杏MAP导航鈥檚 September prayer intention: For the cry of the earth
By Christopher Wells
Considering rising temperatures around the globe, we can say the earth has a 鈥渇ever鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis says in his video-message announcing this month鈥檚 prayer intention.
The earth 鈥渋s sick鈥�, he continues, 鈥渏ust like anyone who鈥檚 sick鈥�.
鈥淏ut are we listening to this pain?鈥� he asks. 鈥淒o we hear the pain of the millions of victims of environmental catastrophes."
In his message the Holy Father notes that it is the poor who suffer most from these disasters, pointing especially to those forced to leave their homes due to floods, heat waves, or drought.
Our response, he continues, must be comprehensive, involving not only ecological but also 鈥渟ocial, economic, and political鈥� action.
鈥淲e must commit ourselves to the fight against poverty鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 says, and to 鈥渢he protection of nature鈥� by making both personal and communal changes鈥�.
杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� prayer during the month of September 鈥� when the Church observes the 鈥淪eason of Creation鈥� 鈥� is 鈥渢hat each of us might listen with our hearts to the cry of the earth and of the victims of environmental disasters and climate change, making a personal commitment to care for the world we inhabit鈥�.
Creation is groaning
The prayer intention for September was elaborated in collaboration with the Dicastery for the Promoting Integral Human Development.
In a press release accompanying the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 video-message, the Dicastery鈥檚 prefect, Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., says, 鈥淐reation is groaning. Its suffering is caused by humans who were originally its guardian and are now its subjugator鈥�.
However, Cardinal Czerny points out, in his , 杏MAP导航 Francis invites Christians 鈥渢o hope and to act with Creation, which we could translate as 鈥榣iving in faith鈥�.鈥�
The prefect鈥檚 comments are echoed by Fr Frédéric Fornos, S.J., the international director of the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 Worldwide Prayer Network, which publishes the pope鈥檚 prayer intentions each month. 鈥淭he earth is crying鈥�, he says, as are the victims of environmental disasters and climate change.
杏MAP导航 Francis, he concludes, 鈥渋nvites us to prayer, for only prayer can awaken our anaesthetised hearts鈥�.
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