Pope calls for the protection of the human environment

Nairobi, 14 Jan 10

 

L-R: Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka and Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin after the presentation of the message

Pope Benedict XVI, has called for the protection of the human ecology in the interest of future generations.
In his message on the occasion of the World Day of Peace for 2010, Pope Benedict reminded mankind that "Creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God's works" and its preservation has become essential for the peaceful co-existence of people around the world.
The message was delivered today to the Executive Director, UN-HABITAT, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, by the Apostolic Nuncio of His Holiness in Kenya and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to UN-HABITAT, Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin.
Pope Benedict stressed that the present ecological crisis facing the world should make mankind consider the links between economic development and the understanding of man in his relationship to others and to the cosmos. The Pontiff pointed out, “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.”
He stated that humanity is in real need of a profound cultural renewal, new ethics of development that can serve as the solid basis for building a brighter future for all.
Pope Benedict said that the crises that confront the world today require a new lifestyle marked by sobriety and solidarity. It should also be a lifestyle that focuses on strategies that are actually working and rejecting those that have failed. Such lifestyle, he stated, must meet the needs and the expectations of the human being who should always be considered as the subject of any kind of development and not the object.
According to the Pope, "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. Continuing, he said that “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."
Mrs. Tibaijuka thanked Archbishop Lebeaupin for delivering the Pope’s message and noted that the focus of activities of the United Nations has been both the physical and the human environment. She pointed out that the human aspect, especially the built environment, had been neglected for a long time.
The Executive Director assured the Archbishop Lebeaupin that the Pope’s 20-page message would be widely circulated to staff members and to members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives of UN-HABITAT. She also called for special prayers for the peace and development of Kibera slum in Nairobi and for the protection of the interests of the urban poor.
The World Day of Peace is held on the 1st of January each year.