ASIA/PAKISTAN - Laudato Sì is inspiring for young Catholics

Monday, 4 July 2016 environment   local churches   natural catastrophe   islam   youth   laudato sì  

Caritas Lahore

Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – To assume the encyclical of Pope Francis "Laudato Sì" as "magna carta" for a respectful way of life and attentive towards the weak, the poor, care for creation: is what emerged from the recent seminar organized in Lahore by Caritas and the Pastoral youth Service in the archdiocese, led by Fr. Jahnzeb Iqbal. Fr. Liam O'Callaghan, who was a missionary of St. Columba, accompanied the youth in the reflection on the protection of the "common house". Among the practical suggestions there was how to plant trees, how not to waste water, how to keep the environment clean, avoid consumerist behavior, how to share what we have with the poor.
The young appreciated the reflection and showed great interest in the issues addressed in the encyclical. The text, announced Fr. Liam O'Callaghan, will be translated into Urdu, according to a project sponsored by the Episcopal Conference of Pakistan. The Church of Pakistan, informed the missionary, is trying to spread the encyclical in dioceses, in parishes, in movements and associations as much as possible, also outside the strictly ecclesial environment, encountering the favor of many Muslim circles. The ecological issues are also "deeply religious and spiritual and can be a common ground for cooperation and meeting with Muslims, in an inter-religious perspective", stressed the missionary, inviting young people to work together with everyone to raise awareness in society.
At the conclusion of the seminar, Fr. Jahanzeb Iqbal assured that he will continue to organize meetings of this kind, while the lay Catholic Rojar Noor Alam, program coordinator of Caritas in Lahore, thanked the participants, and encouraged young people to "be an example for others through their initiatives to protect our mother earth". (PA) (Agenzia Fides 04/07/2016)


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