Caring for our common home
To the disappointment of the rest of the world and despite getting a personal copy of Pope Francis’ famous Encyclical Laudato si on the protection of environment from the Pope himself during his recent visit to the Vatican, President Donald Trump pulled out of the Paris Climate Agreement. He had promised the Pope that he would read it. Last week in a surprise statement in Paris, Mr Trump declared that he was ready to reconsider his decision on the Paris Agreement.
Regardless of what the powerful President does or doesn’t, it is encouraging to notice that two years after the release of Laudato si, quite a bit of inter-religious initiatives in protecting our common home in various parts of the world is generated. The executive director of an American organisation, GreenFaith (founded in 1992) said recently, “There is an assumption that if religious leaders let the Pope talk about environmental protection, it will usher in rapid, large-scale change.”
Even though many Christian seminaries were already running courses on the theology of environment, Laudato si has brought care of the earth outside of the classroom to concrete action in the field. There is a new fervour among convents and students that go to convent-run schools in this direction.
Gopal Patel, director of London and Indiabased Bhumi (earth) project (launched in 2009), maintains, “All religions have been doing environmental work for a long time. What Laudato si did, and continues to do, is to ensure that faith voices are heard in the broad climate space. It was the biggest kind of support that the faith movement could get to show that we have something to say about caring for the Earth.”
Similarly following the publication of Laudato si, a Global Muslim Climate Network came into existence, the work on which was already in progress as affirmed by its co-founder Nina Firman.
Let us remember that Mother Earth has no religion. She is a generous mother to all. It is, therefore, our responsibility, regardless of our faith, race, culture and nationality, to preserve it as long as our tent is pitched here. Protecting her is by no means any favour rendered to her. It is truly a favour we do to ourselves, our own children and to the coming generations.
Apart from making a firm resolution with all religiosity and deep spirituality that one can muster, we can add our extra bit by whispering a short prayer: “All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one at all...”
Father Dominic Emmanuel,a founder-member of the Parliament of Religions, can be contacted at frdo minic@gmail.com