Pope: Lead the Earth towards life rather than death

Francis message for today's World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.  Creation, a gift of God, has been shattered by blind exploitation.  In the upcoming United Nations Summit for Climate Action, "Governments will have the task of showing the political will to drastically accelerate the measures to reach zero net greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Let us guide the planet towards life rather than death!": this is Pope Francis' appeal launched today' on the World Day of Prayer for Creation Care. It is an appeal to governments on the eve of the United Nations summit for climate action, but also to people, to change  their lifestyle, today aimed at exploitation over the conservation of creation.

Humanity,  the Pope says, has responded to "God gift to us" with the "greed for possessing and exploiting.  Egoisms and interests have made creation, a place for encounter and sharing, a theater of rivalry and clashes.  Thus the environment itself has been put in danger, something that was a good in the eyes of God that has become something to be exploited in human hands.  Degradation has increased in recent decades: constant pollution, the incessant use of fossil fuels, intensive agricultural exploitation, the practice of razing forests are raising global temperatures to alarming levels.  The increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather phenomena and the desertification of the soil are putting the most vulnerable among us to the test.  The melting of the glaciers, the scarcity of water, the neglect of the water basins and the considerable presence of plastic and microplastic in the oceans are just as worrying facts, which confirm the urgency of interventions that can no longer be postponed.  We have created a climate emergency, which seriously threatens nature and life, including our own".

"At the root, we have forgotten who we are: creatures in the image of God (see Gen 1:27), called to live the same common home as brothers and sisters.  We were not created to be individuals who lord it over each other, we were conceived and wanted at the center of a web of life made up of millions of species lovingly joined together by our Creator.  It is time to rediscover our vocation as children of God, brothers and sisters to each other, guardians of creation ”.

Francis then invited everyone to conversion and to prayer "at this time, which from an opportune initiative born in the ecumenical sphere has been conceived as Time of Creation: a period of more intense prayer and action for the benefit of the common home opens today, 1 September, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and will end on 4 October, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi ”.

"This is the time to reflect on our lifestyles and on how our daily choices in terms of food, consumption, travel, use of water, energy and so many material goods are often reckless and harmful.  In too many we lord it over creation.  We must choose to change, to adopt simpler and more respectful lifestyles! ".

"This is the time to take prophetic actions", those choices for which "many young people are raising their voices all over the world".

"Our prayers and appeals are aimed above all at raising awareness among political and civil leaders.  I am thinking in particular of the Governments that will meet in the coming months to renew decisive commitments to guide the planet towards life rather than death. "  "So let's choose life!  Let us say no to the greed of consumption and the claims of omnipotence, ways of death;  Let us take farsighted paths, made of responsible renunciations today to guarantee prospects for life tomorrow.  We must not give in to the perverse logic of easy earnings, we must think of everyone's future! ".

"In this sense, the upcoming United Nations Summit for Climate Action is of particular importance, during which the Governments will have the task of showing the political will to accelerate drastically the measures to reach net greenhouse gas emissions equal to  zero and to contain the average global temperature increase to 1.5 ° C compared to pre-industrial levels, in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.  Next October, the Amazon, whose integrity is seriously threatened, will be the focus of a special assembly of the Synod of Bishops.  Let us take these opportunities to respond to the cry of the poor and the earth! "

 "Every faithful Christian, every member of the human family can contribute to weaving, as a subtle but unique and indispensable thread, the web of life that everyone embraces.  Let us feel involved and responsible in taking care of the creation with prayer and commitment.  May God, "lover of life" (Wis 11,26), gives us the courage to work good without waiting for others to start, without waiting for it to be too late ".