During the Season of Creation 2024 the General Office of JPIC will be sharing various Franciscan experiences in the world on integral ecology. We begin with the Custody of the Holy Land.
During the JPIC visits throughout the mission of the Custody of the Holy Land, emphasis regarding formation and education on the issues of integral ecology have been an important theme at each conference. The main thrust has been towards the house of formation and the young people in our schools and parishes.
The theme being used for the World Day of Prayer for the care of creation: “Hope and Act with Creation” drew its inspiration from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans (Rom 8:19-25). In his message, Pope Francis encourages “to live an incarnational faith, one that can enter into the suffering and hope-filled “flesh” of others; to join forces to help to rethink, “amongst other things, the question of human power, its meaning, and its limits; to extend harmony among humanity and to creation in the sense of responsibility for a humane and integral ecology, the path of salvation of our common home“.
The programmes in all the schools of the Custody are well developed regarding attention to climate change and the need to care for God’s creation, this is evident in the art work that is expressed in the public areas of the school. This culminates on the feast of St Francis of Assisi when in many of the schools the children act out the life of St Francis and his love for creation and the creator.
There has been great progress in the use of solar energy both for providing hot water and electricity. These panels have been placed on the roofs of the monasteries, social centres, and also on the houses of the local people in the Holy Land, Syria and Lebanon. This has been of enormous benefit to all but especially in Syria and Lebanon where power are common. This has not only improved the lives of the people but also reduced the consumption of fossil fuels. All new constructions in the Custody now include projects that included solar energy.
Every effort has been made to clean out and bring back into use the wells and water cisterns that exit in many of the monasteries. Rainwater is collected in the restored water cisterns in many of the monasteries now.
Water tanks are being erected on the roofs of the monasteries and the houses of the people. It enables careful use and monitoring of water used and is proving successful and is much appreciated.
Many of the monasteries during the time of Covid began to reuse the vegetable gardens. Some houses cultivate huge quantities of fruit and vegetables that can be used in the surrounding houses. The rearing of chickens and other livestock has also become popular again.
Fr John Luke ofm
JPIC Commission of the Custody of the Holy Land
