Infinite Dignity: A Privilege To Care For Creation 

- Fr. Ricopar Royan 

Jesus Desired Dignity for the Undesirable

God-given human dignity was elevated by Jesus. Through the Incarnation, He confirmed that each person possesses immeasurable dignity simply by belonging to the human community, and He remained a defender of the last, the least and the lost until the end. The poor and oppressed lived without wealth, without power, and were emaciated by malnutrition and extreme misery. They were victims of abuse and mistreatment by those in power, with no defence against the powerful. In short, 'nobody cares for them-they were like sheep without a shepherd.

For Jesus, they were not an anonymous mass; they had faces. He preferred the dehumanized. For Him, to establish the reign of God, the first priority was the dignity of the least. The lowest stratum of Galilean society not only lacked everything, but they were also condemned to live in shame, totally deprived of honour and dignity. They were nobodies. If they disappeared, no one would miss them. At this point, Jesus introduced His revolutionary code the compassionate code- which would lead to a loving society, welcoming and including everyone. In God's reign, no one should be humiliated, excluded, or separated from the community. Jesus broke down the cultural and cultic barriers, restoring dignity to those who were on the margins of society through His healing and bonding. He proclaimed that we have an 'Abba Father' who embraces everybody: tax collectors, prostitutes, women, children, lepers, the sick, strangers, and widows. This is the legacy handed down to us.

Not Two Problems, One

A person endowed with dignity is called to listen to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth. The very fact that they are crying indicates that they are not living to their full potential. Both the crying human and the groaning creation are stripped of their worth and existence. When we speak of the environment, we need to understand the relationship between nature and the human society that lives within it. Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live. We are part of nature and thus in constant interaction with it.

The human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together. We cannot combat environmental degradation unless we attend to the causes related to human and social degradation. The impact of the present imbalances in the environment affects the most vulnerable people on the planet. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature. Intervention in one area enhances the other. We need to view the environment through the lens of human dignity and experience, rather than solely through the lens of hard science. Only then can we realize that our natural environment is inextricably linked to human dignity, and harming it exacerbates social disparities.

 Human rights and the environment are intrinsically intertwined: a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is essential for the enjoyment of our human rights. On 28 July 2022, the United Nations General Assembly declared that everyone on the planet has a right to a healthy environment. In the same way, the expression of our human dignity is fully realized only when we uphold the intrinsic value and worth of every created being.

 Privilege Becomes a Responsibility

With the privilege of living in harmony with creation comes the profound responsibility to protect and sustain it for future generations. Our duty extends beyond mere stewardship; it requires conscious action to ensure that the dignity of all living beings and the environment is preserved and honored.

 Responsibility to Future Generations:

What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us? We cannot leave an uninhabitable planet to the future generation and ask them to mend it. My worth rests in how I hand over Creation' to the next generation, with all the species of today alive and protected. Pope John Paul II tells us, "Respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of creation, which is called to join humans in praising God." The way we treat the environment influences the way we treat ourselves and vice versa. As stewards of their heritage, we have an obligation to respect their dignity and to pass on their natural inheritance so that their lives are protected and, if possible, made better than our own. This responsibility extends not only to the human generation but to the generations of all creatures and habitats.

 Responsibly Simple:

Pope Francis says,  "Purchasing is always a moral act-not simply economic." Today, economic productivity has made it necessary to make consumption our way of life, even going so far as to say that the very meaning and significance of our lives today are defined by consumption. But humankind has consumed more natural resources, also sending many species to extinction, in the past five decades than in all previous human history. Economists must begin to acknowledge that this system, driven by an insatiable grasping for more, is killing the planet. It is time to live up to Gandhi's plea, "Live simply so that others (including other species) may simply live."

Let me conclude with another episode involving Yannah (now 8 years old). It was homework time. She needed to complete a worksheet. Mother reads the question, "Write examples of two living beings found in your house?" Yannah: "Ants and lizards." Mother: "You can also write about parents, siblings, and me, right?" Yannah: "Now everyone knows I have parents and a sibling in my house. No one knows I have ants and a lizard in my house." The little environmentalist, who wouldn't want to kill ants or scare us: look around, lizards, tells recognize, respect, care, and uphold your dignity in all circumstances.

Fr. Ricopar Royan is a Salesian of Don Bosco from the Province of Tiruchy, India. Currently, he is the Rector & Director of Don Bosco Care Home, Salem and South Asia Coordinator of Don Bosco Green Alliance. He has authored a book on eco-spirituality: Twelve Baskets Full: Walking Green with Jesus' Gaze.