Orthdox Church’s message for Italian Bishops’ Environment Day

(Sept.01,2009): “Human progress is not just the accumulation of wealth and the thoughtless consumption of the Earth’s resources, we need to bring love into all our dealings,” said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, in his message on Tuesday for Environment Day (1^st Sept) organised by the Italian Bishops Conference. “The last twelve months have been a time for great uncertainty for the whole world, as the financial systems that so many people trusted have instead brought fear, uncertainty and poverty,” said the Patriarch. He said the way that the present crises has been dealt with, has revealed the values of a few, who are shaping the destiny of our society. He lamented that their values have not helped to feed the hungry of the world, or for securing safe drinking water for the thirsty. “Their choice for profit at all costs will affect the lives of future generations” he added.
The Patriarch pointed out that “on the face of every child is written a question for us and we must not turn away to avoid the answer. Why has this happened? Why have we rendered the Market the centre of our interest, our activities and finally of our life”? Patriarch Constantinople invited all to pray for God’s blessing on the United Nations Climate Change Conference in the Danish capital of Copenhagen in December, so that the industrially developed nations may cooperate with developing countries in reducing harmful polluting emissions, to enable our children enjoy the goods of the Earth that we leave behind for them. Let us renew our commitment to reject everything that is harmful to Creation,” the Patriarch concluded.