Pope Benedict XVI waves to pilgrims as he passes the Sydney Opera House in his Popemoblie after addressing thousands at Barangaroo on his first day of official duties during World Youth Day activities, July 17, 2008. REUTERS/Will Burgess
Posted on 07/17/2008 12:08:33 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Thursday told a huge gathering of young people that they were inheriting a planet whose resources had been scarred and squandered to fuel insatiable consumption.
His latest appeal to save the planet for future generations came in a address to some 150,000 youths in Sydney after he rode through the city's harbor standing on the outdoor deck of a white ferry as dozens of boats blew their horns.
"Reluctantly we come to acknowledge that there are also scars which mark the surface of our earth, erosion, deforestation, the squandering of the world's mineral and ocean resources in order to fuel an insatiable consumption," he told the cheering crowd.
The 81-year-old pope appeared in good form as he started the official part of his trip after three days of rest. He chatted with young people on the ferry and stepped off sprightly to receive a bear hug welcome by an Aboriginal on the dock.
He told the young people, some of whom had come from island nations threatened by rising sea levels or drought-hit nations such as Australia, that protecting the environment was "of vital importance to humanity."
--snip--
"It is as though one catches glimpses of the Genesis creation story -- light and darkness, the sun and the moon, the waters, the earth and living creatures," he said.
In a welcoming speech to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Thursday morning, the pope said: "It is appropriate to reflect upon the kind of world we are handing on to future generations."
--snip--
APOLOGY TO ABORIGINES PRAISED
The pope also praised Australia for apologizing for past injustices to Aborigines, saying it was a courageous move to repair race relations and offered hope to the rest of the world.
Rudd officially apologized to Aborigines in February.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Far be it from me to criticize the Pope, but the palace he lives in and the house I live in? Really, I have a much smaller impact on the earth.
Pope Benedict XVI waves to pilgrims as he passes the Sydney Opera House in his Popemoblie after addressing thousands at Barangaroo on his first day of official duties during World Youth Day activities, July 17, 2008. REUTERS/Will Burgess
The Vatican is going green big-time in an attempt to neutralize its carbon footprint, going solar and wind I think, it isn’t mentioned in this piece, recall it being mentioned elsewhere earlier, will post it if it I see it.
Another article from a dubious news source states that “people” are calling Pope Benedict the “Green Pope”. And quoted him saying that the many people attending the World Youth Day come from island nations threatened by “rising oceans”.
Ugh.
Et tu Pontiff?
Ugh. I dont think the Pope realizes he is casting his lot with the Ted Turner types who want to see the earth down to 100 - 250 million.
Who would The Pope euthanize/abort to get to ‘sustainable’ development.
Concerned Catholic
I’m not Catholic, not particularly a big fan of the Pope. I do think it is unfortunate when leaders take this type of approach.
It’s really just code for damn the U.S. We are viewed as the parias of the planet because of our consumption. People don’t understand that we consume more, because we have pretty danged good standard of living.
As long as there are humans, those humans will be using resources. Life’s a real B sometimes.
right. ‘as long as there are humans’. Does the Pope not see the contradiction here?
Do you own a Popemobile?
I don't, sorry to say.
Who or what made the Pope seriously “drink the man-made global warming cool aid”?
As noted, no disrespect intended at all. I’m just getting a little tired of being told what cr*ppy human beings we all are, when there’s no conclusive evidence whatever of manmade global warming, climate change, or whatever the latest buzz phrase for “pay us money” is.
“We’ll inherit the earth...but we don’t want it”
—The Replacements
The Pope could start by setting a good example: like taking a slow boat to China, America, or wherever. A 100% sailboat would show his concern. A solar powered Popemobile, too. Bike or horseback would suffice for village to village travel. No more jets and Mercedes.
Not really a surprise to me. But I still get creeped out reading his comments.
I think the guy means well, but he seems to have watched Al’s “Incovenient Truth” a few times to many.
On the subject of consu,erism -- I wonder what airline he flew cabin class on to get from his shanty in old shantytown to Australia.
Question: Did the Pope tell these young people to “call on the name of the Lord and be saved”? Did he tell them that the lake of fire is their destiny if they do not?
If he had said that it would have been worth something, instead he tells a bunch of lost people things that mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme (because earth has been in bondage to decay since the Fall and is going to be destroyed by God with fire).
Dear friends, life is not governed by chance; it is not random. Your very existence has been willed by God, blessed and given a purpose (cf. Gen 1:28)! Life is not just a succession of events or experiences, helpful though many of them are. It is a search for the true, the good and the beautiful. It is to this end that we make our choices; it is for this that we exercise our freedom; it is in this – in truth, in goodness, and in beauty – that we find happiness and joy. Do not be fooled by those who see you as just another consumer in a market of undifferentiated possibilities, where choice itself becomes the good, novelty usurps beauty, and subjective experience displaces truth.
Christ offers more! Indeed he offers everything! Only he who is the Truth can be the Way and hence also the Life. Thus the “way” which the Apostles brought to the ends of the earth is life in Christ. This is the life of the Church. And the entrance to this life, to the Christian way, is Baptism.
And if you're Catholic, and find yourself disagreeing with the Pope, then you might consider that it is you who need to change, not him.
Unless the Pope is speaking Ex cathedra, all bets are off. I can understand respecting the office, but when the Pope jumps into the world of economics and environmentalism he's stepping way outside the bounds of infallibility.
If he makes statements like this, he should expect criticism. That is not disrespect. I have said on this board that I don't care for the Catholic church because of some of its liberal positions, and this is one more example of why I don't. The Pope made a very liberal statement with this. He deserves criticism.
I believe in freedom. If people want materialism, that is their choice. I fight it every day in my own life (try not to get sucked into buying bigger and more than I need). But I am not going to use the government to do it, and I do not think it is a good idea for a religious leader to be supporting the Marxist position.
I don’t know about “scarred and squandered” but I certainly think that young people are inheriting a world gone mad.
“I previously stated I would hold comment until reading the Pope’s full statement. I recommend that you do the same.”
Thank you, good advice. I was encouraged to read those further remarks. I’m not Catholic, but am obsessed with the Fall. It is such a pivotal part of the human story and gives lie to all offers of an Eden here and now. The Pope should be hammering his audiences with their need for Christ and let lesser issues go. Mankind needs Jesus, not a cleaner earth.
Just because he is not speaking Ex Cathedra, doesn't give you free reign to ignore or disregard his statements. He is the Pope, afterall, in direct succession from Peter who Jesus founded the Church upon. You might want to give him a little extra credence, especially if you think you disagree with him.
You just stated that Pope Benedict supports a Marxist position. You should retract that. Pope Benedict is not calling for the end of freedom. He is encouraging the world to not buy into rampant materialism.
Agreed. When he starts speaking the anti-war language or the Green language, he shows his "fallible" side.
No one should think another person never makes a mistake. Since the Pope influences so many he obviously has political power and one should be careful about embracing every word he says as Gospel truth IMO.
Whether you are catholic or not and you find yourself disagreeing with the Pope, then you might also consider that you are right, and that he can be wrong.
I’m not claiming that the Pope is always right. But I suggest that if you’re Catholic, you shouldn’t be so quick to ignore his statements.
Hogwash! The Apostles never claimed they had any expertise other than in Christ. What does an expert in doctrine know about economics or environmentalism.
This is the same as an actor or singer speaking off topic. Unless it's the Good News, the Pope is speaking off topic and has no special authority.
I will admit that living according to God's truths do have an impact on our Earthly lives, but this is just plain silly.
What exactly is this much complained of “rempant materialism?”
Well, I’m not a Catholic so I can be objective about his errors.
Agreed. This also means that the Pope should know when to keep his mouth shut. His private views are not infallible but they could influence a great many. His words have weight and as such they should be more measured than most.
Oh? Just because you accept all of that controversial stuff, and accept that he is infallible, DOES NOT mean that everone else is not free to ignore and disregard his pronouncements.
You didn't just go there, did you? Come on. Really? If we look historically... never mind. It's too easy...
A spelling mistake?
I’m sorry that you hate the Pope. Maybe someday you will get beyond your pride, and see the Truth.
I was talking to Catholics. Re-read my comments.
I don’t hate the Pope, but the arrogance really bothers me. During the little ice age, Pope Innocent VIII claimed that witches were the cause of the weather problems. You’d think they’d learn, but they never do.
Well, I'm not a Catholic -- and I'm been following the global warming/climate change/whatever fraud for years now, and when I find another convert to that foolishness, I see no virtue whatsoever in wasting time in saying what I think of such statements. He has ever right in the world to his opinion, as have I; even the right to be wrong.
I’ll wait and read a transcript rather then believe Yahoo by way of Reuters. We all know how the MSM can misquote or quote out of context.
Yep. And I'll bet you have made one of two in your lifetime, too.
Whatever.
The Pope is arguing against unchecked materialism and its affect on our planet. You don’t have to believe in global warming or be Catholic to see that frenzied consumerism is really just another form of idol worship. It is placing the desire for “things” ahead of God.
I agree with you. I applaud the Pope (and any religious leader) for encouraging us to be wise stewards of the earth and treat it with respect, as it was created by God for us.
One doesn’t need to subscribe to the man-made global warming myth to be a conscientious conservationist.
I can think of much more important issues for the Pope to address. But of course, this topic is certainly much more politically correct than, say, speaking out against abortion or homosexuality.
That's another thing the Pope did wrong IMO.
It's not wise to go to Australia, which has gone socialist, and talk about "unchecked materialism" which is Marxist-speak and red meat for the left.
They love anti-capitalist messages like this in socialist countries. The "affect on our planet" is exactly why the Pelosi's in Congress won't drill, for example, even though its all demogoguery and just a way to keep people from being freed by capitalism.
I would prefer a message conducive to prosperity, not one which is anti-consumer aka anti-capitalist.
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