The Presidents of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) and the Conferences of European Churches (CEC) have lamented in a joint message the environmental damage being done to the planet “by selfishness and neglect”.

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The message of the heads of the CCEE and the CEC, Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco and Reverend Christian Krieger, was released Thursday ahead of the 2019 Season of Creation celebration.

The big picture

“The network of life must not be interrupted by human greed and indifference towards human beings and the whole of creation”, insist the heads of the CCEE and the CEC in their message.

They denounce that “improper use of natural resources” in the world today causes “destruction and pollution” and inflicts “a painful wound on the work of God”.

“We recognise that the lifestyle of modern society has consequences for the whole of the world”, the joint message continues.

“This is why we must stop the cycle of self-interest and isolation, recalling that we are all members of one human family and that we are all created in God’s image”.

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Praying especially for “our brothers and sisters who are suffering because of our wastefulness, greed and, often, our indifference”, the presidents of the CCEE and the CEC call on Christians on the continent to undertake “concrete actions and good works” on behalf of the environment.

“We invite Christians and every person of good will to show their own responsibility towards creation, to take on concrete and wise actions to work as good stewards and to fight against inequality through the protection of biological diversity”, they insist in their message.

From 1 September until 4 October, Churches all over Europe will pledge themselves to prayer, hands-on activities and advocacy projects in defence of planet Earth.

New activities for the 2019 Season of Creation include Laudato si’ Masses inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for our common home, Laudato si’ gardens and prayer circles and special reflections on the biodiversity of the Amazon region, the centrepiece of this October’s Amazon Synod of Bishops in Rome.

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