L'Osservatore Romano 01.09.2020 page 1 L'Osservatore Romano 01.09.2020 page 6
In prayer and action
Time of Creation, which is celebrated from 1 September, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to 4 October, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, always comes as a true kairòs, a time of grace which invites to prayer, meditation and commitment. But perhaps never as in this period, so tragically marked by the pandemic, hearts are full of questions and anxieties, eager for redemption and serene horizons, more aware of the gravity of environmental disasters and, hopefully, more attentive to the cry of the earth and to the cry of the poor, therefore to voices of pain strictly connected to each other, generated by the same inequalities and injustices.
At yesterday’s Angelus, Pope Francis said that in these days
“we will celebrate the Jubilee of the Earth with our Christian brothers of various Churches and traditions, to commemorate the institution, fifty years ago, of Earth Day. »And he added:« I greet the various initiatives promoted all over the world and, among these, the concert that is taking place today in the cathedral of Port-Louis, capital of Mauritius, where unfortunately there was recently an environmental disaster”.
As is known, the Dicastery for the service of integral human development has instituted, from 24 May 2020 until 24 May 2021, a special year dedicated to the celebration of the anniversary of the encyclical letter Laudato si ‘, which was promulgated by Pope Francis on 24 May 2015. After the “Laudato si ‘Week”, organized from 16 to 24 May last, with the aim of encouraging Catholics “to unite in solidarity for a more just future and sustainable ”, in this period the proposals and activities continue to raise awareness in a capillary way every person and so that the awareness thus acquired is translated into concrete gestures. The Christian Churches together can do a lot, working in synergy with each other and with all those who in civil society are committed in the same spirit. Moreover, the celebration of the Time of Creation has always had a significant ecumenical character, constantly reiterated, among other things, in the European assemblies jointly organized by the Council of Episcopal Conferences of Europe (Ccee) and by the Conference of European Churches (Kek). first in Basel, in 1989; then in Graz, in 1997; finally in Sibiu, in 2007. «Pope Francis’ message, inviting us to deal with what is putting the most vulnerable among us to the test, is particularly relevant in light of the pandemic coronavirus, ”wrote Monsignor Bruno-Marie Duffé, secretary of the Dicastery for the service of integral human development. “While the world is experiencing profound uncertainty and suffering in the midst of a global emergency, we are called to recognize that to have a truly healthy recovery we need to understand that” everything is connected “and to rebuild the bonds we have broken . We realize that we must grow more and more in solidarity and care for one another in fraternity. Inspired by the apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia, we encourage the people of God to accelerate their steps towards new paths for the Church and for an integral ecology, planning activities for the Time of Creation “.
Rich and interesting is the aid proposed by the Italian Bishops’ Conference for the first of September in relation to the fifteenth Day for the Custody of Creation on the theme “” To live in this world with sobriety, justice and piety “(Titus, 2, 12). For new lifestyles ». Written by several hands, it collects contributions from Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant exponents. On the cover, the photo of a sparrow singing, perched on a blade of grass, makes the so reassuring words of Jesus resound in the heart: “Look at the birds of the sky: they do not sow or reap, nor gather in barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than them? ” (Matthew, 6, 26), and the sweetest ones of Psalm 84: “Even the sparrow finds a home / and the swallow a nest / where to place its young / near your altars, / Lord of hosts, / my king and my God. ” The term “For new lifestyles” is directly inspired by a part of the sixth chapter of Laudato si ‘, the one which is entitled: “To focus on another lifestyle” (paragraphs 203-208).
Even St. John Paul II in Centesimus annus, (number 58), had affirmed: “Love for man and, in the first place, for the poor, in whom the Church sees Christ, becomes concrete in the promotion of justice. […] This will be possible not only by drawing on the superfluous, which our world produces in abundance, but above all by changing lifestyles, production and consumption models, the consolidated structures of power that today societies rule ”. And Pope Benedict XVI, in his message for the XLIII World Day of Peace (1 January 2010) on the theme «If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation “, he wrote:” The ecological crisis offers a historic opportunity to elaborate a collective response aimed at converting the global development model in a direction more respectful of creation and integral human development, inspired by values proper to charity in truth. I therefore hope for the adoption of a development model based on the centrality of the human being, on the promotion and sharing of the common good, on responsibility, on the awareness of the necessary change in lifestyles and on prudence, virtues that indicates the actions to be performed today, in anticipation of what may happen tomorrow ».
by DONATELLA COALOVA
This post will expire on Friday October 2nd, 2020 4:10pm
