杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

鈥淐ontemplating and caring: these are two attitudes that show the way to correct and rebalance our relationship as human beings with creation.鈥�

Those were 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� words at the weekly General Audience held in the Courtyard of San Damaso in the Vatican.

Care for each other

Speaking to the faithful gathered on Wednesday, the 杏MAP导航 stressed that in order to come through this pandemic it is necessary to 鈥渢o look after and care for each other.鈥�

鈥淲e must support those who care for the weakest, the sick and the elderly,鈥� he said, because they 鈥減lay a vital role in today's society, even if they often do not receive the recognition and remuneration they deserve.鈥�

This care, 杏MAP导航 Francis went on to say, 鈥渕ust also address our common home鈥�

鈥淎ll forms of life are interconnected鈥�, he continued, 鈥渁nd our health depends on that of the ecosystems that God created and entrusted to us to care for.鈥�

Contemplation best antidote

 鈥淭he best antidote against the misuse of our common home is contemplation,鈥� said the 杏MAP导航.

He added, that without contemplation 鈥渋t is easy to fall prey to an unbalanced and superb anthropocentrism, which gives excessive importance to our role as human beings, positioning us as absolute rulers of all other creatures.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis went on to say, 鈥淎 distorted interpretation of biblical texts on creation has contributed to this misinterpretation, which leads to the exploitation of the earth to the point of suffocating it.鈥�

鈥淲e believe that we are at the centre, claiming to occupy God's place; and so we ruin the harmony of His design. We become predators, forgetting our vocation as custodians of life.鈥�

Our mission is to care for our common home

The earth needs to be worked, so as to live, the 杏MAP导航 noted, but it must not be exploited. Instead, our mission, he pointed out, is to care for our common home.

鈥淥ur poorest brothers and mother earth lament for the damage and injustice we have caused, and demand we take another course.鈥�

Therefore, the 杏MAP导航 underlined, it is important to recover the contemplative dimension.

When we do this, 杏MAP导航 Francis explained, people discover the intrinsic value of things given to them by God.

Speaking in off the cuff remarks, the 杏MAP导航 said that those who do not know how to contemplate nature and creation, do not know how to contemplate people in all their richness. And those who exploit nature, end up exploiting people and treating them like slaves. 鈥淭his is a universal law,鈥� he said.

鈥淭hose who know how to contemplate,鈥� he continued, 鈥渨ill more easily set to work to change what produces degradation and damage to health. They will strive to educate and promote new production and consumption habits, to contribute to a new model of economic growth that guarantees respect for our common home.鈥�

"Guardians" of creation

Those who follow the path of contemplation and caring, emphasized the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渂别肠辞尘别 鈥榞uardians鈥� of our common home, guardians of life and hope.鈥� This is needed in order to preserve and protect our common home for future generations, he added.

In particular, he mentioned the indigenous peoples, to whom, he said, 鈥渨e all owe a debt of gratitude.鈥�

But the 杏MAP导航 also spoke of 鈥渢hose movements, associations, popular groups, which are committed to protecting their territory with its natural and cultural values. These social realities are not always appreciated, and at times they are even obstructed; but in reality they contribute to a peaceful revolution, the 鈥榬evolution of care鈥欌��.

Concluding his catechesis, the 杏MAP导航 stressed that everyone has a role to play in caring for creation. 鈥淓ach one of us can and must be a 鈥榞uardian of the common home鈥�, capable of praising God for His creatures, and of contemplating and protecting them.鈥�