The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has released a Pastoral Statement on Ecology following their 123rd Plenary Assembly held on January 27 and 28.
In their statement, the Philippine bishops highlighted the impact Covid-19 has had on more than 5.62 million lives globally, and called on everyone “to reflect on the decades of polluting practices our Common Home has had to suffer at the hands of humanity” as well as the “intensifying calamities due to the instability of our biosphere”.
The pastoral statement, titled, “A call for unity and action amid a climate emergency and planetary crisis,” put forward recommendations to guide the faithful in three areas. The first is ecological conversion through stewardship of resources. The CBCP affirmed its commitment to divest from extractive and destructive industries, such as coal and fossil gas projects, logging, quarrying, and destructive mining. Along these lines, the bishops urged the whole body of the Church to “not support any activity that leads to promoting destructive mining, recognizing the suffering it has and continues to bring upon the environment and affected communities”. It also asserted its non-acceptance policy of donations from these kinds of industries.
The second area is to strengthen the Laudato Sí Formation and the National Laudato Si’ Program, particularly on the establishment of Ecology Desks across the Philippines. The CBCP encouraged the creation of an Ecology Desk in every diocese, and to strengthen the capacities of existing Ecology Desks by ensuring allocation of financial support. It also called for the institutionalization of the celebration of the Season of Creation, strengthening of the National Laudato Sí program, and intensifying existing efforts to establish a Laudato Sí framework in schools.
Finally, the CBCP renewed its commitment to advocate for the passage of the Rights of Nature bill, which the bishops said “can push forward a Philippine society where mining, fossil fuels, development aggression, and other forms of ecological destruction are cast away.” The bill is awaiting decision from both houses of Congress.
The CBCP also recognized the vigilance of indigenous groups, local and faith communities, civil society organizations, and people who continue to risk their lives to fight for nature, and decried “the persisting culture of impunity that threatens environmental defenders.”
“We are committed to advance the teachings of the Laudato Si’ and be bearers of hope in the face of an ecological crisis, following our Lord Jesus, our redeemer,” said the CBCP. “As such, we commit to ‘integrate the care of creation as our common home in our teaching and practice of Christian discipleship’ through concrete ecological actions in caring for our Common Home.”
To read the full Pastoral Statement on Ecology, click here.