Take care of the planet, Cardinal urges

Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales warned against an “ecological Armageddon” if people will not take better care of the planet.

Cardinal Rosales issued the warning during an “Earth Day” Mass at the Manila Metropolitan Cathedral in the city’s historic Intramuros district on April 22.

“If people will tolerate environment destruction, time will come that the world’s ecosystem can no longer afford to take care of the people. Scientists call it an ecological Armageddon,” he said.

The cardinal said the time has come for the people to reverse environmental degradation “before we run out of time and suffer major consequences.”

He decried the collapse of values to care for the environment, which was also God’s order to mankind.

Cardinal Rosales said that if only the earth could talk, people would surely un¬derstand how it is agonizing over practices that harm the environment.

He called on the government and the people to do everything possible to ensure environment protection.

The prelate said that the need for environmental responsibility dovetails with Church teachings on valuing human life, whether that is one person or the world’s entire population.

Attitudes must change to focus on con¬serving the natural environment, he added.