Pope Says Young Inheriting Scarred, Squandered Earth
AUSTRALIA: July 18, 2008
SYDNEY - 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
harbour 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".
The pope recalled how his long flight from Rome last weekend, he marvelled
at the sparkle of the Mediterranean, the grandeur of the north Africa
desert, the lushness of Asia's forests and the vastness of the Pacific
Ocean.
"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".
Australia, one of the world's highest per capita greenhouse emitters due to
coal-fired power stations, is in the grip of the worst drought in 100 years
and is struggling to save its major river system that feeds the nation's
food belt.
APOLOGY TO ABORIGINES PRAISED
The pope also praised Australia for apologising 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 apologised to Aborigines in February.
Australia's 460,000 Aborigines make up about 2 percent of the country's 21
million population and have consistently higher rates of unemployment,
substance abuse and domestic violence, as well as a life expectancy 17 years
less than other Australians.
The pope thanked Aborigines for a traditional welcoming ceremony and
acknowledged Aborigines are the first people of Australia.
"I am deeply moved to stand on your land, knowing the suffering and
injustices it has borne, but aware too of the healing and hope that are now
at work...," he said.
The Catholic Church hopes World Youth Day, the brainchild of the late Pope
John Paul II, will revitalise the world's young Catholics at a time when the
cult of the individual and consumerism has become big distractions in their
lives.
The pope said the "social world" also had scars, highlighting alcohol and
drug abuse, violence and sexual degradation. He questioned how the media's
portrayal of violence and sexual exploitation can be considered
"entertainment".
He warned young pilgrims "do not be fooled by those who see you as just
another consumer". (Additional reporting by Michael Perry; Editing by Alex
Richardson)
Story by Philip Pullella
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
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