Catholic Bishop in Nigeria Calls for Responsible Stewardship in Caring for Creation

Owerri, 05 September, 2025 / 8:25 PM

Humanity bears a moral obligation to exercise responsible stewardship, having been entrusted by God with the care of creation, the Local Ordinary of Nigeria’s Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri has said.

In a video recording taken on the sidelines of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on Monday, September 1, in his Metropolitan See, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji cautions that humanity’s carelessness and irresponsibility are destroying creation and driving some animals and plants toward extinction.

“Unfortunately, on account of carelessness and irresponsibility, we are destroying the chain of being that God placed in creation and this is resulting in many consequences,” he says in the video recording that the Oweri Archdiocese published on Wednesday, September 3.

He adds, “On account of pollution of the atmosphere, the air, the land, and the sea, many animals and plants are becoming extinct. That is our concern: that we try, as much as possible, to be responsible stewards entrusted with the care of creation.”

“God created the world to proclaim His Glory, to proclaim His greatness and to proclaim also His love,” says the Shepherd of the Owerri Archdiocese.

Archbishop Ugorji emphasizes that in exercising stewardship, humanity must act within God’s will, noting that God “created nature in such a way that it is self-sustainable and continues to renew itself.”

“That is why we prayed today and created awareness,” said the Nigerian Catholic Church leader, referring to the activities his Metropolitan See organized for the observance of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which included Holy Mass as Pope Leo XIV directed on Pentecost Day, June 8.

He added that the day also provided an opportunity to sensitize the people of God about the interdependence of all creatures and the need to care for creation for the sake of posterity.

“Creation serves humanity, both present and future,” he says in the video recording published on September 3, reminding the faithful in his Metropolitan See of the significance of the interdependence among all God’s creatures

He says, “We depend on one another, if one is destroyed it affects the life of the other so that is why the Church has provided us this day of prayer to remind us of our duty to be responsible stewards.”

On August 27, members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) issued directives to guide the day of prayer for creation, saying it should be celebrated every September 1 in all parishes and institutions in Nigeria in union with the universal Church.

The CBCN members emphasized the importance of taking part in the Holy Mass for the Care of Creation, which they described as “a powerful liturgical response to the ecological crisis” the world faces today.

The Nigeria Catholic Church leaders further urged Parishes and institutions to complement the liturgical celebration with educational programs on Laudato Si’ and practical initiatives like tree planting, clean-up exercises, and waste reduction campaigns.