Cardinal urges Catholics to take better care of environment
Jul 12, 2006
Cardinal Nicholas Cheong Jin-suk of Seoul has called on his archdiocese, in a pastoral letter, to be more environment-friendly.
Seoul (UCAN, July 5,2006) -- Cardinal Cheong issued Church Community Living Ecological Life during Sunday Mass on June 25 at Myongdong Cathedral. About 1,500 people attended the Mass, concelebrated by Father Paul Cho Dae-hyun, chairperson of the archdiocese's Environment Pastoral Committee, and two other priests.
During his homily the cardinal-archbishop highlighted main points of the pastoral letter, and copies of the 40-page document were available for people to take home with them.
The cardinal explains in the letter that it is based on the "Green Church" project, which the committee started in 2004 to follow up a recommendation from the archdiocesan synod that ended in September 2003.
A survey the committee conducted in parishes for the project revealed that most Catholics are aware of the various ecological problems the planet faces. However, Cardinal Cheong says, they are not doing much about it in their daily life. The cardinal points out that only 20 of about 200 parishes in the archdiocese had environmental-education programs, and only 22 percent of youths said they had heard about environmental issues from their parishes.
The survey was conducted June-December 2005 to assess the environmental stance of parishes in the archdiocese, toward making the Church "green."
Among its other findings, the cardinal says, the survey revealed that most parishes have coffee-vending machines that use disposable paper cups. Four parishes had a solar energy system, but one of them did not use it. He adds that only 26.2 percent of parishes are equipped with water-saving devices in their toilets and only six have a rainwater-recycling system.
Cardinal Cheong identifies the biggest factor behind the destruction of the environment today as humans' habits of consumption. "Above all, each of us needs to sincerely reflect on our lifestyle and values to be an ecological Church," he urges.
He calls on parishioners to walk or cycle to attend Sunday Mass, and to avoid using their cars. The cardinal also recommends that activities such as summer ecology camps and weekend ecology programs be held for young people. Furthermore, participants in regular parish summer camps should camp out "in the wild" to help them appreciate nature and respect creation.
Cardinal Cheong points out that under a Church plan called Break Down Church Walls, 27 parishes have set up ecologically friendly open spaces within their compounds. These provide people, including local residents, a space to relax and may include playgrounds for children.
In his letter, the cardinal also highlights the unequal distribution of food in the world, pointing out that people in developed countries have an "obesity problem" while people in Third World countries do not have enough to eat.
In the face of a global crisis regarding food and the environment, saving the agricultural sector is not an option but a necessity, he asserts. He suggests that Korean authorities assist local farmers who may be economically disadvantaged under international trade agreements, stressing the importance of "food self-sufficiency" for the country.
According to statistics he cites, South Korea imports 73 percent of its food, but the figure rises to 95 percent if rice is excluded.
The cardinal suggests that one way to help make South Korea more self-sufficient in food is for more urban parishes to buy the farm products of rural Catholic communities. This would help to rejuvenate these communities, he says, noting that many rural mission stations have been abandoned as farmers left for the cities.
By his estimate, about 80 parishes in Seoul archdiocese manage weekend markets for organic farm products from such rural Catholic communities.
After the Mass, Cardinal Cheong and Environment Pastoral Committee members distributed earthworms and soil to participants. They explained that the worms convert leftover food into soil nutrients, reducing waste in the process.
Cardinal urges Catholics to take better care of environment