Sunday, Dec 22 2024 Donate
A service of EWTN News

Creation must be protected to achieve peace, Pope will say in message

Pope Benedict XVI will focus on how cultivating peace is tied to protecting creation for his 43rd World Day of Peace message this coming January. Drawing on his recent social encyclical, the Pope will highlight how this connection is further heightened by the "many problems concerning man's natural environment," such as climate change and the ways biotechnology is used.

"If you want to cultivate peace, protect the creation" is the theme chosen by Benedict XVI for his Message for the 43rd World Day of Peace, which will be celebrated on January 1, 2010.

According to a Vatican press office statement, the theme "aims to raise awareness about the strong bond that exists in our globalized and interconnected world between protecting the creation and cultivating peace."

This connection is "further accentuated by the many problems concerning man's natural environment, such as the use of resources, climate change, the application and use of biotechnology, and demographic growth," the statement says.

Unless the human family responds to the need to protect creation with a "renewed sense of social justice and equity, and of international solidarity, we run the risk of sowing seeds of violence among peoples, and between current generations and those to come," the message warns.

In particular, the Pope's message will draw upon paragraphs 48 to 51 of "Caritas in Veritate" to "make it clear that the protection of the environment is a challenge for all humankind. It is shared and universal duty to respect a collective asset destined for everyone."

Finally, the statement from the press office emphasizes that humanity must face the ecological questions of today for the right reason. They should be confronted," not just because of the dreadful prospects that environmental degradation presages" but out of a strong motivation for peace.

 

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.

As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Click here

Our mission is the truth. Join us!

Your monthly donation will help our team continue reporting the truth, with fairness, integrity, and fidelity to Jesus Christ and his Church.

Donate to CNA