The bishops of West Bengal joined the Catholic Religious to discuss eco-spirituality and to seek ways to spread it in their dioceses.

‘Eco Spirituality for Global peace and Human Liberation’ was the discussion focus of the Nov. 4-7 meeting of the regional bishops and regional unit of Conference of Religious India (CRI) in Asansol.

Bishop Salvadore Lobo of Baruipur said his people live in eco-friendly environment as majority of the parishes in the diocese are in villages, adjoining the Sunderban mangrove forests covering 56 islands. One third of the diocese area is filled with forests, he said.

However mechanization and invasion of electronic media has adverse impacts on ecology and it is time the Church made “people aware of the danger ahead of us,” he told of other six bishops and 51 Religious attending the meeting.

He said one area of focus could be people’s sudden rejection organic farming methods for chemical fertilizers, which could destroy the natural eco-system.

The theme for the joint bishops-Religious meeting was selected a year ago, largely due to land alienation in places like Singur and Nandigram in West Bengal state, said president of CRI West Bengal unit Jesuit Father George Pattery.

Father Pattery, who heads Jesuit’s Calcutta province, said the theme also reflected the response of the CRI national body on ecology held last year in Patna. From the recommendations of the national CRI workshop, the members drew practical implications to their own situations, he said.

Archbishop Lucas Sirkar of Calcutta said conserving nature and respecting the earth should also become part of the proclamation of the Gospel. “Unfortunately our people are not aware of the gradual death of the earth and the eco-system,” he added.

He wanted people to stop wasting water and food, often unconsciously.

Bishop Cyprian Monis of Asansol said the modern world faces the dilemma of the biblical city of Nineveh. “We are all called to do something urgently to save the earth because humans may not survive too long if the world continues in the way it is doing today,” he told the meet.

Like the people of Nineveh, who converted in 40 days, “we are called to change our attitudes towards the earth, and do what is possible within our capacity to protect nature and the eco-system,” he said.

Bishop Monis told UCA News the workshop was “an eye-opener.” He said he would encourage his people to conserve water and avoid plastic, and would ask each family to plant at least one tree a year.

Bishop Joseph Suren Gomes of Krishnagar also plans to encourage his people to plant trees and use energy-saving lamps. He told UCA News he now has a greater awareness of how closely humans and nature are linked.

Source: UCAN (Report by Julian Das)

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