Catholics' environmental beliefs

This is a message with “An overview” of the environment, the environmental impacts caused by human development and living activities.

Respecting nature is protecting life

Each religion has its own doctrine, however, the issue of environmental protection is completely consistent and in agreement. Catholics as well as the Catholic Church have many views to support the protection of our common home, the Earth. Especially in the first message of Pope Francis, the Earth is the common home of all people, of many generations, not only today but also in the future.

The message refers to the basic elements of the environment. It is necessary to protect the water environment because access to safe drinking water is an essential, basic and universal human right . This affects human survival and therefore, it is a condition for the implementation of other human rights. Water is also considered the source of all life, so it is even more essential, valuable and especially needs to be protected so that green shoots and life can always grow.

The Catholic community in Dong Nai province has carried out many activities to protect the environment and respond to climate change. Photo: Thuc Vy

It is necessary to protect the purity of the air and climate, because even small changes are a global problem with serious environmental consequences. Climate instability causes negative impacts on society, economy, and politics , and on human life itself. Every individual must understand, preserve and take responsibility for protecting the common atmosphere of humanity.

The Holy Father sees that garbage is invading the Earth, burying the beautiful landscapes that exist. This arises from the habit of wasteful consumption, throwing away old items that can still be used. In life. Therefore, the Message emphasizes the need to reduce waste, reuse items that can still be used and collect and treat all types of waste. This method will limit waste and will help future generations have a good living environment.

The message also addresses the issue of protecting biodiversity. Accordingly, “every year thousands of species of plants and animals disappear, which we will never know, our children will never see, they are lost forever” (quoted from Laudato Si). This is our responsibility – the people of the present who have failed to appreciate, protect and preserve biological genetic resources for the future. By destroying species, humans also lose the immune potential that naturally heals sick people, as well as the ecological balance in nature. God created the earth with a natural “symphony” and by eliminating species in an entity, we are destroying the complete “music” of creation.

Instead of exploiting and consuming resources, the Pope directs believers to treat nature like family members. Then, nature will also take care of humans. This viewpoint also inherits the thoughts of the Catholic Saints. Accordingly, caring for and protecting nature and the environment is the responsibility of everyone on earth because it is the common property of all members of the human family. We have inherited from previous generations and we have benefited from the labor of our contemporaries. Therefore, we have a duty to everyone and cannot refuse to care for those who will live after us. We are a human family. This is a responsibility that current generations have to future generations.

Catholic Church in Vietnam joins hands to protect the environment

In Vietnam, recently, the Catholic Church of Vietnam has organized training courses on the Pope's Laudato si's Encyclical to raise awareness among followers about environmental protection and climate change response. This is also one of many activities to participate in the Program of coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment "Promoting the role of religions in environmental protection and climate change adaptation" for the period 2015 - 2020, as well as the period 2022 - 2026.

The Church also organizes many seminars to share experiences in responding to climate change and mitigating natural disaster risks; organizes environmental knowledge competitions for children; mobilizes people to implement environmental protection models, keep village roads and alleys clean, etc.

Parishes integrate propaganda and raise awareness among believers about environmental protection and climate change response.

Typically, the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee in Hanoi has built a model of "Parishes and parishes participating in environmental protection and responding to climate change". After many years of implementing the above models, up to now, parishioners and the capital's community have had positive changes in awareness and action.

According to Dr. Pham Huy Thong, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Catholic Solidarity Committee of Hanoi, the entire city has coordinated to build 53 models. The criteria are built by parishes, churches, and residential areas in accordance with the characteristics, situation, and environmental status of the residential areas. Some criteria have been achieved and have become routines and daily work in environmental protection, contributing significantly to improving the quality of life and health in the community.

According to Mr. Nguyen Duc Manh, Head of the Catholic Solidarity Committee of Me Linh district, implementing the plan of the Standing Committee of the Catholic Solidarity Committee of Hanoi city, the Catholic Solidarity Committee of Me Linh district has deployed and organized the implementation to all parishioners, directly by the leaders of communities, parishes, and parishes, and has received the support and participation of many parishioners. The model of village roads and alleys that are always "bright, green, clean, beautiful and civilized" has been deployed and spread to most parishes, parishes and residential communities in the district. Every Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning and on days when there is a mass, parishioners clean the environment and collect garbage. This contributes to creating a clean environment at places of worship, while encouraging parishioners to preserve and protect the environment right where they live, combining with the community to respond to movements launched by local authorities on environmental protection.

The parish church is always kept clean and beautiful.

In general, the model of "Parishes, parishes and communities participating in environmental protection and responding to climate change" has achieved many positive results, creating motivation for many Catholic Solidarity Committees to continue to expand it. According to the Catholic Church, the implementation of the Program in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will also focus on linking it with the implementation of the Law on Environmental Protection (2020); the National Environmental Protection Strategy to 2030, vision to 2050; the Government's National Strategy on Climate Change to 2050; the Program "All people participate in environmental protection", "All people unite to build new rural areas, civilized urban areas"...

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