Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle
MANILA, Philippines — Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Manila archbishop, on Sunday appealed to the faithful to be more active in their role as God’s stewards in caring for nature as he led the launching of the celebration of the “Season of Creation.”
The monthlong event of the Archdiocese of Manila was marked by a series of activities promoting environmental causes in seminaries, parishes and communities.
“When we were young, the earth was beautiful. We play in fields, bathe in the rivers and were nourished by the seas and the mountains. Now that we are old, so is the earth. It withered, paled and is now dying because of our doing — wrongdoing,” said Tagle, who concelebrated Mass with Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David at the Liwasang Aurora in Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.
“We have forgotten how to take care of our trees, animals, waters and land. We have become greedy, and disrespected our common home. And so today we appeal to everyone: ‘Let us renew our pledge to respect one another and the web of life,’” he added.
In 2015, Pope Francis declared Sept. 1 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and has urged the dioceses around the world to celebrate the Season of Creation and to collaborate with each other in caring and saving the Earth.