Nuncio says by living simply Catholics can help protect the earth

Published: 2007-04-23

COLUMBUS, Ohio (CNS) -- Every Catholic can do something about climate change by adopting a life of voluntary simplicity, the Vatican's U.N. nuncio believes. It comes down to "working less, wanting less, spending less," thus reducing the impact each person has on the environment, Archbishop Celestino Migliore told participants gathered in Columbus for the second in a series of regional Catholic conversations on climate change April 14. Citing Genesis' call to humanity to oversee creation while protecting it and the church's social doctrine, the Vatican diplomat outlined the Holy See's position on the need for Catholics to heed the environmental dangers the planet faces. "The denigration of the environment has become an inescapable reality," the archbishop said. "There is no doubt that the latest assessment has established a strong connection between human activity and climate change," he said, referring to a February statement by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

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