(Rome Reports) Pope Francis has reportedly spent months drafting his new encyclical on Creation, and respect for the environment.
In
March, during an audience with superiors from the Franciscan order, the
Pope expressed how much this topic concerns him, and asked them for
advice.
FR. MICHAEL ANTHONY PERRY
Minister General, Order of Friars Minor
"The
Pope himself brought up the issue of the environment. And he talked
about his deep concern that we need, the Church needs, to find the way
to respond, using the best of science. But also using the best of
goodwill of all of humanity, to bring together a consensus on trying to
respond to the crisis, the ecological crisis.”
To help him reflect on this issue, the Franciscan leaders gave him a copy of their "Franciscans for Ecology” text. In it, they cite several initiatives within this field that the Order has promoted, alongside people of other faiths.
FR. MICHAEL ANTHONY PERRY
Minister General, Order of Friars Minor
"I
was in the Amazon region in February. I've been there three times in
the last year, and every time I go I see greater deforestation. FLASH
And I was just in Eastern Congo where there's also conflict over the
mineral resources there, and the impact that that is having on the
social climate.”
But, the Franciscan Minister General said he believes the world will have to wait to read the encyclical. Vatican sources point to early 2015.
FR. MICHAEL ANTHONY PERRY
Minister General, Order of Friars Minor
"Keep
in mind that the Pope, the Church, in October, will have a Synod on
family life. There will be a pre-Synod and then the Synod. So the Pope
is gonna be very busy preparing for that Synod. So, some time after
October, maybe November. He might wait until the beginning of the new
year.”
Fr. Michael Perry highlighted
that looking after the environment is an issue that all people,
believers and non-believers, should work for.
The
Pope also turned to other figures like Erwin Kräutler, bishop of Xingu,
a diocese in the Amazon greatly affected by deforestation.
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