From October 13 to 15, in Rome’s historic Circo Massimo stadium, Coldiretti, the Italian association of farmers and breeders, had set up stands to introduce interested parties to the diversity of biological species found in different regions of the Apennine Peninsula.
Inese Steinert – Vatican
“Coldiretti village” – that was the name of the said initiative, Pope Francis addressed the message to the representatives. It was read in the presence by the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re.
For those who work with the land and animals, Francis advises to remember those who lack the most necessary to satisfy hunger. The Pope recalls that in the encyclical “Mater et Magistra” Saint John XXIII highlighted the value of agricultural work, stating that its purpose is to promote the integral growth of a person, both at the individual and community level. The encyclical also states that agricultural work is “participation in the implementation of God’s providential plan”. Pope Roncalli considered cultivating the land as a calling and a mission. Guided by these findings, Pope Francis writes in his message to the creators of the “Coldiretti village”:
“Creation is indeed intended by God as a gift and inheritance to be entrusted to man. Realized in and through the eternal Word, it did not come out of the hands of the Creator already “ready”, but is “in the state of the road to be walked”, that is, open and destined for fulfillment. By handing it over to man as a good to be cared for, God wanted man to contribute to moving it towards the perfection for which it is intended, which will be achieved at the end of time.”
So, to transform the earth to bear fruit is to “cooperate with God’s original plan.” In the Book of Creation, it is seen how, with the help of earthly works, man “can recognize in creation the sign of the Covenant that God has established with him.” God entrusts man with his “wonderful garden” to take care of it and preserve it materially and morally.
The Pope notes that the Book of Creation shows that learning and knowing the laws of agriculture, digging water channels, are works that must be done to achieve a double benefit – to make the earth more beautiful and fertile, as well as more humane and pleasant to live in. “By working, a person changes the world and also changes himself, becoming more responsible and generous,” Francis writes.
In the continuation, the Pope turns to the Gospel, where the meaning of God’s command to “rule over the earth”, which appears already in the Book of Creation, is explained even better. Government in the Gospel is seen as “the logic of the service of love”, which is confirmed by the “crucified and resurrected Lord”. The Pope notes that today, unfortunately, with new technologies, man often exercises his rule “by forcing the earth to bear fruit by force”. However, nature’s payback is very high:
“This is shown by the climate crisis we are going through: the impact on the environment of the intensive rhythms adopted until now has negatively affected the cultivation of crops, creating vicious circles from which it is increasingly difficult to exit. The more we do to the land, poisoning the water and air, the more space we take away from biodiversity. By destroying forests and ecosystems, it will become increasingly difficult to prevent the instability of meteorological events.”
Along with nature, humanity and especially the poor suffer from the consequences of climate change. They cannot be sure whether there will be enough bread every day. Therefore, the Pope calls for choices that would ensure the necessary amount of food for all the world’s inhabitants:
“Everyone has the task of eradicating this injustice with concrete actions and good deeds, with local and international politics, which would have the courage to choose what is just, not just utilitarian, beneficial, profitable.”
At the end of the message, the Pope invites us not to forget the poor, to dream and to work, “sowing the seeds of peace” in a world where “water, bread, work, medical care, land and housing are available to every individual.”
2023-10-17 21:32:33
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