Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Buenos Aires (Agenzia Fides) - The bishops of the Catholic Church in Patagonia (Chile and Argentina) have written a letter addressed to the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, at the Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change (7-18 December 2009). "Conscious of the enormous responsibility of the decisions of political authorities of all countries in regards to social peace, the development of peoples, the present and the future of history, climate change, energy, environment, and in particular water," the Bishops said they were "happy to live in Patagonia, a lush land blessed by God,” which they want to "protect, care for, and respect." They then manifest their concern about the threats to Patagonia that could seriously and irreversibly damage the nature and human life of this "reserve life” of the planet.
So, the Bishops ask that "the agenda of the UN Summit in Copenhagen, add the water theme in their discussions," and thus, they may have significant importance in the post-Kyoto Treaty (2012), because fresh water is a vital element and source of life that can not be replaced. It is also a gift from God, like all life, and source of life (earth, air, water, light) and therefore "it is a human right is the common heritage of mankind and can not be privatized nor commercialized." Therefore, they propose the establishment of a short-term World Water Plan; promotion in all countries of the management of water resources with the participation of the public sector, private sector, community and institutions. The UN must finally become the promoter of a culture of life, according to the theme proposed by Pope Benedict XVI for the upcoming World Day for Peace on 1 January 2010: "If you cultivate peace, keep creation." "Patagonia - the Bishops conclude - will help raise awareness so that water does not become the new symbol and means for colonization and slavery in the twenty-first century." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 10/12/2009)
