the Lord
God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the
ground” (2:5). The earth was entrusted to us as a sublime gift and legacy, for
which all of us share responsibility until, “in the end”, all things in heaven
and on earth will be restored in Christ (cf. Eph 1:10). Our human dignity and
welfare are deeply connected to our care for the whole of creation.
However,
“in the meantime”, the history of the world presents a very different context.
It reveals a morally decaying scenario where our attitude and behaviour towards
creation obscures our calling as God’s co-operators. Our propensity to
interrupt the world’s delicate and balanced ecosystems, our insatiable desire
to manipulate and control the planet’s limited resources, and our greed for
limitless profit in markets – all these have alienated us from the original purpose
of creation. We no longer respect nature as a shared gift; instead, we regard
it as a private possession. We no longer associate with nature in order to
sustain it; instead, we lord over it to support our own constructs.
The
consequences of this alternative worldview are tragic and lasting. The human
environment and the natural environment are deteriorating together, and this
deterioration of the planet weighs upon the most vulnerable of its people. The
impact of climate change affects, first and foremost, those who live in poverty
in every corner of the globe. Our obligation to use the earth’s goods
responsibly implies the recognition of and respect for all people and all
living creatures. The urgent call and challenge to care for creation are an invitation
for all of humanity to work towards sustainable and integral development.
Therefore,
united by the same concern for God’s creation and acknowledging the earth as a
shared good, we fervently invite all people of goodwill to dedicate a time of
prayer for the environment on 1 September.
On this occasion, we wish to offer thanks to the loving Creator for the
noble gift of creation and to pledge commitment to its care and preservation
for the sake of future generations. After all, we know that we labour in vain
if the Lord is not by our side (cf. Ps 126-127), if prayer is not at the centre
of our reflection and celebration. Indeed, an objective of our prayer is to
change the way we perceive the world in order to change the way we relate to
the world. The goal of our promise is to be courageous in embracing greater
simplicity and solidarity in our lives.
We
urgently appeal to those in positions of social and economic, as well as
political and cultural, responsibility to hear the cry of the earth and to
attend to the needs of the marginalized, but above all to respond to the plea
of millions and support the consensus of the world for the healing of our
wounded creation. We are convinced that there can be no sincere and enduring
resolution to the challenge of the ecological crisis and climate change unless
the response is concerted and collective, unless the responsibility is shared
and accountable, unless we give priority to solidarity and service.
From
the Vatican and from the Phanar, 1 September 2017
Pope
Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew
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