Sto. Niño devotees urged to pray for the environment

CEBU, Philippines - Devotees of Señor Sto. Niño are urged to also include in their personal prayers that the society be rid of the "evil" that has continually destroyed it.

By "evil," Fr. Tito Soquiño, who was the presiding homilist in last Tuesday's Mass for the environment, was referring to all sorts of practices that have caused environmental degradation.

"Today, there is a need for exorcism to drive the evil in our society that continues to destroy our environment. In a sense we need an environmental exorcism," said Soquiño.

With this, Soquiño, who is also president of the environmental group Knight-Stewards of the Sea, Inc. (or the Seaknights), appealed to the thousands of the devotees of the Sto. Niño gathered at the Basilica's pilgrim area, to also include the healing of the environment in their prayers.

"We should also connect our devotion to the Sto. Niño to the social issue of the day to remind us that our devotion is not just something personal and private. Our novena, dagkot, procession, panaad, dili lang unta personal kundili naay katilingbanon, nga atong ihalad kang Sr. Sto. Niño," he said.

Last Tuesday was the second year that the Basilica included in the celebration of the feast of the Holy Child the Mass for the environment, which Soquiño describes as "something new."

Soquiño also said the people have to take it seriously the adverse effects of a degraded environment, citing the 2009 flood in Luzon brought by Typhoon Ondoy that killed hundreds of people, the earthquake in Haiti, the climate change, flashfloods due to deforestation, among others.

"This activity's message is that the environmental degradation is above us," he added.

He also reminded the people that destroying the environment are also a form of a sin, for destroying the creation of God, they must confess. He however said that of the hundreds or thousands of people who have confessed to him, only one has repented for illegally cutting a tree.

And this Sunday, the environment will once again be a victim because of the tons of trash that will be thrown all over the streets. And some of these, especially the plastics, will be carried to the ocean and join that big island of garbage in the Pacific.

"How many more trashes will keep on piling up after the Sinulog? But we seem to not care about this," he said.

Soquiño said this is also what the Pope wants all Christians to do, that he chose the theme: "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation," quoting his message, "it is imperative that mankind renew and strengthen the covenant between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the creative love of God, from whom we come and towards whom we are journeying."/WAB (FREEMAN)