first meeting of catholic leaders in defense of the oceans

It was held on the sidelines of the United Nations Conference on the Oceans which ends tomorrow. Indigenous and ecclesiastical representatives of the Pacific Island States discussed the defense of the oceans, presenting the Christian perspective. The Archbishop of Suva, from the Fiji Islands: “The anthropocentric paradigm must replace the economic one”.

Lisbon () – “We are human, we are complicated, we repeat the same mistakes because we are not robots. Change starts from the heart, but to achieve it a symbolic language is needed”. These are the words of Mons. Peter Loy Chong, archbishop of Suva, capital of the Fiji Islands, and president of the Federation of Catholic Episcopal Conferences of Oceania. On June 28, the archbishop spoke with other Catholic leaders from Oceania, who were attending the United Nations Conference on the Oceans for the first time. The summit opened in Lisbon on June 27 and will end tomorrow.

Representatives of indigenous peoples, cardinals, missionaries from different congregations and members of the Laudato Si’ Movement of the Pacific Island States attended to give voice to vulnerable populations and present the Catholic perspective in defense of the environment.

The limits of “academic and scientific language” are obvious, Bishop Chong explained. And that is why a “language for God” and “an anthropocentric paradigm” are required to replace the “economic” one. Often “there is a tendency to idealize indigenous people, but tribal chiefs – who should be the custodians of the Earth – forget their role very easily as soon as an envelope full of money is put before their eyes,” the prelate concluded. “The ecological crisis is also an internal crisis of the human being.”

The initiative is called “Oceania Talanoa”. In the Fiji Islands, the second term describes a type of participatory dialogue: “tala” means to speak and “noa” to listen, explained Amy Echeverria, the American missionary from the Society of St. Columba who moderated the meeting.

Pedro Walpole, a Jesuit living in the Philippines who serves as coordinator of Ecojesuit and the River Above Asia ecclesiastical network, also highlighted the complex link between economy and ecology. He stressed the need for consumers to also be aware of the interconnectedness between the oceans and human beings: “The waters of the seas absorb 90% of excess heat from the atmosphere. Let’s think about this when we turn on our air conditioners “, he commented. “Consumers must connect with this reality, otherwise nothing will change, but they must connect with their hearts, not their pockets.”

Theresa Adler grew up in an Aboriginal fishing community and is the director of Gewagal Cultural Connections in Australia. She highlighted the lack of representation of indigenous peoples, despite the fact that their ancestral knowledge can play a very important role in defending marine ecosystems: “When you leave the hospital and bring a new baby home, it is submerged in water, as if it were a baptism. In my tribe we believe that we come from the sea and that after we die, we become humpbacks. Before coming to Lisbon, the last sound I heard was the song of the whales.”

Fr. Tevita Naikasowalu is the coordinator of the Department of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation of the Missionary Society of Saint Columba in Fiji and recounted similar experiences: “The umbilical cord of newborns is thrown into the sea to remind them that they come from there The ocean is like a mother nursing her children: it cradles us even as we pollute and exploit it.” Speaking of the indigenous peoples, the priest went on to say: “It is important to be here, to give voice to those who do not have one”, whether they are the tribal peoples of today, “the ancestors, those who fought, those who died in the name of faith and progress.

“I would like to tell the leaders of the world to send a message of simplicity,” Father Tevita added. “We don’t need to grow bigger and make the world a better place, we need to be more humble by sharing the wealth we already have.”

Addressing the issue of the climate emergency, Pelenatita Kara of Caritas Tonga said “it’s like we’re pointing a loaded gun at our head: the bullet hits us but we also pass it on to our children and grandchildren.”

Finally, Sister Robyn Reynolds, a Sacred Heart nun and professor at the Yarra Theological Union, referred to the lack of women and youth – not just indigenous – at major UN conferences. “Not only do you have to encourage young people, but you have to learn from them. They are wonderful leaders, but where are they? They have not been invited.” And Sister Robyn concluded: “The Church is missionary by nature, being ecological is not It’s an option, it already is.”