“It is necessary to take a much stronger and wider commitment towards creation, at both political and individual level”, said this morning Benedict XVI as he received in audience the ambassadors to the Holy See of Denmark, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Kazakhastan, Bangladesh, Finland, and Latvia on the occasion of the presentation of their credential letters.
According to the Pontiff, “environmental responsibility goes hand in hand with the urgency to bring to an end the scandals of misery and hunger”; environmental degradation is in fact “a direct threat to man’s survival and his development” as well as “to peace”. Hence the Pontiff urged “the political authorities” of the above mentioned countries to “strengthen their actions to protect creation” and to support “the promotion of international agreements that are fair, appropriate and binding for all”.
Present challenges – added Benedict XVI – require “a mobilization of creativity and knowledge on the part of man”, “increased applied research” as well as a “conversion” of the “current development model of our societies” that should be “oriented towards the notion of integral human development”.