MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE WORLD DAY
OF PEACE. 1 JANUARY 2010
IF YOU WANT TO CULTIVATE PEACE, PROTECT CREATION
1. AT THE BEGINNING
OF THIS NEW YEAR, I wish to offer heartfelt greetings of peace to all Christian communities,
international leaders, and people of good will throughout the world. For this XLIII
World Day of Peace I have chosen the theme: If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect
Creation. Respect for creation is of immense consequence, not least because “creation
is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s works”, and its preservation has
now become essential for the pacific coexistence of mankind. Man’s inhumanity to man
has given rise to numerous threats to peace and to authentic and integral human development
– wars, international and regional conflicts, acts of terrorism, and violations of
human rights. Yet no less troubling are the threats arising from the neglect – if
not downright misuse – of the earth and the natural goods that God has given us.
For this reason, it is imperative that mankind renew and strengthen “that covenant
between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the creative love of
God, from whom we come and towards whom we are journeying”.
2. In my Encyclical
Caritas in Veritate, I noted that integral human development is closely linked
to the obligations which flow from man’s relationship with the natural environment.
The environment must be seen as God’s gift to all people, and the use we make of it
entails a shared responsibility for all humanity, especially the poor and future generations.
I also observed that whenever nature, and human beings in particular, are seen merely
as products of chance or an evolutionary determinism, our overall sense of responsibility
wanes. On the other hand, seeing creation as God’s gift to humanity helps us understand
our vocation and worth as human beings. With the Psalmist, we can exclaim with wonder:
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your hands, the moon and the stars which
you have established; what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man
that you care for him?” (Ps 8:4-5). Contemplating the beauty of creation inspires
us to recognize the love of the Creator, that Love which “moves the sun and the other
stars”.
3. Twenty years ago, Pope John Paul II devoted his Message for the
World Day of Peace to the theme: Peace with God the Creator, Peace with All of Creation.
He emphasized our relationship, as God’s creatures, with the universe all around us.
“In our day”, he wrote, “there is a growing awareness that world peace is threatened
… also by a lack of due respect for nature”. He added that “ecological awareness,
rather than being downplayed, needs to be helped to develop and mature, and find fitting
expression in concrete programmes and initiatives”. Previous Popes had spoken of
the relationship between human beings and the environment. In 1971, for example,
on the eightieth anniversary of Leo XIII’s Encyclical Rerum Novarum, Paul VI pointed
out that “by an ill-considered exploitation of nature (man) risks destroying
it and becoming in his turn the victim of this degradation”. He added that “not only
is the material environment becoming a permanent menace – pollution and refuse, new
illnesses and absolute destructive capacity – but the human framework is no longer
under man’s control, thus creating an environment for tomorrow which may well be intolerable.
This is a wide-ranging social problem which concerns the entire human family”.
4.
Without entering into the merit of specific technical solutions, the Church is nonetheless
concerned, as an “expert in humanity”, to call attention to the relationship between
the Creator, human beings and the created order. In 1990 John Paul II had spoken
of an “ecological crisis” and, in highlighting its primarily ethical character, pointed
to the “urgent moral need for a new solidarity”. His appeal is all the more pressing
today, in the face of signs of a growing crisis which it would be irresponsible not
to take seriously. Can we remain indifferent before the problems associated with such
realities as climate change, desertification, the deterioration and loss of productivity
in vast agricultural areas, the pollution of rivers and aquifers, the loss of biodiversity,
the increase of natural catastrophes and the deforestation of equatorial and tropical
regions? Can we disregard the growing phenomenon of “environmental refugees”, people
who are forced by the degradation of their natural habitat to forsake it – and often
their possessions as well – in order to face the dangers and uncertainties of forced
displacement? Can we remain impassive in the face of actual and potential conflicts
involving access to natural resources? All these are issues with a profound impact
on the exercise of human rights, such as the right to life, food, health and development.
5. It should be evident that the ecological crisis cannot be viewed in isolation
from other related questions, since it is closely linked to the notion of development
itself and our understanding of man in his relationship to others and to the rest
of creation. Prudence would thus dictate a profound, long-term review of our model
of development, one which would take into consideration the meaning of the economy
and its goals with an eye to correcting its malfunctions and misapplications. The
ecological health of the planet calls for this, but it is also demanded by the cultural
and moral crisis of humanity whose symptoms have for some time been evident in every
part of the world. Humanity needs a profound cultural renewal; it needs to rediscover
those values which can serve as the solid basis for building a brighter future for
all. Our present crises – be they economic, food-related, environmental or social
– are ultimately also moral crises, and all of them are interrelated. They require
us to rethink the path which we are travelling together. Specifically, they call for
a lifestyle marked by sobriety and solidarity, with new rules and forms of
engagement, one which focuses confidently and courageously on strategies that actually
work, while decisively rejecting those that have failed. Only in this way can the
current crisis become an opportunity for discernment and new strategic planning.
6.
Is it not true that what we call “nature” in a cosmic sense has its origin in “a plan
of love and truth”? The world “is not the product of any necessity whatsoever, nor
of blind fate or chance… The world proceeds from the free will of God; he wanted to
make his creatures share in his being, in his intelligence, and in his goodness”.
The Book of Genesis, in its very first pages, points to the wise design of the cosmos:
it comes forth from God’s mind and finds its culmination in man and woman, made in
the image and likeness of the Creator to “fill the earth” and to “have dominion over”
it as “stewards” of God himself (cf. Gen 1:28). The harmony between the Creator, mankind
and the created world, as described by Sacred Scripture, was disrupted by the sin
of Adam and Eve, by man and woman, who wanted to take the place of God and refused
to acknowledge that they were his creatures. As a result, the work of “exercising
dominion” over the earth, “tilling it and keeping it”, was also disrupted, and conflict
arose within and between mankind and the rest of creation (cf. Gen 3:17-19). Human
beings let themselves be mastered by selfishness; they misunderstood the meaning of
God’s command and exploited creation out of a desire to exercise absolute domination
over it. But the true meaning of God’s original command, as the Book of Genesis clearly
shows, was not a simple conferral of authority, but rather a summons to responsibility.
The wisdom of the ancients had recognized that nature is not at our disposal as “a
heap of scattered refuse”. Biblical Revelation made us see that nature is a gift
of the Creator, who gave it an inbuilt order and enabled man to draw from it the
principles needed to “till it and keep it” (cf. Gen. 2:15). Everything that exists
belongs to God, who has entrusted it to man, albeit not for his arbitrary use. Once
man, instead of acting as God’s co-worker, sets himself up in place of God, he ends
up provoking a rebellion on the part of nature, “which is more tyrannized than governed
by him”. Man thus has a duty to exercise responsible stewardship over creation, to
care for it and to cultivate it.
7. Sad to say, it is all too evident that
large numbers of people in different countries and areas of our planet are experiencing
increased hardship because of the negligence or refusal of many others to exercise
responsible stewardship over the environment. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council
reminded us that “God has destined the earth and everything it contains for all peoples
and nations”. The goods of creation belong to humanity as a whole. Yet the current
pace of environmental exploitation is seriously endangering the supply of certain
natural resources not only for the present generation, but above all for generations
yet to come. It is not hard to see that environmental degradation is often due to
the lack of far-sighted official policies or to the pursuit of myopic economic interests,
which then, tragically, become a serious threat to creation. To combat this phenomenon,
economic activity needs to consider the fact that “every economic decision has a moral
consequence” and thus show increased respect for the environment. When making use
of natural resources, we should be concerned for their protection and consider the
cost entailed – environmentally and socially – as an essential part of the overall
expenses incurred. The international community and national governments are responsible
for sending the right signals in order to combat effectively the misuse of the environment.
To protect the environment, and to safeguard natural resources and the climate, there
is a need to act in accordance with clearly-defined rules, also from the juridical
and economic standpoint, while at the same time taking into due account the solidarity
we owe to those living in the poorer areas of our world and to future generations.
8. A greater sense of intergenerational solidarity is urgently needed. Future
generations cannot be saddled with the cost of our use of common environmental resources.
“We have inherited from past generations, and we have benefited from the work of our
contemporaries; for this reason we have obligations towards all, and we cannot refuse
to interest ourselves in those who will come after us, to enlarge the human family.
Universal solidarity represents a benefit as well as a duty. This is a responsibility
that present generations have towards those of the future, a responsibility that also
concerns individual States and the international community”. Natural resources should
be used in such a way that immediate benefits do not have a negative impact on living
creatures, human and not, present and future; that the protection of private property
does not conflict with the universal destination of goods; that human activity does
not compromise the fruitfulness of the earth, for the benefit of people now and in
the future. In addition to a fairer sense of intergenerational solidarity there is
also an urgent moral need for a renewed sense of intragenerational solidarity, especially
in relationships between developing countries and highly industrialized countries:
“the international community has an urgent duty to find institutional means of regulating
the exploitation of non-renewable resources, involving poor countries in the process,
in order to plan together for the future”. The ecological crisis shows the urgency
of a solidarity which embraces time and space. It is important to acknowledge that
among the causes of the present ecological crisis is the historical responsibility
of the industrialized countries. Yet the less developed countries, and emerging countries
in particular, are not exempt from their own responsibilities with regard to creation,
for the duty of gradually adopting effective environmental measures and policies is
incumbent upon all. This would be accomplished more easily if self-interest played
a lesser role in the granting of aid and the sharing of knowledge and cleaner technologies.
9.
To be sure, among the basic problems which the international community has to address
is that of energy resources and the development of joint and sustainable strategies
to satisfy the energy needs of the present and future generations. This means that
technologically advanced societies must be prepared to encourage more sober lifestyles,
while reducing their energy consumption and improving its efficiency. At the same
time there is a need to encourage research into, and utilization of, forms of energy
with lower impact on the environment and “a world-wide redistribution of energy resources,
so that countries lacking those resources can have access to them”. The ecological
crisis offers an historic opportunity to develop a common plan of action aimed at
orienting the model of global development towards greater respect for creation and
for an integral human development inspired by the values proper to charity in truth.
I would advocate the adoption of a model of development based on the centrality of
the human person, on the promotion and sharing of the common good, on responsibility,
on a realization of our need for a changed life-style, and on prudence, the virtue
which tells us what needs to be done today in view of what might happen tomorrow.
10. A sustainable comprehensive management of the environment and the resources
of the planet demands that human intelligence be directed to technological and scientific
research and its practical applications. The “new solidarity” for which John Paul
II called in his Message for the 1990 World Day of Peace and the “global solidarity”
for which I myself appealed in my Message for the 2009 World Day of Peace are essential
attitudes in shaping our efforts to protect creation through a better internationally-coordinated
management of the earth’s resources, particularly today, when there is an increasingly
clear link between combatting environmental degradation and promoting an integral
human development. These two realities are inseparable, since “the integral development
of individuals necessarily entails a joint effort for the development of humanity
as a whole”. At present there are a number of scientific developments and innovative
approaches which promise to provide satisfactory and balanced solutions to the problem
of our relationship to the environment. Encouragement needs to be given, for example,
to research into effective ways of exploiting the immense potential of solar energy.
Similar attention also needs to be paid to the world-wide problem of water and to
the global water cycle system, which is of prime importance for life on earth and
whose stability could be seriously jeopardized by climate change. Suitable strategies
for rural development centred on small farmers and their families should be explored,
as well as the implementation of appropriate policies for the management of forests,
for waste disposal and for strengthening the linkage between combatting climate change
and overcoming poverty. Ambitious national policies are required, together with a
necessary international commitment which will offer important benefits especially
in the medium and long term. There is a need, in effect, to move beyond a purely consumerist
mentality in order to promote forms of agricultural and industrial production capable
of respecting creation and satisfying the primary needs of all. The ecological problem
must be dealt with not only because of the chilling prospects of environmental degradation
on the horizon; the real motivation must be the quest for authentic world-wide solidarity
inspired by the values of charity, justice and the common good. For that matter, as
I have stated elsewhere, “technology is never merely technology. It reveals man and
his aspirations towards development; it expresses the inner tension that impels him
gradually to overcome material limitations. Technology in this sense is a response
to God’s command to till and keep the land (cf. Gen 2:15) that he has entrusted to
humanity, and it must serve to reinforce the covenant between human beings and the
environment, a covenant that should mirror God’s creative love”.
11. It is
becoming more and more evident that the issue of environmental degradation challenges
us to examine our life-style and the prevailing models of consumption and production,
which are often unsustainable from a social, environmental and even economic point
of view. We can no longer do without a real change of outlook which will result in
new life-styles, “in which the quest for truth, beauty, goodness and communion with
others for the sake of common growth are the factors which determine consumer choices,
savings and investments”. Education for peace must increasingly begin with far-reaching
decisions on the part of individuals, families, communities and states. We are all
responsible for the protection and care of the environment. This responsibility knows
no boundaries. In accordance with the principle of subsidiarity it is important for
everyone to be committed at his or her proper level, working to overcome the prevalence
of particular interests. A special role in raising awareness and in formation belongs
to the different groups present in civil society and to the non-governmental organizations
which work with determination and generosity for the spread of ecological responsibility,
responsibility which should be ever more deeply anchored in respect for “human
ecology”. The media also have a responsibility in this regard to offer positive and
inspiring models. In a word, concern for the environment calls for a broad global
vision of the world; a responsible common effort to move beyond approaches based on
selfish nationalistic interests towards a vision constantly open to the needs of all
peoples. We cannot remain indifferent to what is happening around us, for the deterioration
of any one part of the planet affects us all. Relationships between individuals, social
groups and states, like those between human beings and the environment, must be marked
by respect and “charity in truth”. In this broader context one can only encourage
the efforts of the international community to ensure progressive disarmament and a
world free of nuclear weapons, whose presence alone threatens the life of the planet
and the ongoing integral development of the present generation and of generations
yet to come.
12. The Church has a responsibility towards creation, and she
considers it her duty to exercise that responsibility in public life, in order to
protect earth, water and air as gifts of God the Creator meant for everyone, and above
all to save mankind from the danger of self-destruction. The degradation of nature
is closely linked to the cultural models shaping human coexistence: consequently,
“when ‘human ecology’ is respected within society, environmental ecology also benefits”.
Young people cannot be asked to respect the environment if they are not helped, within
families and society as a whole, to respect themselves. The book of nature is one
and indivisible; it includes not only the environment but also individual, family
and social ethics. Our duties towards the environment flow from our duties towards
the person, considered both individually and in relation to others.
Hence I
readily encourage efforts to promote a greater sense of ecological responsibility
which, as I indicated in my Encyclical Caritas in Veritate, would safeguard an authentic
“human ecology” and thus forcefully reaffirm the inviolability of human life at every
stage and in every condition, the dignity of the person and the unique mission of
the family, where one is trained in love of neighbour and respect for nature. There
is a need to safeguard the human patrimony of society. This patrimony of values originates
in and is part of the natural moral law, which is the foundation of respect for the
human person and creation.
13. Nor must we forget the very significant fact
that many people experience peace and tranquillity, renewal and reinvigoration, when
they come into close contact with the beauty and harmony of nature. There exists a
certain reciprocity: as we care for creation, we realize that God, through creation,
cares for us. On the other hand, a correct understanding of the relationship between
man and the environment will not end by absolutizing nature or by considering it more
important than the human person. If the Church’s magisterium expresses grave misgivings
about notions of the environment inspired by ecocentrism and biocentrism, it is because
such notions eliminate the difference of identity and worth between the human person
and other living things. In the name of a supposedly egalitarian vision of the “dignity”
of all living creatures, such notions end up abolishing the distinctiveness and superior
role of human beings. They also open the way to a new pantheism tinged with neo-paganism,
which would see the source of man’s salvation in nature alone, understood in purely
naturalistic terms. The Church, for her part, is concerned that the question be approached
in a balanced way, with respect for the “grammar” which the Creator has inscribed
in his handiwork by giving man the role of a steward and administrator with responsibility
over creation, a role which man must certainly not abuse, but also one which he may
not abdicate. In the same way, the opposite position, which would absolutize technology
and human power, results in a grave assault not only on nature, but also on human
dignity itself.
14. If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation. The
quest for peace by people of good will surely would become easier if all acknowledge
the indivisible relationship between God, human beings and the whole of creation.
In the light of divine Revelation and in fidelity to the Church’s Tradition, Christians
have their own contribution to make. They contemplate the cosmos and its marvels in
light of the creative work of the Father and the redemptive work of Christ, who by
his death and resurrection has reconciled with God “all things, whether on earth or
in heaven” (Col 1:20). Christ, crucified and risen, has bestowed his Spirit of holiness
upon mankind, to guide the course of history in anticipation of that day when, with
the glorious return of the Saviour, there will be “new heavens and a new earth” (2
Pet 3:13), in which justice and peace will dwell for ever. Protecting the natural
environment in order to build a world of peace is thus a duty incumbent upon each
and all. It is an urgent challenge, one to be faced with renewed and concerted commitment;
it is also a providential opportunity to hand down to coming generations the prospect
of a better future for all. May this be clear to world leaders and to those at every
level who are concerned for the future of humanity: the protection of creation and
peacemaking are profoundly linked! For this reason, I invite all believers to raise
a fervent prayer to God, the all-powerful Creator and the Father of mercies, so that
all men and women may take to heart the urgent appeal: If you want to cultivate peace,
protect creation.