MANILA (SE): The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines [CBCP] upgraded their diocesan ecology desks to a full ministry focused on integral ecology, making the care for creation a priority pastoral concern, CBCP News reported. The decision was made during their recent July 6 to 8 plenary assembly in Cagayan de Oro City.
“We will elevate our ecology desk in all ecclesiastical jurisdictions into Integral Ecology Ministry,” said Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, president of the CBCP.
In 1991, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines [PCP-II] decided that an ecology desk should be set up in diocesan social action centres. It also encouraged the Church to make environmental issues a key part of social action efforts, even at the parish level.
Caritas Philippines vice president, Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, explained that the Church saw the need to form a broader service focused on integral ecology.
“Ecology desk is just one small component of social action ministry while integral ecology ministry is even much broader in scope than social action work,” CBCP News reported Bishop Alminaza as saying.
“As a matter of fact social action works like justice and peace, human rights and human dignity are important aspects of integral ecology,” the bishop said.
In 2022, dioceses in Mindanao began adopting the new ministry to fully embrace the broad approach to ecology described in Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’.
The 17th Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference, hosted by the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, emphasised the importance of making the Integral Ecology Ministry a main focus of the Church’s work, not just a small part of social action.
Bishop David also disclosed that the CBCP will soon release a pastoral statement to actively work against plastic pollution. He said the new document will support ecological waste management efforts of government and non-government agencies.
