In a joint statement, Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Welby invited everyone to review the management of resources in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and no longer act on the basis of selfish profit maximization. Everyone should take care of future generations and the poorest people in the world, and pray for the leaders of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference and the Global Ecological Transformation.
(Vatican News Network)For the first time, Pope Francis, Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, and Anglican Archbishop Welby of Canterbury screamed for the future of the earth. For the first time, these three religious leaders warned the world of the urgency of sustainable environmental development, its impact on poverty, and the importance of global cooperation. At the same time, they also urge everyone to do their part and “choose life” for the future of the earth.
This joint statement opened the door to talk about the notion that everyone is closely connected, and pointed out that the epidemic prompted us to review this lesson. “Unless each of us is safe, no one is safe. Our actions will indeed affect each other, and what we do today will affect tomorrow.” Therefore, the Deuteronomy has an order saying: ” You have to choose your life so that you and your descendants can survive.” (39) These three religious leaders quoted this phrase from the scriptures and encouraged people to regard the disasters of the world as a turning point: “We must not waste At this time. We must decide what kind of world we want to leave to future generations. We must choose a different life; we must choose life.”
In their statement, the three religious leaders invited people to look forward and not to be satisfied with short-sighted, short-sighted, seemingly low-cost solutions. In fact, this solution appears to be immediate, but in fact it is to build houses on sand, and the route we should take should be the same as building strong and durable houses on rock (see: Mar 7 24-27). “The concept of stewardship, that is, the concept of individuals or groups taking responsibility for the grace of God, is an important starting point for the sustainable development of society, economy, and environment.” However, we used to “pursue maximization of profits and push the consequences to future generations to bear.” Technology has brought new opportunities for progress, but people use it to “accumulate wealth without restraint,” regardless of the limits of other people or the earth. Nature’s adaptability is strong, but she is also very fragile. Now that we have the “opportunity for repentance and the opportunity for determination to turn back”, we should embark on a generous and fair path.
In addition, climate change is not only a challenge for the future, but also an urgent issue that is immediately vital to survival. For example: frequent fires, continuous storms, and rising sea levels have created turbulence not only in backward countries, but also in developed countries. This statement speaks for injustices: the loss of biodiversity, environmental degradation and climate change, these are the inevitable consequences of our actions, because we greedily consume too many resources on the earth, beyond the earth. The range that can be tolerated. However, we also face a kind of “deep injustice: the people who bear the catastrophic consequences of these abuses are often the poorest people in the world, and they are the least responsible for the disaster.” To this end, these three Christian leaders quoted the “Bible” and called on everyone to restore the covenant with the Creator God and be his assistant (see: Genesis 2: 4-7).
Then, Pope Francis, Patriarch of Bartholomew, and Archbishop Welby clearly requested that the various church groups “cooperate more closely in caring for the created world.” “As members of groups, churches, cities, and countries, we must change our course and find a new mode of struggle to remove the long-established barriers between various ethnic groups and no longer compete with each other for resources.” These three religious leaders have shown that today we are paying the price, and tomorrow it might get worse.
Choosing life also means self-restraint. The Pope, Patriarch and Archbishop urged people to pray for world leaders before the 26th UN Climate Change Conference; everyone, regardless of their beliefs or worldview, should work hard to listen to the voices of the earth and the poor and reflect on them Be committed to making meaningful sacrifices by your own actions. At the same time, these three religious leaders also encourage everyone to cooperate with others and take responsibility. As for those who shoulder heavy responsibilities, I hope they will always put people at the core when pursuing interests and promote an economic transformation towards fair and sustainable development.
Link URL: www.vaticannews.cn