Pope calls for care of creation

POPE Francis says St Francis’ Canticle of Creation praising the environment is turning into an “anguished cry” and plea for help as the environment deteriorates.
Pope Francis made the dire observation in his Message for the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to be observed by the church on Sept 1.
He first instituted the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the Catholic church in August 2015.
The ecumenical phase begins on Sept 1 with the World Day.
It concludes on Oct 4 with the feast of Saint Francis.
The pope observed how when listening, we can hear in the voice of Creation, a kind of “dissonance.”
“On the one hand, we can hear a sweet song in praise of our beloved Creator,”he said.
“On the other, an anguished plea, lamenting our mistreatment of this our Common Home.
“The sweet song of Creation invites us to practice an ecological spirituality, attentive to God’s presence in the natural world.”
Pope Francis invited the faithful to join St Francis of Assisi in singing:
“Praise be to you, my Lord, for all your creatures,” and the psalmist in singing.
“Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
“Pray to our consumerist excesses.
“She weeps and implores us to put an end to our abuses and to her destruction.
“Then too, there are all those different creatures who cry out.”
– Vatican News