Kerala Church advocates a ‘green spirituality’

(June 09,2010) The Churches in Kerala, have launched several programs to increase the green cover in the southern Indian state and check global warming. The Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church, which is observing June as an “eco-friendly” month, recently set up an ecological commission and plans to distribute 100,000 trees in its parishes.
The Syro-Malabar Church will also hold a meeting in Kochi in August, to discuss the present ecological problems in depth, said spokesperson Father Paul Thelakat. “The Catholic Church is very concerned about the ecological issues that threaten this planet,” he said, adding that the present generation is polluting the air, water and earth beyond repair.
The Syro-Malabar Church had already launched a program to foster environment sensitivity among its members last year. The Church is committed to promoting a “green spirituality” among the people, said Bishop Mathew Arackal of Kanjirapally, who heads the program.
Latin-rite Archbishop Maria Calist Soosa Pakiam of Trivandrum has also appealed to his flock to adopt a green spirituality.