From: Steve.Hayes@p0.f20.n7101.z5.fidonet.org (Steve Hayes)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Day of Prayer for the Environment
Date: Wed, 02 Sep 92 18:08:00 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 5:7101/20.0 - Unisa Editorial, Pretoria

Protocol Number 629

                        PASTORAL MESSAGE
          OF HIS ALL HOLINESS THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
                            DIMITRIOS
           ON THE CONCERN FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

The Ecumenical Throne of Orthodoxy, defender and proclaimer of
the ancient, spiritual tradition of the Fathers, as well as the
faithful interpreter of the eucharistic and liturgical life of
the Orthodox Church, has followed with great agony the merciless
trampling  and destruction of the natural environment by
humanity. This current reality has resulted in very dangerous
conditions which raise the question of the survival of the natu-
ral world created by God.

Contemporary humanity has abused its privileged position which it
holds in creation, as well as the trust given it by the Creator
to "subdue and have dominion over the earth" (Gen 1:28). This
negligence has led the world to the brink of self-destruction, as
existing conditions reveal. The polluting of the natural world
through chemical waste has brought about a very dangerous threat
to embryonic life itself. This, together with the poisoning of
the atmosphere and the waters, has already contributed to the
destruction of many species of animal and plant life.

Scientists and other experts concerned with the preservation of
life on this planet are sounding the alarm concerning this
danger. They speak of the menacing phenomena encroaching upon the
life of our planet, such as the phenomenon of the "greenhouse"
effect of which the first signs have already appeared.

In the face of this situation the Orthodox Church of Christ can-
not remain silent and unmoved. A fundamental doctrine of Her
faith is that the world was created by God the Father whom she
confesses in Her Creed as "Maker of heaven and earth and all
things visible and invisible." Man, according to the great Church
Fathers, is the crown of creation. It is he who is endowed with
freedom and who partakes simultaneously of the physical and
spiritual world. He was created to take creation and offer it to
the Creator so that it may be preserved against corruption and
ultimate death.

This lofty destiny of man has already been accomplished by the
"Second Adam" after the failure and fall of the first Adam. The
Second Adam, the Incarnate Son and Word of God, our Lord Jesus
Christ, was he who united in his person all of creation with the
uncreated God. It is he who ceaselessly takes creation and offers
it to the Father. The Church in Her every Divine Liturgy con-
tinues this oblation of thanks, this offering up in the form of
Bread and Wine basic elements in the physical sustenance of hu-
mankind. Through this practice She continually expresses the
faith that humanity is not destined to oppress and destroy crea-
tion, as if it were its maker and possessor, but that the human
race is the privileged steward of it. As such, humanity mustsafeguard creation in the spirit of love and offer it in
thanksgiving with awe and reverence to the creator.

Unfortunately mankind in our day under the influence of an ex-
treme rationalism and hedonism has lost the sense of the sanctity
of the created world. It acts under an impulsive despotism and
callously abuses the natural world. In place of the eucharistic
and divine spirit with which the Orthodox Church has nurtured her
children over the centuries, we witness today only worldwide
violence and destruction. This violation of nature's laws is not
for the fulfilment of basic human needs, but aims at satisfying
increasing appetites and desires, encouraged by the dominant phi-
losophy of a consumer's society. As a result nature "groans and
labours" (Rom 8:22), and has begun to protest the abuse it suf-
fers by humans. Men and women cannot continue forever to exploit
in this manner the sources of nature's gifts. The price of this
arrogance will be self-destruction for all humanity.

Having heard the groanings of our afflicted world, it is our ob-
ligation and pastoral responsibility to direct this message
throughout all the world. In this spirit the Holy and Sacred
Synod of the Great Church of Christ arrived at the decision to
set aside the first day in the month of September each year, as
the day on which petitions and prayers are to be offered for all
creation and for the environmental protection of the planet. This
has traditionally been the day on which the Feast of the Indic-
tion is observed at the Holy Centre of Orthodoxy at the Phanar
and which is observed as the beginning of the ecclesiastical
year.

We, therefore, through this Patriarchal message, call upon all
the faithful of the Christian World, to join the holy Mother and
Great Church of Christ, and to offer prayers of thanks to the
Creator of all the cosmos on the first day of each September. On
this designated day we will also offer our supplications to the
Creator for the protection and deliverance of creation from all
evil and harm inflicted by human hands.

We paternally exhort all the believers throughout the world to
counsel themselves and to admonish their children to love,
respect and protect the natural environment. Further we call upon
all governments of the world entrusted by their people to proceed
without delay in every necessary action to protect and preserve
the natural world which God has created in all its beauty.

Offering for all the world our prayers to the Almighty, we bestow
upon all peoples both near and afar our Patriarchal and paternal
blessings.

           With fervent prayers to God for all of you,

                            DIMITRIOS

      Archbishop of Constantinople and Ecumenical Patriarch
                                                September 1, 1989

 
... Steve Hayes, Missiology Dept, University of South Africa, Pretoria
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