A green Pope?
Pope Benedict XVI, the leader of the world's most powerful institution, the Catholic Church, has expressed his concerns on the growing environmental and energy crisis our planet is facing. The Holy Father's message takes us to the poor of this world, who are being left behind while others engage in a destructive resource race based on a purely techno-economic world view.
The Agenzia Giornalistica Italiana (AGI) reports that Pope Benedict XVI is worried by the increase of pollution and the impoverishment of the planet due to 'a race towards available resources that cannot be compared to previous situations'. He vigorously reaffirmed the 'unbreakable link existing between peace within the Creation and peace amongst men. One thing and the other presuppose peace with God.'
Benedict XVI says that these past few years new nations have emerged as strong industrial producers and have considerably increased their energy needs. In the meantime, in some parts of the world this has led to conditions of great underdevelopment. This underdevelopment is fuelled because of very high energy prices.
The Pope asks 'What will happen to these populations? What kind of development or non-development will be imposed on them by the scarcity of energy supplies? What kind of injustices and antagonisms will derive from this race towards energy sources? How will those who have been excluded from this race react?'
These are questions that highlight the fact that respect for nature is strictly related to the necessity to create between men and nations relations that take care of the dignity of the person and are capable of satisfying their authentic needs.
'The destruction of environment, the improper and selfish use of the environment and the violent appropriation of the earth's resources generate lacerations, conflicts and wars because they stem from a inhuman concept of development - a view on development that limits itself to technical-economic aspects and overlooks the moral-religious dimension. Such a view does not lead to complete human development and - because it is unilateral - would end up by increasing the destructive capacities of man.'
AGI adds that the pope, who is a great theologian, further quoted the poem-prayer by St. Francis known as 'Cantico di Frate Sole' (the 'Canticle of the Sun') that 'represents a beautiful example, still very modern, of this multiform ecology of peace.' The saint from Assisi, according to the pope, 'helps us comprehend how strong the link is between this type of ecology and the increasingly more serious problem of energy supplies' [entry ends here].
bioenergy :: biofuels :: sustainability :: resource wars :: deforestation :: fossil fuels :: climate change :: pollution :: industrialisation :: energy :: consumerism :: poverty :: development :: green theology :: Pope :: Benedict XVI ::
The Agenzia Giornalistica Italiana (AGI) reports that Pope Benedict XVI is worried by the increase of pollution and the impoverishment of the planet due to 'a race towards available resources that cannot be compared to previous situations'. He vigorously reaffirmed the 'unbreakable link existing between peace within the Creation and peace amongst men. One thing and the other presuppose peace with God.'
Benedict XVI says that these past few years new nations have emerged as strong industrial producers and have considerably increased their energy needs. In the meantime, in some parts of the world this has led to conditions of great underdevelopment. This underdevelopment is fuelled because of very high energy prices.
The Pope asks 'What will happen to these populations? What kind of development or non-development will be imposed on them by the scarcity of energy supplies? What kind of injustices and antagonisms will derive from this race towards energy sources? How will those who have been excluded from this race react?'
These are questions that highlight the fact that respect for nature is strictly related to the necessity to create between men and nations relations that take care of the dignity of the person and are capable of satisfying their authentic needs.
'The destruction of environment, the improper and selfish use of the environment and the violent appropriation of the earth's resources generate lacerations, conflicts and wars because they stem from a inhuman concept of development - a view on development that limits itself to technical-economic aspects and overlooks the moral-religious dimension. Such a view does not lead to complete human development and - because it is unilateral - would end up by increasing the destructive capacities of man.'
AGI adds that the pope, who is a great theologian, further quoted the poem-prayer by St. Francis known as 'Cantico di Frate Sole' (the 'Canticle of the Sun') that 'represents a beautiful example, still very modern, of this multiform ecology of peace.' The saint from Assisi, according to the pope, 'helps us comprehend how strong the link is between this type of ecology and the increasingly more serious problem of energy supplies' [entry ends here].
bioenergy :: biofuels :: sustainability :: resource wars :: deforestation :: fossil fuels :: climate change :: pollution :: industrialisation :: energy :: consumerism :: poverty :: development :: green theology :: Pope :: Benedict XVI ::
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