Shining Light

POPE LEADS BY EXAMPLE WITH SOLAR PROJECT

Pope Francis, seen by many as one of our global leaders of the environment, has written two letters, released by the Vatican this week illustrating the importance of the church in actively supporting creation.

In a letter titled 'Brother Sun', published by the Vatican on 26th June 2024, the Pope revealed he has appointed two special commissioners for the building of an 'agrivoltaic' system on a Vatican property just outside Rome to not only supply the power for the Vatican radio antennae there but also the complete energy for the whole of the Vatican City State.

Recognising the need "... to make a transition to a model of sustainable development that reduces greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, establishing the goal of climate neutrality," he goes on to write "humanity has the technological means needed to tackle this environmental transformation and its pernicious ethical, social, economic and political consequences, and among these, solar energy plays a key role."

Just a day later, on 27th June 2024, the Vatican released another letter from the Pope in which he revealed 'Hope and Act with Creation' is going to be the theme of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to be held on 1st September 2024. This also marks the start of the 'Season of Creation', which runs through until 4th October 2024 - the feast day of St Francis of Assisi.

The message is broken up into nine sections, which each highlight our responsibility to take care of our Common Home. It stresses that, as Christians called to live in faith and charity, caring for the environment is "a task to be undertaken freely, in obedience to Jesus' commandment of love."

Saying that creation is both an ethical and theological issue and is God's gift for humanity to steward, not prey upon, he states we must be vigilant and willing to change, "The Holy Spirit continually guides us and calls us to conversion, to a change in lifestyle in order to resist the degradation of our environment. To claim the right to possess and dominate nature, manipulating it at will," he underscores, "represents a form of idolatry, a Promethean version of man who, intoxicated by his technocratic power, arrogantly places the earth in a 'dis-graced' condition, deprived of God's grace."

At stake, Pope Francis warns, is not only our earthly life in history, but also, and above all, our future in eternity.

"To hope and act with creation, then, means above all to join forces and to walk together with all men and women of goodwill."

You can read his message in full HERE.