AUDIENCE: THE COMMITMENT TO AVOID ECOLOGICAL CATASTROPHE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 17, 2001 (VIS) - The theme of John Paul II's catechesis for today's general audience, held this morning in the Paul VI Hall, was: "The commitment to avoid ecological catastrophe."

The Pope affirmed that "the harmony of mankind with his fellow man, with Creation and with God is the design pursued by the Creator. This design was and is continually upset by man's sin which is motivated by another plan."

"Human beings receive a mission of authority over creation in order to bring forth its full potential. ... The dominion of man, however, is not 'absolute,' but ministerial; it is the true reflection of the unique and infinite dominion of God. For this reason, man must live his responsibility by participating in the immeasurable wisdom and love of God."

Looking at our planet, John Paul II continued, "it is immediately evident that humanity has disappointed divine expectations. Above all in our time, man has unhesitatingly destroyed wooded valleys and plains, polluted waters, deformed the natural habitat, made the air un-breathable, disturbed atmospheric and hydro-geological systems, rendered green areas desert and engaged in uncontrolled industrialization, humiliating - to use an image from Dante Alighieri - that 'flower garden' that is the earth, our home."

The Holy Father stressed that: "It is necessary, therefore, to stimulate and sustain 'ecological conversion' which in these last decades has made mankind more sensitive to the catastrophe towards which he has been heading. ... What is necessary, then, is not only 'physical' ecology, which seeks to protect the habitat of all living creatures, but also 'human' ecology, which makes their existence more dignified, protecting the radical well-being of life in all its manifestations and preparing for future generations an environment which brings them closer to the design of the Creator." Only in this way, the Holy Father concluded, will man return "to walk in the garden of creation."

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