Pope puts focus on climate change, environment
“The Vatican has added its voice to warnings from churches around the world that climate change and abuse of the environment is against God’s will.
“At a Vatican conference on climate change, Pope Benedict XVI urged bishops, scientists and politicians to “respect Creation” while “focusing on the needs of sustainable development”.
“The Pope’s message follows a series of increasingly strong statements about climate change and the environment, including a warning earlier this year that “disregard for the environment always harms human coexistence and vice versa”.
“Observers said yesterday that the Catholic Church was no longer split between those who advocate development and those who say the environment is the priority. Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, head of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, said: “For environment … read Creation. The mastery of man over Creation must not be despotic or senseless. Man must cultivate and safeguard God’s Creation.”
“According to Vatican sources, the present Pope is far more engaged in the green debate than John Paul II…
“The Catholic Church is just one major faith group now rapidly moving environment to the fore of its social teachings.
” ‘Climate change, biotechnology, trade justice and pollution are all now being debated at a far higher level by the world’s major religions,’ said Martin Palmer, secretary-general of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation.
“In some cases, the debate is dividing traditionalists from younger congregations. In the US, the diverse 50 million- strong conservative evangelical churches are increasingly at odds over the human contribution to global warming.
“Many evangelical leaders are still not convinced that global warming is human-induced and have argued that the collapse of the world is inevitable and will herald the Second Coming of Christ.
“But most younger leaders have broken ranks. About four years ago, the progressives began to argue strongly that man had a responsibility to steward the Earth. Redefining environmentalism as “Creation care”, they are now lobbying US President George Bush and his Administration to take global warming far more seriously…
“Although the World Council of Churches in Geneva has had a department to investigate climate change since 1990, churches have come late to the debate. “The (environment and religion) is a no-brainer, but we are all only now realising it,” said Claire Foster, environmental policy adviser to the Church of England…”
September 27, 2007 at 10:45 am
did you know that the present day pope had a meeting with Srila Prabhupada? Sp was scheduled to meet the former Pope but he was sick so he met with two of his primary Cardinals, one of which is the present day Pope.
-bcd
September 27, 2007 at 6:11 pm
It’s too bad though that they don’t “GET” that the single greatest cause of polution and environmental degradation is raising masses of animals for meat consumption!
Not only is this a major environmental problem that is least talked about and which even former Pres. Al Gore doesn’t acknowledge, but is the cause of insane war mentality and loss of compassion in this world.
THIS ONE ACT of becoming a vegatarian will solve so many of the world’s problems and this single easiest thing that each person in this world can do to reduce even the individual karma of such killing acts. This would also free up tons of grains and soybeans that can go to direct human consumptions and reduce starvation around the world.
September 28, 2007 at 10:21 am
Prabhupada: “The big people are rogues. Just like yesterday we talked with the Cardinal. He is defending animal-killing. He’s a rogue. Anyone who is killing animal, he’s a rogue. But he is representing as big man, important man.”
Room Conversation with Anna Conan Doyle, daughter-in-law of famous author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle — August 10, 1973, Paris
(SP is refering ere to a different Cardinal, from France, but…)
September 30, 2007 at 2:31 am
Ironically here in the Holy Dhama of Mayapur I am informed to dump my rubbish in the Ganga [while in flood mode] as every one else does.
I come from Australia the land of the malecha and there is a pretty strong ethos there of taking care of your own rubbish.
I know it is an apparently mundane topic but maybe in involving ourselves with the more mundane aspects we may dignify our selves to become worthy of the so called spiritual.
You would think there would be a responsible rubbish disposal practice here even if just to set an example.
I am sure Srila Prabhupada would have wanted us to face our own crap so to speak rather than dump it in mother Ganga if shae happens to chance upon our door step.
October 1, 2007 at 12:00 pm
See what the following quote says about rivers:
Srimad Bhagvatam 11.2.41:
A devotee should not see anything as being separate from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna. Ether, fire, air, water, earth, the sun and other luminaries, all living beings, the directions, trees and other plants, the rivers and oceans — whatever a devotee experiences he should consider to be an expansion of Krsna.
Thus seeing everything that exists within creation as the body of the Supreme Lord, Hari, the devotee should offer his sincere respects to the entire expansion of the Lord’s body.