L’Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper, carried an editorial which asserted that ecological crises pose “a bigger global threat than terrorism.”Just this week, the Vatican released Benedict XVI’s message for the World Day of Peace, marked each year on Jan. 1. Environmental concerns figured prominently.
“Humanity, if it truly desires peace, must be increasingly conscious of the links between natural ecology, or respect for nature, and human ecology,” Benedict wrote. “Experience shows that disregard for the environment always harms human coexistence, and vice versa.”
Benedict went on to warn that “the destruction of the environment, its improper or selfish use, and the violent hoarding of the earth’s resources cause grievances, conflicts and wars, precisely because they are the consequences of an inhumane concept of development.”
Pope Benedict XVI and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew sign a joint declaration at the Orthodox Cathedral of St. George in Istanbul, Turkey, Nov. 30.
Benedict pointed to growing tensions surrounding energy supplies, worrying that without an equitable solution, developing nations will be even more tempted to overtax their natural resources.
Tags: Environment
