Asia Pacific – Concretizing care for creation: Insights from the Laudate Deum online forum
What is the message and call of Laudate Deum for our context in Asia Pacific today? This was the question that guided the online panel discussion on 8 November hosted by the Reconciliation with Creation network in collaboration with Jesuit Communications (Jescom) Philippines and moderated by Jescom Executive Director Fr Nono Alfonso SJ.
The panel included Julie Edwards, CEO of Jesuit Social Services in Australia; Mary Khine, a social development worker from Myanmar; Fr Sunu Hardiyanta SJ, former provincial of the Indonesian Province; and Fr Jett Villarin SJ, director of the Manila Observatory.
Pope Francis emphasises in his latest apostolic exhortation that everything is connected and that “what happens in one part of the world has repercussions over the entire planet”. This interconnectedness was evident when the speakers each shared briefly about the ecological situation in their countries. They raised common climate problems affecting Australia, Myanmar, Indonesia, and the Philippines, such as increasing land and sea temperatures, extreme weather conditions leading to drought or flood, and threats to food security. Incidentally, 8 November held the significance of being the 10th anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan, known in the Philippines as Yolanda, which ravaged parts of the country.
Delving deeper into this context, they shared key points from Laudato sí, published eight years ago in 2015. The document emphasised that the environmental crisis is not only a physical or technical issue but also involves social and spiritual aspects. The speakers stressed that personal conversion only makes sense when it is applied in practice, in businesses, institutions, and communities, and while collective action is important, an enabling environment is equally crucial in effecting changes in behaviour and culture.
Source: jcapsj.org
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