President Bush will fete Pope Benedict XVI today at the White House. And, in another event at the White House, Bush is to give what is being billed as a major speech on climate change. One can't help seeing a connection between the two events, since Pope Benedict has spoken out on this same issue, notably in his New Year's Day message on peace. He said that decisions should not be made hastily on climate change, but added: "Prudence does not mean failing to accept responsibilities and postponing decisions; it means being committed to making joint decisions after pondering responsibly the road to be taken." There is a certain tone of urgency in the pope's remarks: "The problems looming on the horizon are complex and time is short."
Pope Benedict has heightened the importance of the environment as an issue that should concern Catholics and others, as Newsday's Bart Jones recently reported. And Pope John Paul II raised concern about climate change as early as 1990. Cornell law professor Eduardo Peñalver, writing in the current issue of Commonweal magazine, says that "in a groundbreaking New Year's Day message in 1990," Pope John Paul "presciently warned of the risks of climate change."
John Paul said that the root problem behind environmental degradation is the lack of "respect for life." Nearly two decades ago, he said:
"The gradual depletion of the ozone layer and the related `greenhouse effect' has now reached crisis proportions as a consequence of industrial growth, massive urban concentrations and vastly increased energy needs ... While in some cases the damage already done may well be irreversible, in many other cases it can still be halted. It is necessary, however, that the entire human community - individuals, States and international bodies - take seriously the responsibility that is theirs."
Did someone in the White House suddenly realize that Pope Benedict could well address climate change when he speaks at the United Nations on Friday morning? It's no secret: In a forum the U.N. General Assembly held in February on climate change, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the permanent observer of the Holy See at the U.N., spoke of the pope's personal interest in this issue.
Photo: President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush greet Pope Benedict XVI at airport. AP Photo.
1 comments:
The Pope and the Super Powers have what seems to be a geat concern for the environment. So why aren't they all promoting the mass production of the French engineered Aircar? I have no stock in the company, but I have followed the development and production of these vehicles. If they truly have a concern for our planet then why are they not promoting the mass production of these cars? It is probably because of the influence of major oil companies and car manufacturers. Who has the courage to oppose them??
If there is a concern for all of the fossil fuel burning vehicles in current use, then let's get together and commission the production of air compression conversion kits for the fossil fuel burning vehicles already in existence.
You can find out more about these vehicles through Moteur Development International(MDI). They have a fantastic website.
Make a stand for change. Even if it means opposing these super giants that are contributing to the destruction of our planet. I plan to. Watch me.
Liz Book, A New Kind of Revolutionary
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