Pope Benedict XVI’s World Day of Peace Message for 2010: To Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation #2.
“Seeing creation as God’s gift to humanity helps us understand our vocation and worth as human beings….Contemplating the beauty of creation inspires us to recognize the love of the Creator.”
Pope John Paul II, The Ecological Crisis; A Common Responsibility, #16, 1990.
“I should like to address directly my brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church, in order to remind them of their serious obligation to care for all of creation. The commitment of believers to a healthy environment for everyone stems directly from their belief in God the Creator, from their recognition of the effects of original and personal sin, and from the certainty of having been redeemed by Christ. Respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of creation, which is called to join man in praising God. (cf. Ps 148.96)”
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Renewing the Earth, An Invitation to Reflection and Action on the Environment in Light of Catholic Social Teaching, 1991.
“We ask members of our Church to examine our life-style, behaviors, and policies—individually and institutionally—to see how we contribute to the destruction or neglect of the environment and how we might assist in its protection and restoration. We also urge celebrants and liturgy committees to incorporate themes into prayer and worship that emphasize our responsibility to protect all of God’s creation and to organize prayerful celebrations of creation on feast days honoring St. Francis and St. Isidore.”