Update with Bishop Grech’s letter to the children in full below – Earlier this month Pope Francis announced his decision to set up a “World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation” which will be celebrated on the 1st of September annually.

Gozo Bishop Mario Grech in a letter to the children of the Diocese on the occasion of World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, said how lucky everyone is to live on such a wonderful island as Gozo. “One of the greatest environmental challenges of our island is the lack of water.” He reminded the children to help safeguard the environment and not leave taps running unnecessarily, to help safeguard against water shortages.

Bishop Grech also mentioned wastage of food, “How terrible it is to throw away food when we know how many children in the world are dying of hunger! I worry most about secondary students who throw away their packed lunch to buy something from the canteen instead. In addition to being a lack of respect for our parents, this is also theft from the mouths of those children who hardly have any food.”

The Bishop praised the actions being carried in Gozitan schools, through EkoSkola. Mentioning in particularly the children, teachers and Local Councils for encouraging environmental awareness, through greener schools and waste separation.

He also encouraged the children to take more exercise, not sit behind computer and television screens, but to enjoy the countryside around them.

Bishop Grech invited everyone to join in prayer on this “World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation” on the 1st of September, for a more environmentally conscious world.

In a letter announcing the World Day of Prayer, to the heads of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity Pope Francis said, “as Christians we wish to offer our contribution towards overcoming the ecological crisis which humanity is living through. Therefore, first of all we must draw from our rich spiritual heritage the reasons which feed our passion for the care of creation, always remembering that for believers in Jesus Christ, the Word of God who became man for us, “the life of the spirit is not dissociated from the body or from nature or from worldly realities, but lived in and with them, in communion with all that surrounds us.” (ibid., 216). The ecological crisis therefore calls us to a profound spiritual conversion: Christians are called to “an ecological conversion whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them.” (ibid., 217). Thus, “living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.”(ibid).

“The annual World Day of prayer for the Care of Creation offers to individual believers and to the community a precious opportunity to renew our personal participation in this vocation as custodians of creation, raising to God our thanks for the marvellous works that He has entrusted to our care, invoking his help for the protection of creation and his mercy for the sins committed against the world in which we live.

“The celebration of the Day on the same date as the Orthodox Church will be a valuable opportunity to bear witness to our growing communion with our orthodox brothers. We live in a time where all Christians are faced with identical and important challenges and we must give common replies to these in order to appear more credible and effective.

Therefore it is my hope that this Day can involve, in some way, other Churches and ecclesial Communities and be celebrated in union with the initiatives that the World Council of Churches is promoting on this issue,” Pope Francis said.

Letter to Children on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (1st September 2015)

Dear Children,

“The summer holidays are almost at an end and soon you will be meeting up once more with your classmates and teachers at your schools.

Shortly ago I was visiting a family and our conversation turned on school. In this family there are two children, a boy and a girl, whom I’m going to call Matthew and Francesca so that their real identity remains secret. Matthew was telling his parents that this year he wanted a satchel that would be the best of the whole class. Immediately Francesca told her mother that she did not want a new satchel. Her mother was astonished as normally at this time of the year Francesca would want a new satchel from the collection of the most famous Disney character of the moment. But Francesca said to her mother, “This summer at our Museum class, our catechist told us that Pope Francis has just sent a letter addressed to all the people of the world where he drew their attention to the need of protecting the environment. ‘According to the Pope,’ the catechist said, ‘the world is the home of all who live in it. It is we people who harm it most and it is necessary that we should stop doing so.’ Immediately Matthew retorted, “Am I the Government that I should be responsible for the environment?” Francesca calmly replied, “Matthew if only each of us does his/her little part, the environment would be much better off! Among other things the catechist taught us that we should go on using things for as long as they are still god and that we should not throw away anything that is still usable. ”Francesca went on to say how she had already singled out a new school satchel, But when in the evening after her Museum class, she was saying her prayers, she felt Jesus telling her in her heart that the satchel she had was still good and there was no need for her to buy a new one.

Well children, what do you think? I was truly astonished at Francesca. It is not by coincidence that she is called after the saint who so loved the environment! In fact the Pope’s letter to which Francesca referred is called ‘Laudate Si’ because it begins with the two words ‘Praised Be’ from a song which this saint had written to praise God for the creation.

I am sure that most of you think like Francesca. Still I felt that I should send you this message to draw your attention to the small things that you can all do to protect the environment. I am sending it now because on the 1st September the Pope wishes us to join our Christian brothers, and other people who want to join in, to pray that all peoples of the world understand better their duty towards the creation.

As you know we are lucky to live in a truly beautiful island. Therefore our first duty is towards our island, our Gozo. One of the greatest environmental problems for our island is the shortage of water. If each of you every time you brush your teeth you do not let the water flow needlessly but turn off the tap you will be helping reduce water wastage.

It is a good thing that you start now while still young to use cars less. The exhaust from cars harms the environment. It would be so wonderful if with you parents’ permission you use your bicycle or the bus. And how still more wonderful would it be if instead of spending long hours in front of your computer or tablet you go out for a walk in the open countryside.

A word now about food wastage. It is truly shameful that we throw away food when we know that so many others in other parts of the world are dying of hunger. I am mostly concerned about some students who attend Secondary Schools who throw away their home prepared lunch and then buy other food from the canteen. First of all this is a great lack of respect for their parents but still worse this is theft from the mouths of those who hardly have anything to relieve their hunger.

Once I have mentioned schools I wish to congratulate you for your commitment in favour of the environment in our schools through the Eco School project. I have been informed that nearly all schools in Gozo are taking part in this project and that most of them have been awarded the green flag. You deserve to be congratulated for this as also do your teachers and the Local Councils who help you. It is important that you all go on doing your part in EkoSkola. As the saying goes ‘Every little bit helps.’ Thus if you take used batteries to school and put them in the apposite container you are helping safeguard our soil as well as the groundwater which is very precious. If under the guidance f your teachers you take care of the plants and the trees at your school you are helping create a friendly atmosphere and also add that little bit of oxygen in the air. Through a general effort our island can become ever more beautiful.

You must know that here in our island we have since some years back promoted waste separation. You children have to set an example for us grown-ups in this. It is important that any waste that can be recycled be kept separate from other waste and that we take it out for collection in the specially designed grey bags on Tuesday mornings. Then when in the near future we start organic waste separation you will be among the first to help make a success of this scheme. I feel there is no need in my telling you that when you throw waste on the ground you will be failing in respect towards yourselves and towards the community. I felt really sad when some days ago I saw a boy in a passing car throw out a chocolate wrapper from the car window and consequently dirtying the road.

Don’t forget Francesca’s example. Anything that is still in good condition and clean should go on being used even if its fashion has become outdated until it is not possible to use it any longer. This applies to objects like the mobile. If the mobile still functions I don’t see why it should be discarded for the latest model. And while speaking of mobiles I cannot not insist on you that you do not make wrong use of it by sending hurtful messages to others.

And this brings me to the most important point in my message. It is a good thing that we have a clean and healthy environment. But such an environment would count to nothing if we did not at the same time love one another and help those in need. In the world there is enough plenty for everybody. The problem is that this plenty is not well distributed. I cannot expect that you go to Mission lands to help the poor there when you are still so young, but it would be very good on your part if even in your young age you make it a habit to deny yourselves some little thing and then put aside the money save so you can help those in need.

Charity begins at home. So it would be ideal if you help your family in some way or other. We all use the home. So we must all give a helping hand to mum and dad to have a clean and orderly home. The same applies to school. Our classmates are our brothers, sisters. It does not make sense that you love and care for the environment and at the same time hurt your classmates, or maybe act the bully. In the world we must learn to live together as one large family. Whoever loves the environment loves life particularly human life. But above all he/she cares for the sick, the elderly and also the unborn

Finally I urge you to go on learning about Jesus and learn to love Him ever still more. To be a good Christian and also a responsible citizen is like being two faces of the same coin. If you love Jesus you love the environment. I urge you also to find time to pray during the day. There is no need to say a lot of words. It is enough to think of Jesus. He can read what is in your hearts. Even if you are still young I invite you to join us in reciting this fervent prayer coming out of the heart of Pope Francis:

All-powerful God, you are present in the whole universe And in the smallest of your creatures You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one. O God of the poor, help us rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light. We thank you for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace.”

Given from the Bishop’s Curia, Victoria, Gozo,

Mario Grech

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