Maputo, 23 May, 2025 / 9:11 PM
The Apostolic Administrator of Mozambique’s Catholic Diocese of Quelimane has called on Christians to embrace environmental responsibility as a vital part of their faith and a way of securing the future.
In his homily during a Thanksgiving Eucharistic celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of the late Pope Francis’ 24 May 2015 Encyclical Letter on care for our common home, Laudato Si’, Fr. Pietro Tosato emphasized that “commitment to the environment is also a commitment to life.”
“Creation is a gift from God. The world was not made by us; we received it as an inheritance, and we must pass it on with gratitude and care,” Fr. Tosato said during the Thursday, May 22 event that was held at the Immaculate Conception Parish of Quelimane Diocese.
He lamented, “We have been living as if resources were infinite, as if the earth could endure everything, when in fact it cries out for care. Caring for nature is protecting the future of our children and grandchildren.”
The Italian-born member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (OFM Cap.) used the example of charcoal production to explain the negative consequences of environmental neglect. He posed, “How many trees are cut down, but almost none are replanted? The question is simple but profound.”
“Pope Francis reminds us that everything is interconnected: the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are one. That is why the ecology the Church proposes is integral,” he said, and continued, “It’s not just about protecting forests, but about rethinking our habits, promoting justice, and educating for respect for life in all its forms.”
Fr. Tosato further warned, “Even in our traditions, there are practices that respect the environment and should be valued. Others, like unnecessary burning, need to be reviewed considering a new awareness.”
He emphasized that both social and environmental commitment are intrinsic to Christian discipleship, and added, “It is not something extra in Christian life. It is at the heart of the Gospel. Whoever loves God must love their neighbour and care for our common home.”
The Apostolic Administrator of Quelimane Diocese urged the people of God under his pastoral care to live out the Gospel “not only through worship but also through action.”
“Faith cannot be reduced to private feelings or Sunday rituals. It must bear fruit in everyday life—bringing hope, justice, and compassion to a world often deprived of these values. What today’s world needs is not only prayers, but commitment; not just words, but deeds; not only full churches, but open hearts ready to serve,” the Apostolic Administrator of Quelimane Diocese said.
He emphasized that Christian faith involves a concrete commitment to the world, its people, and creation, entrusted to humanity by God.
“We do not live apart from the world. We journey within it, building God’s Kingdom here and now. Every baptized person is called to actively shape society with Gospel values like justice, honesty, solidarity, and the common good,” Fr. Tosato said during the May 22 Eucharistic celebration.
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