Natural disasters are call to Christian solidarity, says Mexican bishop

Mexico City, Mexico, Sep 3, 2009 / 12:57 pm

Auxiliary Bishop Oscar Campos of Antequera-Oaxaca said yesterday that natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes or floods are an urgent call to Christian solidarity and test a nation’s character.

As Hurricane Jimena began its pass over Baja California, Bishop Campos said these situations should “motivate us to implement effective response mechanisms at the state level” and lead to a “culture of prevention in which all members of society participate.”

Bishop Campos recalled that disasters are not a punishment from God because He is life. “Pain and death, the inbalances of nature that cause great tragedies are nothing more than part of the material condition that is on the path towards fullness amidst the birth pangs of the New Creation,” he added.

The Mexican bishop also reaffirmed the Church’s mission of bringing spiritual consolation to those who suffer and immediate assistance and reconstruction to the affected communities. “There are many organizations in the Church that, without much fanfare, provide assistance in response to the tragedies of our people,” he reminded.

Bishop Campos criticized those who profit “from human suffering in any disaster” and stressed that the true character of people is revealed when “we unite in the face of adversity, when we overcome our political divisions, our resentments and we forget about our confrontations.”

The bishop suggested that some natural disasters may be the result of climate change, but that “the light of faith helps us see beyond the shadows of immediate evils; hope lifts our spirits amidst the difficulties; and charity encourages us to work together to overcome any evil.”