Excerpts of reflections from the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, first published in 2006. The following article was published in the May-June 2022 edition of NewsNotes.
WATER is its own reality, a dimension of planet Earth, ancient and life-giving. … All the water now in circulation has been here since the planet was first formed, no more, no less. So water, having maintained its integrity over eons of time, has its own story to tell and plays its own role in the on-going cosmic venture. …
WATER is the common heritage of all creation as it is an essential dimension of the journey of life. No single species nor any region of Earth, no economic class nor political party, can claim water as its own. …
WATER is an “endangered species,” its purity, nurturing power, free-flow and availability for all under attack. Due to human activity, water is being poisoned by massive dumpings, polluted by excessive run-off. On every continent, it is dammed and re-directed, robbed from the poor, wasted by the rich and ignored as an essential element that belongs to all creation. …
WATER is both a sacred gift and a central symbol in all religious traditions. For Christians, water is essential to the initiation ritual that invites a new person into the beloved community of all life and into the Christian family. ... When water is neither pure nor clean its ability to carry such symbolic weight is threatened.
WATER concerns are front and center across the globe as enlightened peoples awaken to this crisis. … The task is monumental and urgent.
Our way forward
… As Maryknoll embraces this new vision of community and offers its gifts to help address the many problems that face our sister water on all continents, three principles have emerged to guide us.
Principle #1: For the common good
… In every instance where water is endangered and Maryknoll is engaged in addressing the matter, we should be guided by Catholic social teaching on the common good, namely, that the “goods of the earth are meant for all.” …
Principle #2: Participation
… “[I]n light of our broadened sense of the earth community, our call for participation must go beyond the demands of the human community to ensure that the rights of the natural world are also represented at the table. …
Principle #3: Accountability
… To insist that leadership answer to the people and the full community of life is non-negotiable.…Accountability to the local community can restore the trust and confidence of the people and guarantee an outcome for the good of all creation.
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