VATICAN - Benedict XVI tells sponsors of the Holy See's Pavilion at the Expo Zaragoza 2008: “When God, through creation, gave man the keys to the earth, He wanted him to use this great gift responsibly and respectfully, making it fruitful.”

Castel Gandolfo (Agenzia Fides) - “By participating in the exposition the Holy See wished to demonstrate not only the urgent need constantly to defend the environment and the natural world, but also to discover its more profound spiritual and religious dimension.” This is what the Holy Father Benedict XVI said in an audience held on September 10, with sponsors of the Holy See's Pavilion at the Expo Zaragoza 2008, in the Pontifical Palace at Castel Gandolfo.
The Pope recalled that “today, more than ever, we need to help people to see creation as more than just a source of wealth and something to be used by mankind. In fact, when God, through creation, gave man the keys to the earth, He wanted him to use this great gift responsibly and respectfully, making it fruitful. The human being discovers the intrinsic value of nature if he learns to see it for what it is, namely, an expression of a plan of love and truth that speaks to us of the Creator and His love for humanity, and that will find its fullness in Christ, in the end of time.”
Benedict XVI once again mentioned “close relationship between protection of the environment and respect for the ethical requirements of human nature,” because, as he wrote in his encyclical Caritas in veritate (no. 51), “'when human ecology is respected within society, environmental ecology also benefits.'”
In his address, the Holy Father thanked the sponsors of the Holy See's Pavilion for the collaboration with the Archdiocese of Zaragoza and the Apostolic Nunciature of Madrid, and highlighted that “the Pavilion was one of the most visited and appreciated, and contained an important display of the priceless artistic, cultural and religious heritage of the Church. The aim of this initiative was to offer the many visitors an opportunity to reflect upon the significance and primordial importance water has for human life.” (SL) (Agenzia Fides 11/9/2009)