Let charity shine for a green Christmas, says archbishop

(December 24, 2009) An Indian Church leader has urged Catholics to cut down on extravagant decorative lighting this Christmas, and donate the money saved to the poor. "Cutting down on extravagance or wastage of electricity can substantially reduce the production of carbon dioxide and save Mother Earth," wrote Jesuit Archbishop William D'Souza of Patna in his Christmas message. The money saved could be given to the underprivileged, he added. The archbishop urged Catholics to "wake up to the stark reality of global warming," but stressed that "this does not curtail anyone from celebrating Christmas." We are "co-creators with God in our stewardship of the Earth," Archbishop D'Souza says. He asks Catholics to follow the example of Pope Benedict XVI who "created history in 2008" by installing 2,700 large solar panels on the roof of the Vatican.The archbishop also says he would use clean energy at his residence and the cathedral immediately if he had the resources. Vicar General Father Devasia Mattathilani, informed that the archdiocese will illuminate only the cathedral, an outdoor crib and the grotto in the compound, reducing decoration costs by 60 percent compared to last year.