| If you want to cultivate peace protect Creation
The theme chosen by
Benedict XVI for the 43rd World Day of Peace, which will be celebrated
on 1 January 2010, is intended to raise awareness of the close link in
our globalized world between the safeguard of Creation and the
cultivation of peace. The Holy Father's message, drawing on his latest
Encyclical Caritas in Veritate, stresses the urgent need for the
protection of the environment, a challenge for all humanity.
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 sober 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 Peace22 and the "global solidarity" for which I
myself appealed in my Message for the 2009 World Day of Peace23
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 lifestyles, "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 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." 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
Notes
1 Catechism
of the Catholic Church, 198.
2 Benedict XVI,
Message for the 2008 World Day of Peace, 7.
3 Cf. n. 48.
4 Dante
Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, Paradiso, XXXIII, 145.
5 Message for
the 1990 World Day of Peace, 1.
6
Apostolic Letter Octogesima Adveniens,
21.
7 Message for the World Day of Peace,
10.
8 Cf. Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas
in Veritate, 32.
9 Catechism
of the Catholic Church, 295.
10 Heraclitus of
Ephesus (c. 535 – c. 475 B.C.), Fragment 22B124, in H.
Diels-W. Kranz, Die Fragmente der Vorsokratiker, Weidmann,
Berlin, 1952, 6th ed.
11 Cf. Benedict
XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 48.
12 John Paul II,
Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 37.
13 Cf. Benedict
, Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 50.
14
Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes,
69.
15 Cf. John Paul
II, Encyclical Letter Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, 34.
16
Benedict , Encyclical Letter Caritas in
Veritate, 37.
17 Pontifical
Council for Justice and Peace, Compendium of the Social Doctrine of
the Church, 467; cf. Paul VI, Encyclical Letter Populorum
Progressio, 17.
18 Cf. John Paul
II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 30-31, 43
19 Benedict XVI,
Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 49.
20 Ibid.
21
Cf. Saint Thomas Aquinas, S. Th.,
II-II, q. 49, 5.
22 Cf. n. 9.
23 Cf. n. 8.
24 Paul
Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio, 43.
25 Encyclical
Letter Caritas in Veritate, 69.
26 John Paul II,
Encyclical Letter Centesimus Annus, 36.
27 Benedict ,
Encyclical Letter Caritas in Veritate, 51.
28 Cf. ibid.,
15, 51.
29 Cf. ibid.,
28, 51, 61; John Paul II, Encyclical Letter
Centesimus Annus, 38, 39.
30 Cf. Benedict
, Encyclical Letter Caritas in
Veritate, 70.
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