SIBU — This year marks the third of a five-year, Protect Our Earth, Protect Our Children (PROTEC) and the Season of Creation campaigns.
In 2015, Pope Francis declared September 1 as World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. In line with the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, both campaigns have different themes each year, and the 2022 Season of Creation (Sept 1 to Oct 4, 2022) theme is: “Listen to the voice of Creation” because innocent Creation is suffering due to human actions.
Meanwhile, PROTEC’s theme for Year Three is Stop Plastic Pollution. This theme, to be launched on Aug 31, 2022 in Kota Kinabalu with a Holy Mass followed by a series of events in Keningau, runs for a year from Sept 1, 2022, to Aug 31, 2023.
In a pastoral letter, President, Episcopal Commission for Creation Justice of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, Bishop Joseph Hii said, “We are living at a critical time in human history which will determine whether or not current and future generations will have a viable planet to live on.
“The Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sounded a Code Red warning to humankind. We are due to hit 1.5ºC of warming within the 2030s, and this spell increased/compounded disasters, as well as terrible shortages of fresh water and food.
“Alongside this, plastic pollution is choking the planet. The plastic industry is driven by the fossil fuel industry, which is warming our world to death.”
The prelate thanked Archbishop John Wong, Bishop Cornelius Piong, and Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom for hosting/ supporting these celebrations. “We thank the Creation Justice Commissions of the three dioceses of Kota Kinabalu, Keningau, and Sandakan for taking the lead in jointly organising the launch events and overseeing the promotion of PROTEC YEAR 3 for the entire year.
“The Episcopal Commission for Creation Justice of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei earnestly calls on the faithful in our dioceses to fully celebrate the Season of Creation and the PROTEC campaign this year and in succeeding years.
There is no time to lose if we are to “save mankind from self-destruction” (Laudato Si’ 79). May the Holy Spirit embolden us all to right and consistent action,” said Bishop Joseph. “Choose life, that you and your children may live” (Deut. 30:19).
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