The country’s Catholic bishops have decided to upgrade their diocesan ecology desks to a full ministry focused on ‘integral ecology’, making the care for creation a priority pastoral concern.
This decision was made during their recent plenary assembly in Cagayan de Oro City from July 6 to 8.
“We will elevate our ecology desk in all ecclesiastical jurisdictions into Integral Ecology Ministry,” said Bishop Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines.
In 1991, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines (PCP-II) decided that an ecology desk should be set up in diocesan social action centers.
It also encouraged the Church to make environmental issues a key part of social action efforts, even at the parish level.
Caritas Philippines vice president, Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, explained that the Church saw the need to form a broader service focused on integral ecology.
“Ecology desk is just one small component of social action ministry while integral ecology ministry is even much broader in scope than social action work,” Alminaza said.
“As a matter of fact social action works like justice and peace, human rights and human dignity are important aspects of integral ecology,” he said.
In 2022, dioceses in Mindanao began adopting the new ministry to fully embrace the broad approach to ecology described in Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si.
The 17th Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conference, hosted by Cagayan de Oro archdiocese, emphasized the importance of making the Integral Ecology Ministry a main focus of the Church’s work, not just a small part of social action.
David also disclosed that the CBCP will soon release a pastoral statement to actively work against plastic pollution.
He said the new document will support ecological waste management efforts of government and non-government agencies.
