June 27 2022
Dear People of God
We are living at a very critical time in human history which will determine whether or not current and future generations will have a viable planet to live on.
The sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has sounded a Code Red warning to humankind. We are due to hit 1.5oC of warming within the 2030s and this will spell increased compounded disasters as well as terrible shortages of fresh water and food.
Alongside this, plastic pollution is choking the planet. The plastic industry is driven by the fossil fuel industry which is warming our world to death.
Since 2020, the dioceses of Malaysia have faithfully celebrated the PROTECT OUR EARTH, PROTECT OUR CHILDREN (PROTEC) CAMPAIGN which starts with the SEASON OF CREATION each September. PROTEC runs for 5 years from 2020 to 2025 with a different theme each year.
The theme of the 2022 Season of Creation (1 Sept to 4 Oct 2022) is: “Listen to the Voice of Creation” because innocent creation is suffering due to human actions. 1 September was declared by Pope Francis in 2015 as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
The theme for the PROTEC Campaign Year 3 is: Stop Plastic Pollution. This theme runs for one year from 1 Sept. 2022 to 31 Aug. 2023. PROTEC YEAR 3 will be launched on 31 August 2022 in Kota Kinabalu with a Holy Mass followed by a series of events in Keningau. We are very grateful to Archbishop John Wong, Bishop Cornelius Piong and Bishop Julius Dusin Gitom for kindly hosting/ supporting these celebrations. We thank the Creation Justice Commissions of the three dioceses of Kota Kinabalu, Keningau and Sandakan for taking the lead in jointly organizing the launch events and overseeing the promotion of PROTEC YEAR 3 for the full year.
The Episcopal Commission for Creation Justice of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei earnestly calls on all the faithful in all our dioceses to fully celebrate the Season of Creation and the PROTEC Campaign this year and in succeeding years. There is no time to lose if we are to “save mankind from self-destruction” (Laudato Si’ 79). May the Holy Spirit embolden us all to right and consistent action.
“Choose life that you and your children may live.” (Deut. 30:19)
Yours in Christ,
Rt. Rev. Bishop Joseph Hii
President, Episcopal Commission for Creation Justice of Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei
