(Archbishop of Kampala, Uganda)
The importance and urgency of environmental
protection is to be discussed against the background of famine and poverty
in Africa.
Many people in Africa live on food
either bought from or donated by other countries. Thanks to the World Food
Programme for supporting us in famine and for feeding refugees in war-torn
zones of Africa. There are also in our continent entire nations which could
never feed themselves without recourse to donor nations.
Moreover, while the economy of most
African countries depends on agriculture, many traditional crops, that
is coffee, cotton, cocoa, etc, have lost market. Diversification is advised,
but new crops require good weather conditions, good soil, good rains, good
environment.
In the light of these considerations,
the importance and urgency of environmental protection become clear. Knowingly
or unknowingly all people have contributed to the deterioration of environment
in Africa and in other continents. We need to attune ourselves to the cry
of the earth to sensitise ourselves and our people. The integrity of creation
is one of the known problems discussed today, and evangelisation cannot
ignore it (cf. EN 31).
Instrumentum Laboris n. 113 indicates a "necessary link between the mission to preach the Gospel and the promotion of the human person; for, salvation concerns the whole person, soul and body".
Environmental protection is a necessary
condition for that promotion. The present Holy Father, John Paul II has
touched this subject in two of his recent encyclicals: Solicitudo Rei Socialis
n. 34 and Centesimus Annus nn.37-38. Earlier in his Peace Day message of
1990 the Holy Father had treated this matter more fully (AAS 82, pp. 147-156).
Now is the time to consider incorporating
in our catechesis topics recalling man’s responsibility to nature. The
Catechism of the Catholic Church states that man’s lordship "demands a
religious respect of the integrity of creation" (n, 2415). The mission
God gave to man to "be masters" (Gen. 1,28) is not that of an arrogant,
destructive master, but of one made "in God’s image and likeness", that
God who, as the Book of Wisdom says, "Loves all his creatures" (Wis. 11,24-26).
We need to take care of our environment both for our own generation and
for the generation to come. In connection with future generation it is
important to note that rapid population growth can contribute to environmental
deterioration. The Catholic Church, while holding every human life dear
and sacred, has nevertheless for decades believed in and taught responsible
parenthood. This teaching and the acceptable methods need to be propagated
both for the promotion of individual persons and families and for the protection
of environment.
Original
text: English
