HONG KONG (SE): “Pope Francis invited us to listen to the cry of anguish from nature to prepare ourselves for ecological conversion… that is, to amend the relationship between God, humankind and nature to heal and renew our common home… So what can we do? Let’s do the three Rs: recognise, repent and respond,” urged Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing, during an online prayer service on September 1, organised by the environmental group of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Caine Road.
The Season of Creation is celebrated from September 1, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, till October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Listen to the voice of creation is this year’s celebration theme. Pope Francis’s message for the season is an appeal to humanity to heed the cry of nature.
In his video message, Bishop Ha explained that the logo of the Season of Creation is a burning bush evoking the image in the Book of Exodus 3:1-12, showing the suffering of nature. Ecological conversion begins with understanding the problems caused by human selfishness regarding nature, Bishop Ha explained.
Pope Francis invited us to listen to the cry of anguish from nature to prepare ourselves for ecological conversion… that is, to amend the relationship between God, humankind and nature to heal and renew our common home…
The bishop encouraged participants to “recognise, repent, and respond” by looking at their own lives to find ways to avoid burdening the environment. Pray for the suffering of nature, for the poor, pay more attention to the environmental news, and make changes in our lives to protect the environment, such as using public transportation more often, and promoting environmental awareness in our community.
Another online prayer service was organised on the same day by the Justice and Peace Commission and Boiling Point. Here, Bishop Ha explained Pope Francis’s concerns expressed in his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ [Praise be: On care for our common home]. The encyclical is a critique on consumerism and irresponsible development. The pope also voiced his concerns about global warming and environmental degradation and called upon people of the world to take quick and unified action.
Bishop Ha urged everyone to take action in daily life and increase their awareness in different ways they can help, such as by recycling waste, paying attention to the lives of the poor, and joining activities of the environmental groups in their parishes.
The commission summarised the three major problems faced by the environment today: the pollution of water sources, air pollution and species extinction. It also urged people to take concrete actions to increase their environmental awareness, such as paying attention to the plants and small animals in the natural environment, reducing meat consumption, stopping unnecessary purchases and recycling unused materials.
A Mass to mark the Season of Creation was celebrated at the cathedral by parish priest, Father Dominic Chan Chi-ming, and assistant parish priest, Father Michael Noh. At the beginning of the Mass, Father Chan invited the faithful to plead for God’s forgiveness for the abuse of natural resources and the indifference to the injustice done to the poor.
Quoting from Pope Francis’ message for the celebration of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Father Chan urged people to listen to the cry of nature that is being destroyed; as well as the voice of the poor, whose living environments were affected due to selfish behaviour of others.
Quoting from Pope Francis’ message for the celebration of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Father Chan urged people to listen to the cry of nature that is being destroyed; as well as the voice of the poor, whose living environments were affected due to selfish behaviour of others
He also cited Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, SJ, who, in an interview published on the website of Messengers of Green Consciousness, raised concerns that in the seven years since Laudato Si’ was published, many people still think it has nothing to do with them.
“Let’s be more aware starting from today. Let’s take concrete action to safeguard the earth, our common home,” Father Chan said.
Deacon Thomas Anthony Wong Sze-pok, a participant at the Mass, said the extreme weather worldwide—drought and flooding—have shown that environmental problems have reached an alarming stage. In his personal life, he tries his best to save electricity and water and does not turn on the air-conditioner while sleeping in the summer.
After the Mass, the cathedral parish organised an online prayer gathering with songs by children and their families.
Franciscan Brother William Ng Wei-lit invited people to look at all the resources around them that are products of nature. He asked people to close their eyes with a smile and meditate on the beauty of creation, and then think about their sufferings when the natural environment is destroyed. Children expressed concern for the animals and plants through a paper puppet show.
Reina Lau Pui-yan, leader of the environmental group who organised the Mass and the online prayer meeting, with the cooperation of other groups in the parish, said the online prayer service focused on the sufferings of the creations, which is in line with the theme of the Season of Creation this year. Besides the annual Mass, other activities organised by the group include farming in Yim Tin Tsai, tree planting and a waste reduction programme, among others.
