Monsignor Ulloa: caring for creation requires concrete actions, social justice, and Panamanian civic commitment

The message links territorial degradation with loneliness and loss of direction, and calls for public decisions that place life and the common good at the center.

2 septembre 2026 par

Luz Marina Medina Garavito

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The environmental crisis and its impact on the lives of communities are at the heart of the message issued by the Integral Ecology Section of the Social Pastoral Ministry of the Argentine Episcopal Conference on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

From September 1 through October 4, the universal Church invites us to view the environmental crisis as a challenge that threatens the life of the planet and human relationships.

The message proposes recognizing that deserts are encroaching not only on territories but also on people’s lives. The loss of connections, loneliness, and a sense of meaninglessness are part of that inner barrenness which, as the document reflects, leads us to affirm that “what is ruined in our surroundings is, in some way, also ruined within us.”

The concept of “inner deserts” allows the document to put a human face on the ecological crisis. Loneliness, a loss of meaning, and a lack of hope are part of a reality that calls for—along with the protection of ecosystems—a renewed culture of care.

A responsibility that reaches all of society

The Argentine Church also turns its attention to those who make decisions that affect local communities and their residents. Government officials, legislators, and judges are called upon to prioritize the common good and promote measures that ensure environmental and social justice, although the responsibility for caring for creation extends to all citizens.

Caring for creation, the Argentine Church maintains, is also built through everyday decisions. “Every citizen can contribute from their own position through simple yet meaningful actions,” states the message, which warns against an economic model that prioritizes profit and consumption over the needs of people and the environment.

The message challenges a model that equates progress with producing more, consuming more, and achieving greater results. In contrast to this view, it advocates for a conception of development in which people’s well-being and care for nature are essential criteria.

Water, territories, and peoples that safeguard life

Water degradation ceases to be merely an environmental problem when its effects impact communities’ food supply, health, and living conditions. For this reason, the message calls for curbing pollution in rivers, seas, and oceans and advancing policies on waste reduction, recycling, and environmental restoration.

The environmental crisis, the document argues, also requires us to pay attention to communities that live in close connection with the land. Indigenous peoples, small farmers, and rural residents view the land as an integral part of their identity and history; therefore, the land is recognized as “mother and sister,” rather than simply a resource to be exploited

In this Franciscan Jubilee Year, St. Francis of Assisi once again emerges as a figure capable of inspiring a new relationship with nature, one based on brotherhood and respect. The document also includes Pope Leo XIV’s invitation to “transform the wound into life” and concludes with a phrase that captures its urgency: “Let us care for the planet. We have no other.”