“Only together can we take care of the beauty of creation, and if we detect that someone is not doing so, we must call on them to join in this work.”
These are the hope-filled, action-oriented words of Mons. Rogelio Cabrera López, Archbishop of Monterrey and President of the Mexican Episcopal Conference.
The Monsignor’s remarks are in response, in part, to what he calls “phenomena that call us to act forcefully.” Most recently, a historic water shortage in Monterrey, one of the worst droughts in the northern half of the country.
“The prolonged drought we have experienced in Monterrey calls us to become aware of the care of water, the fundamental right we all have to it, and the call to solidarity so that no one lacks the vital liquid.”
– Mons. Rogelio Cabrera López
Similarly, increasingly poor air quality is another great concern Cabrera points to, not just in Monterrey, but across the entire planet. He wants to elevate these types of ecological phenomena into the public consciousness, not as a cause of despair, but as a lightning rod for united action.
“We watch the news and contemplate a harsh reality,” says Cabrera López. “The whole world is undergoing a process of desertification; pollution has reached everywhere; species are disappearing or being wiped out; large areas of the world are suffering from drought and poor water distribution. We must all get involved in changing our attitude towards creation — governments, institutions, companies, and citizens alike.”
During Laudato Si’ Week 2022, May 22-29, Monsignor López invited the Church of Monterrey to create concrete actions to remedy the impact they are generating on our common home by, first and foremost, enrolling in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform.
“As Christians we have practices that produce undeniable effects proven through the centuries that help us listen to the voice of creation,” Cabrera Lopez Says, “such as retreats, spiritual exercises, and contemplative prayer in consideration of beauty and nature. These practices put us in tune with the world around us and lead us to our brothers and sisters and to God himself.”
“We must continue exhorting the whole Church to commitment, promoting from local programs on the Laudato Si’ Actio Platform.”
-Mons. Rogelio Cabrera López