MANILA, Philippines - Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle reminded people at the Manila Observatory yesterday that the Earth is a gift and not a possession.
Speaking during the Forum on Laudato Si’, the Papal Encyclical on Care for our Common Home, Tagle said humans are not owners of the Earth but mere stewards.
“Human life is grounded in relationships with neighbors and the Earth. Earth is a gift not a possession. God possess it. We are not the owners, we are stewards,” the Cardinal said.
In the encyclical, Cardinal Tagle also said Pope Francis discussed that some people have the notion that they possess full dominion of nature and believe that they are the “boss” and have the right to disregard laws, principles and the truth.
“We need to recover a sense of sensible stewardship,” he added during the three-hour forum at the Ateneo de Manila in Quezon City.