‘Green Bishop' urges Asian Churches to prioritize climate actions
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Allwyn D'Silva of Bombay, India. (Photo: UCA News Archive)
MUMBAI: Many people in Asia lack awareness about the climate crisis, and Churches in Asia need to move fast to prioritize climate actions before the crisis worsens further, says a leader of the Federation of the Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC).The Church needs to address the lack of awareness about the climate crisis in dioceses across the continent, said Bishop Allwyn D'Silva, chairperson of the FABC Office of Human Development (OHD).
The auxiliary bishop emeritus of Bombay (Mumbai), India's financial capital, made the remarks during an interview with Radio Varitas Asia (RVA) published on June 27.
Known as a 'green bishop' for his decades of advocacy for environmental protection and social justice, D'Silva had launched the 'Green Diocese' project in Mumbai to promote environmental awareness and sustainability on Pope Francis' call to protect the planet, as outlined in his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si' .
In the interview, D'Silva said the 'crusade to educate people on the climate crisis includes the involvement of seminary formators and the need to integrate it into the curriculum.'
He said the FABC OHD is part of Asian bishops' efforts to make people more aware of climate change impacts.
'I feel in Asia, the majority of the people are not aware of this crisis. That is why we have a number of workshops,' he said. 'We have had workshops for bishops. We have had workshops for women. We have had workshops for the business people.'
Safeguarding and conserving nature is the Vatican's commitment to human development, and so he and his fellow bishops, he added, are encouraging people to do their share in safeguarding and conserving nature.
'And here we try to invite the diocese to take concrete action,' he told RVA . 'How to make the diocese green. How to take concrete action so that more and more dioceses can partake and become green.'
D'Silva, who has been involved with human rights and environmental advocacy since 1990, said Laudato Si' made a significant impact on him and motivated him to work more on safeguarding and conserving the environment.
He recalled that in Germany, he was surprised to meet with a group of people with no religious affiliations who were impressed by Laudato Si. --ucanews.com
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