November 23, 2015, 7:24p.m. – “EVERYONE is connected.”
Integral ecology is the key to understanding Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato `Si,” the head of the Filipino Dominican province said in a seminar marking the 25th anniversary of the Philippine Dominican Studentate at Santo Domingo Church last Nov. 21.
Fr. Gerard Francisco Timoner III, O.P., prior provincial of the Dominican Province of the Philippines, said the papal encyclical went beyond environment issues in his talk titled “Pope Francis and Laudato Si: Renewing the Care for Creation.”
“There is a social kind of myopia that leads to indifference. We are all connected in God. This is the hermeneutic key in understanding Laudato Si,” said Fr. Timoner, a member of the Vatican’s International Theological Commission.
“Integral ecology is not just about our correct relationship with nature, but it is also about the correctness of all our relationships,” he added.
The seminar on “justice, peace and care of creation,” titled “Pulong-Pulutan,” was organized by the Katarungan ng Diyos ang Ugat ng Payapang Adhikain (Kadaupan), an arm of the Dominican Studentate, the student-brothers of Santo Domingo Convent.
Last June 18, the Pope released the 184-page encyclical that called on the faithful to combat environmental degradation as well as human and social degradation.
After the talk, an exhibit showcasing 25 years of Filipino Dominican preaching was presented to the public. Lea Mat P. Vicencio
