Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Ho Chi Minh City (Agenzia Fides) – Respecting the world around us, promoting an economic system that places man in the center and offers benefits to all mankind: these were the main themes in the Pastoral Letter issued yesterday, on the occasion of the Solemnity of Pentecost, by Cardinal Jean Baptiste Pham Minn Man, Archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City.
The Cardinal focused his Letter on social issues, given the current situation on both a social and political level in Vietnam, inviting the government to look after the people and the future generations.
In recent days, the country has seen debates over new plans for bauxite exploitation, especially in the High Plains of central Vietnam. These projects would bring about great damage to the environment, the destruction of a delicate ecosystem, and great inconvenience for the local indigenous populations. A great number of scientists, environmentalists, and scholars have protested, showing the dangers of such projects. The public has been warned that the economic benefits from the mineral would not make up for the great disadvantages that this would bring society and nature.
“Our natural surroundings are a gift from the Creator that we should handle with care,” the Cardinal said in the Letter. “It is a gift for everyone and not just for a certain group of people. It also belongs to the new generations.”
According to the Letter, recent developments show that many of the investors are only concerned for their own interests and “the government should keep in mind the common good of society and the future of the nation.”
In recent days as well, the Redemptorists of Hanoi raised the question of concessions for mining offered without connections to foreign societies, however the government has turned a deaf ear and several politicians have accused the priests of trying to “destabilize the country.”
The Cardinal mentioned that the voices of the citizens, who defend the good of society, are important and the government should listen to them, reaffirming that “it is the Christians' duty to protect Creation.”
Lastly, the text exhorts the faithful to “pray for those who govern, that they may learn to love and care for the people of Vietnam, for the nation, and for the generations to come.” (PA) (Agenzia Fides 1/6/2009)
