Message from Diocesan Office for Human Development
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
At the local level Bishop Bernard Paul had issued a directive on 20 August 2019 for the diocese and all parishes to move towards “Becoming an Ecological Diocese and Parish”. Together with this, he wants us to put in place a Zero-Waste Management system and grow in the spirituality of “Caring for our Common Home.”.
Can we rise up to these challenges as Catholics in Malacca-Johore Diocese? How do we living and working in the Malacca-Johore Diocese make Laudato Si a living document that is effective both in our public and private life? Pope Francis tells us that all creation “cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of goods which God has endowed her…” (Laudato Si, 2).
How do we hear its calls to recognise the “Cry of the Earth, and Cry of the Poor”?
The DOHD is slowly moving to review and develop its activities with the poor, the marginalised, and all creation. While charity will always be the mark of a Christian, but as a Christian community we cannot stop at charity. We must move on to embrace “an integral development of the whole person and every person.” I invite all the parish offices of human development (POHD) and ministries to take this same path. Let us collaborate to make this goal a success for our diocese.
A number of activities are suggested here for children, youth, adults. The first year begins with awarenessbuilding. We must undo some of the false beliefs we have that natural resources are infinite, that we are entitled to anything we want, that we can just use things and people and throw them when we are bored with them.
May this season of Lent lead us to the Spiritual & Ecological conversion that recognises that the world is God’s loving gift, and that we are all intimately connected to all of creation.
In Communion
Msgr. Michael Mannayagam
Head, Office for Human Development Malacca-Johore Diocese
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