KENYA: Intellectual Discipline and Technological Advancement, Tools for Ecological Conversion: AMECEA Secretary General says
Sr. Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
During Laudato Si’ Monthly prayer held on Friday, April 9, AMECEA Secretary General Fr. Anthony Makunde has encouraged proper use of intellectual discipline and scientific advancements to help improve the current environmental degradation facing the world.
Sharing the April scriptural reflection with members of Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM), an international coalition of Catholics from various nations and continents across the globe, united by the Catholic faith and works in various roles and organizations on climate change issues, the guest speaker Rev. Fr. Anthony Makunde observed that humanity has the responsibility to restore nature.
“In order for the creation to experience that level of redemption and reach that point of singularity in this digital era, one thing must be realized: our use of the intellectual disciplines and scientific advancements can only add up to God’s salvific project if used to improve this pathetic state in which Mother Earth finds herself today,” the Secretary General of Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA) disclosed while sharing with online participants from various continents during the prayer session.
Basing his reflection on the theme “Resurrected Christ: Triumph over the Cross, Triumph of Creation,” Fr Makunde said during this Easter season, “We are called to make deliberate decisions to improve the environmental condition and stop human rights infringement.”
The global Laudato Si’ prayer gathering is prepared monthly by GCCM leadership, an event meant to provide opportunities for all members to feel inspired and connected, and to support each other as the movement keeps working for climate justice and ecological conversion all over the world.
Additionally the prayer gatherings feature guest speakers from various continents and an interactive prayer with movement members from every corner of the globe.
Speaking as guest speaker for April and from the continent of Africa, Fr. Makunde who hails from Tanzania shared in his reflection that, “Easter celebration is a wakeup call to all followers of Christ to work for the restoration of that original peaceful and harmonious relationship that we share with nature.”
He added in relation to Apostle Paul, “The victory of Jesus over death is indeed the victory of the entire creation, destined not only to liberate part of God’s creation but to restore the entire universe to original harmony with God its creator.”
The cleric echoed Pope Francis’ message in his Encyclical letter Laudato Si that “human life is grounded on three fundamentally and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbor and with the earth itself,” and added that this “relationship was suddenly disrupted by original sin and further destroyed, particularly in the modern times, by antagonism, oppression, exploitation, abuse, slavery and all that which destroys nature.”
He therefore calls upon humanity to emulate Jesus who lived in full harmony with creation by respecting God’s creation through intellectual discipline and making use of technology in this digital era for the good of the environment.
