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For Asia’s Churches, ‘Laudato si’ is a pastoral rather than a scientific document

Manila archbishop calls on faithful, clergy and non-Christians to study the papal letter. The Bishops' Conference of India plans a three-pronged (diocesan, regional and national) approach to implement its principles. The Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences is planning four seminars to raise awareness.

Manila (AsiaNews) – In a letter to all people of goodwill, Manila Archbishop Luís Antonio G. Cardinal Tagle welcomed Pope Francis’ ‘Laudato si’ (Praised be to you) Encyclical. In India and across Asia, the Church has done the same.

In his letter, Card Tagle points out that the pope does not pretend to resolve scientific questions related to the environment and climate change. Instead, he “offers a pastoral analysis and appeal nurtured by the Bible the Catholic Social Teachings, the pronouncements to Popes, and a reading of the current ecological conditions we are facing.”

In view of this, the prelate writes, "With Pope Francis I invite the faithful, the religious and the clergy of the archdiocese of Manila to study, enrich, discuss and meditate on the various points of the encyclical”.

By the same token, he also called on “non-Christians, families, educators, politicians, business people, experts in science and digital technology, media, consumer groups, non-government and peoples´ organizations to study the encyclical and its proposals".

“The Pope’s encyclical,” Card Tagle notes, focuses on:

a restoration of a contemplative view of creation;
the importance of belief in the Creator;
the rediscovery of the role of human beings as stewards and not as pseudo-owners of the earth;
the plan of God that the goods of the earth be shared by all;
the vital connection between the environment and human life;
a courageous review of political and economic policies, business practices, mindsets and lifestyles towards the changes needed to care for the common home, to uplift the poor and to give glory and praise to the Creator.”

Speaking on behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI), Fr Joseph Chinnayan, the CIBI’s deputy secretary general, noted that “The encyclical is a strong message from the Holy Father.” For this reason, the message should “reach each and every family.”

In order to meet this goal, India’s Catholic bishops plan to develop a three-pronged programme at the diocesan, regional and national levels to disseminate the papal letter.

At the diocesan level, the goal is to ensure that “the encyclical can reach every member of the family so that they can help in their own way in protecting the mother nature”.

At the same time, programmes are planned at the regional level on the basis of local ecological conditions. The CBCI is planning a symposium on climate change at the national level.

For its part, the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) plans to vet ‘Laudato si’ through its newly established Climate Change Desk.

As part of this, the FABC is organising Climate Change Regional Seminars for each of its regions – South Asia, South-east Asia, East Asia and Central Asia – for the purpose of raising awareness of both the scientific and moral reasons for protecting God's Creation.

In the future, the FABC also plans to set up an office dedicated to climate change in each National Bishops’ Conference.

(Shafique Khokhar contributed to this article.)