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 Peace [22]
and the "global solidarity" for which I myself appealed in my
Message for the 2009 World Day of Peace [23] 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
life-styles, "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 environment flow
from 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.[29] 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
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
--- --- ---
Notes
[1] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 198.
[2] Benedict XVI, Message for the 2008 World Day of Peace, 7.
[3] Cf. No.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 1990 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 XVI, 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 XVI, 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. No. 9.
[23] Cf. No. 8.
[24] Paul VI, Encyclical Letter "Populorum Progressio," 43.
[25] Encyclical Letter "Caritas in Veritate," 69.
[26] John Paul II, Encyclical Letter "Centesimus Annus," 36.
[27] Benedict XVI, 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 XVI, Encyclical Letter "Caritas in Veritate,"
70.
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Look at the One they
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