Bishop in Palawan Island calls for prayers and action to heal a ‘sick’ environment
On the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, Bishop Mesiona notes that the planet is like a body and "we must pay attention not to abuse it.” The heavy rains of the last few days on the island have caused at least five deaths and affected more than 4,000 people. “Our petitions” will be in vain “if we neglect our responsibilities.”
Palawan (AsiaNews) – Bishop Socrates Mesiona, Apostolic Vicar of Puerto Princesa, led a solemn Mass in Ipilan, Brookes Point, Palawan province, on the feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, which the Church celebrates today.
In his homily, the prelate said that, “Climate change is a manifestation of our environment's sickness. The environment is like our body. We must pay attention not to abuse it.”
In his appeal, the prelate urged the faithful to pray to the Virgin to heal the critical issues related to the state of health of the planet, our "common home" as Pope Francis repeatedly described it.
In his address, the prelate also urged the community to entrust Mary with the healing of a world that he defines as “sick”.
"This nonstop rain, floods, and sometimes extreme heat make us pay attention to nature,” the bishop stressed. “What are we doing to protect the world entrusted to us?” he asked, implicitly stressing the urgency of taking action to protect the environment.
Palawan is the fifth largest and the tenth most populous island in the Philippines. It has experienced recent flooding, heavy in some cases, in several areas, like Puerto Princesa and other cities in southern Palawan due to the shear line, a weather phenomenon that occurs when cold and hot winds converge.
In such a situation, a boundary or narrow area is formed where two air masses with different temperatures, humidity levels or wind speeds meet.
According to the head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), Jerry Alili, at least five people died in the recent rains (as of today) and more than 4,000 have been affected in Palawan alone.
Under the circumstances, Bishop Mesiona called on the faithful to invoke Our Lady of Lourdes so that she can intercede for the healing of the earth.
“Just as the people in the gospel ran out of wine, we are in a state of crisis,” Bishop Mesiona stated. “We ask for the help of the Blessed Mother.”
The apostolic vicar also noted that healing requires human cooperation and cannot be separated from it.
“Even if we bring our petitions to the Lord, it will be in vain if we neglect our responsibilities,” he explained. “Healing is a gift from God, but it is also our task to make God's healing power happen to us,” he added.
The World Day of the Sick falls on the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, which celebrates the apparitions of the Virgin in 1858 to a 14-year-old peasant girl, Bernadette Soubirous, in France.
In his message, Pope Francis affirms that God remains close to those who suffer through encounter, gift and sharing.
Finally, in Ipalan, the local parish priest, Fr Dennis Braganza, thanked all those who contributed to the success of the 17th parish festival, despite the flooding experienced by some of the faithful in the wake of frequent heavy rains.
.png)
