Pope Francis

The world is constantly changing. Not a day passes without hearing of a new invention. People live in an insane routine of consumption and pleasure which appears to have no limits.

But that is just the impression . . .

A small virus has brought vital corrections to our turbulent lives. People have been given an opportunity to pause and think anew about life’s worth. The entire planet has cowered before such a microscopic, yet global threat. For nearly a year now, eminent scholars of the most advanced nations of the world are striving to find a solution to this virus, but unfortunately there is still no effective remedy.

Could it be that the answer is actually much simpler? Yes, it is necessary and extremely important to find a cure for COVID-19, but, possibly, this is precisely the moment for us to look at the root of the problem . . .

Pope Francis suggests that the problem lies in that “We have broken the ties that bind us to the Creator, other people and all creation.” Pope Francis bitterly observes: “We deplete the resources of the planet, squeezing it as if it were an orange.” Already five years ago, in the encyclical “Laudato Si”, he implored humanity to protect our common home. His prescription for saving the person and the world is simple and effective: renew the lost connections to our Creator and praise God through your life in your treatment of your neighbour and all creation. Living in the spirit of “Laudato Si” will help to free us from many modern-day problems and prevent them in the future.

Bureau of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church for Ecology