“No less troubling are the threats arising from the neglect – if not the downright misuse – of the earth and the natural goods God has given us,” the Pope writes in a message for the church’s World Day of Peace on New Year’s Day.
In a 4,000-word text entitled If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation, the Pope says, “It would be irresponsible not to take seriously” the growing “ecological crisis” that his predecessor, John Paul II, had already warned against in a similar Peace Day message 20 years ago.
In his World Day of Peace message, Pope Benedict calls on people to change their lifestyles to save the planet, saying environmental responsibility is essential for world peace. “It is becoming more and more evident that the issue of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our lifestyles and the prevailing models of consumption and protection, which are often unsustainable, from a social, environmental, and even an economic, point of view,” he says.
His message states that people, especially in the developed world, must adopt a lifestyle marked by sobriety and solidarity so that the goods of Creation are preserved for future generations. Recalling that world leaders had gathered in Copenhagen last month for the UN climate conference, the pope says action at a personal and community level is just as important to safeguard the environment.
“Nevertheless, in this moment, I would like to underline the importance of the choices of individuals, families and local administrations in preserving the environment,” he says. “An objective shared by all, an indispensable condition for peace, is that of overseeing the Earth’s natural resources with justice and wisdom.”
Last month, in a message sent to heads of state and international organisations, the pope called on rich nations to acknowledge responsibility for the environmental crisis and to shed consumerism.