Myanmar: Cardinal Bo warns of impending ecological holocaust

Cardinal Charles Bo

Myanmar Cardinal Charles Maung Bo has warned of the dangers of global warming, unless the world takes action now.

In his reflection on the anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si' Cardinal Bo said: "We are in a critical moment of human history. Faith without action is an empty faith, the Apostle James warns. All our pious convictions require real actions. Martin Luther King used to say: 'Some are guilty and everyone is responsible'. Our silence, our inaction can be a collusion. The Encyclical Laudato Sì calls to action, not to new encounters. This is the moment of action. We must act now, and act together for the world to face ecological holocaust."

"The world has seen saw great holocausts in its history, the last was the nuclear holocaust in Japan. Now there are the first warnings of an ecological holocaust. I base my statement on the World Bank data and scientific institutes about global warming."

Cardinal Bo observes: "By 2050, there will be 150 million people desperate for the lack of a glass of water. Vast areas of Asia and Africa will see global warming at an apocalyptic level, which will cause water wars, food wars. The poor will be the main victims. The life of democracies will be in danger due to resource wars within countries and across continents. Millions will be ecological refugees. We have listened to these predictions. But the unsustainable lifestyle of rich countries does not change. Rich countries, with a population of only 6% of the world, produce 30% of greenhouse gases."

Talking about Myanmar, the Archbishop of Yangon notes that "the country is the second in the global risk index. We are the second most vulnerable nation to global warming. We are at risk of cyclones, earthquakes, floods. We have buried over 200,000 victims due to natural disasters in the last decade. Many were poor. We are victims of global warming". "This - he continues - is ecological terrorism. The few powerful of this world decide who should live and who should die. This asymmetrical attack on poor nations by rich nations is terrorism, it is genocide and must be defined as a crime against humanity."

"The Church is the guardian of human dignity. The Church is a community that speaks for the weak and the vulnerable. Speaking of uncomfortable truths is part of the mandate to be Church today.

"Laudato Sì is a far-sighted call for a new world war against the greed of multinationals, governments and the rich minority that destroys God's creation for money and power. Christianity is not afraid to talk with the powers. We must act now together with all men of good will, civil society, with other religions. We need to develop a theology on 'ecological sins' and also on the 'sacraments of nature': water, earth, air and fire as the most sacred gifts of the Creator".

He concludes: "The Church must develop an alliance against the evil axis of money and arrogance. We have this ethical mandate."