Vatican decries ecological crisis as 'sin against creation'

Vatican's International Theological Commission decried the world's current ecological emergency as a "sin against creation," Italian daily La Repubblica reported Friday.

The consultative body of the Holy See issued a new document revealed by La Repubblica, denouncing the ecological crisis and calling for urgent action.

The commission warned Christians relate to God not only in liturgy or prayer but also when they sow seeds, cut down forests, extract minerals or dump toxic waste.

"For this reason, it is not consistent with the logic of faith to belittle or exclude the ecological question, branding it as something foreign to the Christian faith itself," it said.

The commission noted that their relationship with nature is "a constitutive dimension" of their relationship with God as well.

"It is urgent to listen to the shocking cry of the earth: in the voice of the oceans and rivers that are falling ill, of the plant and animal species that are disappearing or are about to do so, of the forests that are being drained of blood, of the glaciers and polar ice caps that are becoming extinct," it said.

The statement then pointed out the tragic link between "the cry of the earth" and "the cry of the poor" who suffer most from the consequences of the mistreatment of the planet.

"We propose to understand this sin against our common home," the commission added, "as a sin against creation and against the Creator."

The commission further called for urgent action "in favor of the sustainability of the planet and the habitability of our common home."

"It is not only an ethical requirement, but also a theological one," it added.