‘India should take concrete steps to protect creation’

Bishop Moolachira’s complaint at the meeting on safeguarding the creation of the dioceses in the northeast of the country: “The forests that we crossed no longer exist, 70% of the water sources are contaminated, the laws written on paper are not applied by our authorities. Let us recover the harmony with nature created by God to be more human”.

On the occasion of the Season of Creation -which, on the recommendation of Pope Francis, is celebrated between September 1, Creation Day, and the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, October 4-, the dioceses of northeastern India are living in these days his Pastoral Conference on the theme “Environment and care of creation”. We publish extensive excerpts from the introductory speech given by the Archbishop of Guwahati, Msgr. Juan Moolachira.

The book of Genesis speaks of the world created by God saying: “The Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed.”

As a young priest, he used to walk through thick forests to reach some of our parishes and towns. Now, 35 or 40 years later, when he travels those same roads, there are no traces of the forests. Settlements have been built there. Unscrupulous people cut and sell the wood outside the state, with the collusion or negligence of the authorities. As a result, the slopes and plains have become arid, the streams have dried up, the rains have diminished, and when it rains the water washes away the fertile land; there is rubbish everywhere and life in the cities is unhygienic; pollutants from cities and towns are freely dumped into rivers. The use of pesticides and fertilizers is widespread and the water courses have become dangerous for both humans and animals.

However, all is not lost. God is awakening young and old, in the Church and in civil society to defend the cause of the earth, although sometimes it seems that his cry has come too late. On November 2, 2021, Vinisha Uma Shankar, a 14-year-old environmentalist and innovator, who won the 2021 Children Climate Award, delivered a speech to the United Nations during the International Climate Change Conference. In our country we have Rajendra Singh, the water man from India, Jadav Payeng, the man who planted a forest, Rakhibuddin Ahmed, the environmentalist from Assam. They tell us to love and respect nature, to save energy and water, to plant trees and cultivate gardens, to reduce waste, to reuse and recycle, to volunteer to clean and protect the environment.

The Earth, our common home, is made up of living and non-living organisms that are interconnected. No living being can live without reference to non-living organisms. The interaction between the living and the non-living makes the Earth balanced, healthy, resourceful, and beautiful. When the balance is broken, environmental catastrophes occur caused by overproduction, excessive consumption and pollution, causing diseases in the air and in the water, global warming, floods, earthquakes, storms, droughts… environmental degradation generates migrations, large slums and a large number of people living below the poverty line. Children suffer more than adults from environmental problems. It is estimated that 1.5 million children worldwide die each year from diseases and disabilities caused by environmental pollution, even though they are the least responsible for it.

India has mechanisms and laws to save and protect the environment, but does not have the will to put them into practice. We are talking about human rights, children’s rights, minority rights and environmental rights. We have the Wildlife Protection Law (1972), the Environmental Protection Law, and the Ministry of the Environment. At the judicial level we have the National Green Court. But environmental problems are used by politicians and the wealthy for political and economic gain. 70% of our water sources are contaminated. In terms of environmental indicators, India ranks 169th out of 180 countries.

What does the Church teach? Pope Francis said that the cry of the earth is the cry of the poor. God created man as administrator of creation. He is not the owner, but he received it as a gift. Pope John Paul II already recalled that “concern for creation is an essential part of our faith.”

Vatican City State is leading by example with its commitment to carbon neutrality. In the same sense, Catholic churches and institutions are taking charge of taking care of the meadows, promoting organic agriculture and the use of renewable and biodegradable materials. Some have even started using discarded tires and other sustainable materials for their buildings, so as not to harm the environment.

We call the Earth “mother”. She provides us with food, water and clean air. She refreshes us and inspires us with aesthetic beauty. The more in harmony we are with nature, the more human we will be.

* Archbishop of Guwahati

(with the collaboration of Nirmala Carvalho)