MISEREOR: "To protect God’s creation so that all can live!"

Wednesday, 25 February 2009, 06:13

The Catholic charitable organization MISEREOR in Lent is beginning to collect offerings under the motto «To protect God’s creation so that all can live!» Thus the charitable organization which was founded by the German bishops in 1958 to fight the spread of hunger and illness through the whole world wants to specify the connection of many social and ecological problems and to make a significant contribution to their solution. The ecological crisis changes the Earth, God’s creation is in danger as is simultaneously the basis and pre-conditions of life of all people: deserts spread, storms and gales become more frequent, waves of unacceptable heat become more frequent and protracted; floods cause catastrophic consequences. The most negative consequences of the climatic changes are observed in the southern continents. Here people often feel the sharp deficit of food, against the background of which the loss of harvest has caused a misbalance of the climatic system, making a significant danger for life. The collection of the charitable offerings of MISEREOR will take place during the Liturgy on Sunday, March 29, in all Catholic churches of Germany (last year as part of this action more than 21 million euros were collected). At the same time all the rest of Lent is at the disposition of Christians for the consideration of their own lifestyle, to open their hearts to the needy of this world and to activate our solidarity to the poor who are possibly not only somewhere far on other continent, but often quite close. The financial offerings will be invested in projects of self-help for the poor, so they can avoid the tragic consequences of the social and ecological crisis and provide bases for their lives. The German bishops call for generous donations: «All have to be in a position to live a life worthy of a human being. Unite with the poor and suffering of this world for the preservation of all creation».

Information Service
of the Bureau of the UGCC on Questions of Ecology