Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Phnom Penh (Agenzia Fides) - To acknowledge the paternity of God the Creator and the responsibility of every person for creation: this was the aim of a special Synod of Young Cambodian Catholics, now in its fourth edition, which brought together in the capital Phnom Penh more than 300 young Catholics from the three diocese in Cambodia for four days of catechesis, discussion and prayer.
The theme for reflection taken from the Book of Genesis: “God placed man in the garden of Eden to cultivate and take care of it” (Gen 2,15), was chosen to help the young people realise that Christians have a duty to safeguard Creation. The young people were also urged profess their “faith in God the Creator" through reciting the Creed: “I believe in God, creator of heaven and earth, of all things seen and unseen”. The young people were also introduced to the Compendium of Catholic Social Doctrine which dwells on environment pollution, climate change, crisis in water resources, reduction of bio-diversity.
Starting from the principle that to protect the environment it is necessary to “think globally and act locally”, and to motivate responsible commitment, the Church strives to teach the inter-connection between local degradation and that at the international dimension.
Problems identified at the Synod included: cementification and green areas in urban centres; relation agriculture-chemistry; presence of polluting factories and energy sources are risk; green areas, health, services and political planning; protecting nature; ozone exhaustion; climate change; global warming; genetic manipulation.
The participants agreed that to overcome scarce ecological commitment, the Catholic Church strives to foster greater awareness of our of faith in God the Creator, a new spirituality of creation, a moral conscience open to ecology and consequent life style. It is necessary to “believe in the Creator and live creatures”, said the young people present, "which means directing our eyes towards the Trinity of Love, the sole beginning of creation, accepting God as the source of everything that exists”. It also means “signing a pact of solidarity with the whole of Creation despite the existing failures and violence”, rediscovering “attention for the dignity of every creature; wonder for the fullness, beauty and otherness of all creatures”.
The young delegates from different dioceses reported on the situations in their areas and promised to promote initiatives to foster awareness and action, with respect for the spirit of “Justice, peace and safeguarding Creation”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 25/9/2007 righe 27 parole 274)
