From the Sacred Scriptures, we can also read a message that human beings are not the owners of creation but only its caretakers. God appointed Adam and Eve not as the masters of the Garden of Eden, but as its keepers. In short, they had only the duty of stewardship. When a steward tries to act as if he is the master, the Owner will be compelled to take certain strict decisions against him, as we can read in the Book of Genesis. When man fails in his responsibilities to protect nature and misuses his role, his life is forced to pass through bitter experiences. It is in this background that the Church observes the Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on September 1st. This observance continues until October 4th, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the Troubadour of Love.
The theme of this year’s observance is “Seeds of Peace and Hope.” It was Pope Francis who proclaimed this celebration in the Church. Its aim, as Pope Francis and now Pope Leo XIV affirm, is that everyone should have the commitment to praise God, to safeguard the common home, and to preserve the divine gifts without destroying them. Human stewardship consists in preserving all living beings created by God without losing even one, and in maintaining the harmony of the universe. It is the divine spirit and intelligence inherent in man that makes him distinct and superior to other creatures. Thus man becomes the crown of creation.
Man is considered noble. By human dignity we mean that human life possesses a sovereign immunity among all creatures. The meaning is that human life must be valued and protected. Man is not one who should live in fear of the attack of animals; rather, all other creatures must remain subject to human control. As the crown of creation, man must have adequate security to protect the created universe. But today we see laws, government policies, and multinational business interests that destroy human dignity and cast shadows over it. As a result, man is compelled to live in fear of wild animals in forest-bordering regions, while in towns and cities people are forced to live in fear of stray dogs.
The plight of modern man, living in fear of wild animals and stray dogs, must be understood as the intrusion of selfish minds and commercial interests. The inability to live without fear of wild animals and stray dogs is a serious evil against human dignity. The real solution to such problems is to make democratic systems effective so that citizens may enjoy the freedom to work, to live, and to move about with a sense of security. Democratic governments must also have the duty and courage to amend laws that favor multinational business conglomerates and their agents, and to correct exaggerated forms of environmentalism that, in one way, reach the edge of extremism.
When other creatures are protected while man is forgotten, the supreme purpose of creation fails. Just as it is serious when man neglects nature and creation, so too it is equally dangerous when human beings are disregarded and other creatures are given undue importance. What must arise here is a profound interdependence between nature, living beings, and humankind.
Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil
