If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation
1. At the beginning of this New Year, I wish to offer
heartfelt greetings of peace to all Christian communities, international
leaders, and people of good will throughout the world.
For this XLIII World Day of Peace I have chosen the
theme: If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation.
Respect for creation is of immense consequence, not
least because "creation is the beginning and the foundation of all
God’s works",[1] and its preservation has now become essential for
the pacific coexistence of mankind.
Man’s inhumanity to man has given rise to numerous
threats to peace and to authentic and integral human development – wars,
international and regional conflicts, acts of terrorism, and violations of
human rights.
Yet no less troubling are the threats arising from the
neglect – if not downright misuse – of the earth and the natural goods
that God has given us. For this reason, it is imperative that mankind
renew and strengthen "that covenant between human beings and the
environment, which should mirror the creative love of God, from whom we
come and towards whom we are journeying".[2]
2. In my Encyclical Caritas in Veritate, I noted
that integral human development is closely linked to the obligations which
flow from man’s relationship with the natural environment.
The environment must be seen as God’s gift to all
people, and the use we make of it entails a shared responsibility for all
humanity, especially the poor and future generations.
I also observed that whenever nature, and human beings
in particular, are seen merely as products of chance or an evolutionary
determinism, our overall sense of responsibility wanes.[3]
On the other hand, seeing creation as God’s gift to
humanity helps us understand our vocation and worth as human beings. With
the Psalmist, we can exclaim with wonder: "When I look at your
heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars which you have
established; what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man
that you care for him?" (Ps 8:4-5).
Contemplating the beauty of creation inspires us to
recognize the love of the Creator, that Love which "moves the sun and
the other stars".[4]
3. Twenty years ago, Pope John Paul II devoted his
Message for the World Day of Peace to the theme: Peace with God the
Creator, Peace with All of Creation. He emphasized our relationship, as
God’s creatures, with the universe all around us.
"In our day", he wrote, "there is a
growing awareness that world peace is threatened … also by a lack of due
respect for nature". He added that "ecological awareness, rather
than being downplayed, needs to be helped to develop and mature, and find
fitting expression in concrete programmes and initiatives".[5]
Previous Popes had spoken of the relationship between
human beings and the environment. In 1971, for example, on the eightieth
anniversary of Leo XIII’s Encyclical Rerum Novarum, Paul VI
pointed out that "by an ill-considered exploitation of nature (man)
risks destroying it and becoming in his turn the victim of this
degradation".
He added that "not only is the material
environment becoming a permanent menace – pollution and refuse, new
illnesses and absolute destructive capacity – but the human framework is
no longer under man’s control, thus creating an environment for tomorrow
which may well be intolerable. This is a wide-ranging social problem which
concerns the entire human family".[6]
4. Without entering into the merit of specific
technical solutions, the Church is nonetheless concerned, as an
"expert in humanity", to call attention to the relationship
between the Creator, human beings and the created order.
In 1990 John Paul II had spoken of an "ecological
crisis" and, in highlighting its primarily ethical character, pointed
to the "urgent moral need for a new solidarity".[7] His appeal
is all the more pressing today, in the face of signs of a growing crisis
which it would be irresponsible not to take seriously.
Can we remain indifferent before the problems
associated with such realities as climate change, desertification, the
deterioration and loss of productivity in vast agricultural areas, the
pollution of rivers and aquifers, the loss of biodiversity, the increase
of natural catastrophes and the deforestation of equatorial and tropical
regions?
Can we disregard the growing phenomenon of
"environmental refugees", people who are forced by the
degradation of their natural habitat to forsake it – and often their
possessions as well – in order to face the dangers and uncertainties of
forced displacement?
Can we remain impassive in the face of actual and
potential conflicts involving access to natural resources? All these are
issues with a profound impact on the exercise of human rights, such as the
right to life, food, health and development.
5. It should be evident that the ecological crisis
cannot be viewed in isolation from other related questions, since it is
closely linked to the notion of development itself and our understanding
of man in his relationship to others and to the rest of creation.
Prudence would thus dictate a profound, long-term
review of our model of development, one which would take into
consideration the meaning of the economy and its goals with an eye to
correcting its malfunctions and misapplications.
The ecological health of the planet calls for this, but
it is also demanded by the cultural and moral crisis of humanity whose
symptoms have for some time been evident in every part of the world.[8]
Humanity needs a profound cultural renewal; it needs to
rediscover those values which can serve as the solid basis for building a
brighter future for all.
Our present crises – be they economic, food-related,
environmental or social – are ultimately also moral crises, and all of
them are interrelated. They require us to rethink the path which we are
travelling together.
Specifically, they call for a lifestyle marked by
sobriety and solidarity, with new rules and forms of engagement, one which
focuses confidently and courageously on strategies that actually work,
while decisively rejecting those that have failed. Only in this way can
the current crisis become an opportunity for discernment and new strategic
planning.
6. Is it not true that what we call "nature"
in a cosmic sense has its origin in "a plan of love and truth"?
The world "is not the product of any necessity whatsoever, nor of
blind fate or chance… The world proceeds from the free will of God; he
wanted to make his creatures share in his being, in his intelligence, and
in his goodness".[9]
The Book of Genesis, in its very first pages, points to
the wise design of the cosmos: it comes forth from God’s mind and finds
its culmination in man and woman, made in the image and likeness of the
Creator to "fill the earth" and to "have dominion
over" it as "stewards" of God himself (cf. Gen 1:28).
The harmony between the Creator, mankind and the
created world, as described by Sacred Scripture, was disrupted by the sin
of Adam and Eve, by man and woman, who wanted to take the place of God and
refused to acknowledge that they were his creatures.
As a result, the work of "exercising
dominion" over the earth, "tilling it and keeping it", was
also disrupted, and conflict arose within and between mankind and the rest
of creation (cf. Gen 3:17-19).
Human beings let themselves be mastered by selfishness;
they misunderstood the meaning of God’s command and exploited creation
out of a desire to exercise absolute domination over it. But the true
meaning of God’s original command, as the Book of Genesis clearly shows,
was not a simple conferral of authority, but rather a summons to
responsibility. The wisdom of the ancients had recognized that nature is
not at our disposal as "a heap of scattered refuse".[10]
Biblical Revelation made us see that nature is a gift
of the Creator, who gave it an inbuilt order and enabled man to draw from
it the principles needed to "till it and keep it" (cf. Gen.
2:15).[11]
Everything that exists belongs to God, who has
entrusted it to man, albeit not for his arbitrary use. Once man, instead
of acting as God’s co-worker, sets himself up in place of God, he ends
up provoking a rebellion on the part of nature, "which is more
tyrannized than governed by him".[12] Man thus has a duty to exercise
responsible stewardship over creation, to care for it and to cultivate
it.[13]
7. Sad to say, it is all too evident that large numbers
of people in different countries and areas of our planet are experiencing
increased hardship because of the negligence or refusal of many others to
exercise responsible stewardship over the environment.
The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council reminded us that
"God has destined the earth and everything it contains for all
peoples and nations".[14] The goods of creation belong to humanity as
a whole.
Yet the current pace of environmental exploitation is
seriously endangering the supply of certain natural resources not only for
the present generation, but above all for generations yet to come.[15] It
is not hard to see that environmental degradation is often due to the lack
of far-sighted official policies or to the pursuit of myopic economic
interests, which then, tragically, become a serious threat to creation.
To combat this phenomenon, economic activity needs to
consider the fact that "every economic decision has a moral
consequence" [16] and thus show increased respect for the
environment. When making use of natural resources, we should be concerned
for their protection and consider the cost entailed – environmentally
and socially – as an essential part of the overall expenses incurred.
The international community and national governments
are responsible for sending the right signals in order to combat
effectively the misuse of the environment. To protect the environment, and
to safeguard natural resources and the climate, there is a need to act in
accordance with clearly-defined rules, also from the juridical and
economic standpoint, while at the same time taking into due account the
solidarity we owe to those living in the poorer areas of our world and to
future generations.
8. A greater sense of intergenerational solidarity is
urgently needed. Future generations cannot be saddled with the cost of our
use of common environmental resources.
"We have inherited from past generations, and we
have benefited from the work of our contemporaries; for this reason we
have obligations towards all, and we cannot refuse to interest ourselves
in those who will come after us, to enlarge the human family. Universal
solidarity represents a benefit as well as a duty. This is a
responsibility that present generations have towards those of the future,
a responsibility that also concerns individual States and the
international community".[17]
Natural resources should be used in such a way that
immediate benefits do not have a negative impact on living creatures,
human and not, present and future; that the protection of private property
does not conflict with the universal destination of goods;[18] that human
activity does not compromise the fruitfulness of the earth, for the
benefit of people now and in the future.
In addition to a fairer sense of intergenerational
solidarity there is also an urgent moral need for a renewed sense of
intragenerational solidarity, especially in relationships between
developing countries and highly industrialized countries: "the
international community has an urgent duty to find institutional means of
regulating the exploitation of non-renewable resources, involving poor
countries in the process, in order to plan together for the
future".[19]
The ecological crisis shows the urgency of a solidarity
which embraces time and space. It is important to acknowledge that among
the causes of the present ecological crisis is the historical
responsibility of the industrialized countries.
Yet the less developed countries, and emerging
countries in particular, are not exempt from their own responsibilities
with regard to creation, for the duty of gradually adopting effective
environmental measures and policies is incumbent upon all. This would be
accomplished more easily if self-interest played a lesser role in the
granting of aid and the sharing of knowledge and cleaner technologies.
9. To be sure, among the basic problems which the
international community has to address is that of energy resources and the
development of joint and sustainable strategies to satisfy the energy
needs of the present and future generations.
This means that technologically advanced societies must
be prepared to encourage more moderate lifestyles, while reducing their
energy consumption and improving its efficiency.
At the same time there is a need to encourage research
into, and utilization of, forms of energy with lower impact on the
environment and "a world-wide redistribution of energy resources, so
that countries lacking those resources can have access to them".[20]
The ecological crisis offers an historic opportunity to
develop a common plan of action aimed at orienting the model of global
development towards greater respect for creation and for an integral human
development inspired by the values proper to charity in truth.
I would advocate the adoption of a model of development
based on the centrality of the human person, on the promotion and sharing
of the common good, on responsibility, on a realization of our need for a
changed life-style, and on prudence, the virtue which tells us what needs
to be done today in view of what might happen tomorrow.[21]
10. A sustainable comprehensive management of the
environment and the resources of the planet demands that human
intelligence be directed to technological and scientific research and its
practical applications.
The "new solidarity" for which John Paul II
called in his Message for the 1990 World Day of Peace [22] and the
"global solidarity" for which I myself appealed in my Message
for the 2009 World Day of Peace [23] are essential attitudes in shaping
our efforts to protect creation through a better
internationally-coordinated management of the earth’s resources,
particularly today, when there is an increasingly clear link between
combatting environmental degradation and promoting an integral human
development.
These two realities are inseparable, since "the
integral development of individuals necessarily entails a joint effort for
the development of humanity as a whole".[24]
At present there are a number of scientific
developments and innovative approaches which promise to provide
satisfactory and balanced solutions to the problem of our relationship to
the environment.
Encouragement needs to be given, for example, to
research into effective ways of exploiting the immense potential of solar
energy.
Similar attention also needs to be paid to the
world-wide problem of water and to the global water cycle system, which is
of prime importance for life on earth and whose stability could be
seriously jeopardized by climate change.
Suitable strategies for rural development centred on
small farmers and their families should be explored, as well as the
implementation of appropriate policies for the management of forests, for
waste disposal and for strengthening the linkage between combatting
climate change and overcoming poverty.
Ambitious national policies are required, together with
a necessary international commitment which will offer important benefits
especially in the medium and long term.
There is a need, in effect, to move beyond a purely
consumerist mentality in order to promote forms of agricultural and
industrial production capable of respecting creation and satisfying the
primary needs of all.
The ecological problem must be dealt with not only
because of the chilling prospects of environmental degradation on the
horizon; the real motivation must be the quest for authentic world-wide
solidarity inspired by the values of charity, justice and the common good.
For that matter, as I have stated elsewhere,
"technology is never merely technology. It reveals man and his
aspirations towards development; it expresses the inner tension that
impels him gradually to overcome material limitations. Technology in this
sense is a response to God’s command to till and keep the land (cf. Gen
2:15) that he has entrusted to humanity, and it must serve to reinforce
the covenant between human beings and the environment, a covenant that
should mirror God’s creative love".[25]
11. It is becoming more and more evident that the issue
of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our life-style and
the prevailing models of consumption and production, which are often
unsustainable from a social, environmental and even economic point of
view.
We can no longer do without a real change of outlook
which will result in new life-styles, "in which the quest for truth,
beauty, goodness and communion with others for the sake of common growth
are the factors which determine consumer choices, savings and
investments".[26]
Education for peace must increasingly begin with
far-reaching decisions on the part of individuals, families, communities
and states. We are all responsible for the protection and care of the
environment. This responsibility knows no boundaries.
In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity it is
important for everyone to be committed at his or her proper level, working
to overcome the prevalence of particular interests.
A special role in raising awareness and in formation
belongs to the different groups present in civil society and to the
non-governmental organizations which work with determination and
generosity for the spread of ecological responsibility, responsibility
which should be ever more deeply anchored in respect for "human
ecology". The media also have a responsibility in this regard to
offer positive and inspiring models.
In a word, concern for the environment calls for a
broad global vision of the world; a responsible common effort to move
beyond approaches based on selfish nationalistic interests towards a
vision constantly open to the needs of all peoples.
We cannot remain indifferent to what is happening
around us, for the deterioration of any one part of the planet affects us
all. Relationships between individuals, social groups and states, like
those between human beings and the environment, must be marked by respect
and "charity in truth".
In this broader context one can only encourage the
efforts of the international community to ensure progressive disarmament
and a world free of nuclear weapons, whose presence alone threatens the
life of the planet and the ongoing integral development of the present
generation and of generations yet to come.
12. The Church has a responsibility towards creation,
and she considers it her duty to exercise that responsibility in public
life, in order to protect earth, water and air as gifts of God the Creator
meant for everyone, and above all to save mankind from the danger of
self-destruction.
The degradation of nature is closely linked to the
cultural models shaping human coexistence: consequently, "when ‘human
ecology’ is respected within society, environmental ecology also
benefits".[27]
Young people cannot be asked to respect the environment
if they are not helped, within families and society as a whole, to respect
themselves. The book of nature is one and indivisible; it includes not
only the environment but also individual, family and social ethics.[28]
Our duties towards the environment flow from our duties
towards the person, considered both individually and in relation to
others.
Hence I readily encourage efforts to promote a greater
sense of ecological responsibility which, as I indicated in my Encyclical Caritas
in Veritate, would safeguard an authentic "human ecology"
and thus forcefully reaffirm the inviolability of human life at every
stage and in every condition, the dignity of the person and the unique
mission of the family, where one is trained in love of neighbour and
respect for nature.[29]
There is a need to safeguard the human patrimony of
society. This patrimony of values originates in and is part of the natural
moral law, which is the foundation of respect for the human person and
creation.
13. Nor must we forget the very significant fact that
many people experience peace and tranquillity, renewal and reinvigoration,
when they come into close contact with the beauty and harmony of nature.
There exists a certain reciprocity: as we care for creation, we realize
that God, through creation, cares for us.
On the other hand, a correct understanding of the
relationship between man and the environment will not end by absolutizing
nature or by considering it more important than the human person.
If the Church’s magisterium expresses grave
misgivings about notions of the environment inspired by ecocentrism and
biocentrism, it is because such notions eliminate the difference of
identity and worth between the human person and other living things.
In the name of a supposedly egalitarian vision of the
"dignity" of all living creatures, such notions end up
abolishing the distinctiveness and superior role of human beings. They
also open the way to a new pantheism tinged with neo-paganism, which would
see the source of man’s salvation in nature alone, understood in purely
naturalistic terms.
The Church, for her part, is concerned that the
question be approached in a balanced way, with respect for the
"grammar" which the Creator has inscribed in his handiwork by
giving man the role of a steward and administrator with responsibility
over creation, a role which man must certainly not abuse, but also one
which he may not abdicate. In the same way, the opposite position, which
would absolutize technology and human power, results in a grave assault
not only on nature, but also on human dignity itself.[30]
14. If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation.
The quest for peace by people of good will surely would become easier if
all acknowledge the indivisible relationship between God, human beings and
the whole of creation.
In the light of divine Revelation and in fidelity to
the Church’s Tradition, Christians have their own contribution to make.
They contemplate the cosmos and its marvels in light of the creative work
of the Father and the redemptive work of Christ, who by his death and
resurrection has reconciled with God "all things, whether on earth or
in heaven" (Col 1:20).
Christ, crucified and risen, has bestowed his Spirit of
holiness upon mankind, to guide the course of history in anticipation of
that day when, with the glorious return of the Saviour, there will be
"new heavens and a new earth" (2 Pet 3:13), in which justice and
peace will dwell for ever.
Protecting the natural environment in order to build a
world of peace is thus a duty incumbent upon each and all. It is an urgent
challenge, one to be faced with renewed and concerted commitment; it is
also a providential opportunity to hand down to coming generations the
prospect of a better future for all.
May this be clear to world leaders and to those at
every level who are concerned for the future of humanity: the protection
of creation and peacemaking are profoundly linked!
For this reason, I invite all believers to raise a
fervent prayer to God, the all-powerful Creator and the Father of mercies,
so that all men and women may take to heart the urgent appeal: If You Want
to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation.
From the Vatican
8 December 2009
