"Cultivating man for developing him, the whole man, all men: it is the challenge before us, when we meditate over climate change", said Card. Renato Raffaele Martino, president of the Papal Council of Justice and Peace today, while he opened the works of the international seminary on "Climate Change and Development", lasting until tomorrow, in the Vatican, by initiative of the papal ministry. As for the necessary balance to be accomplished between the needs of environmental defence and the needs for development of the poorest peoples, the social doctrine of the Church according to the cardinal has plenty of suggestions, as shown by the "very pertinent and instructive" lesson in the first chapters of the Bible, admonishing us that man’s dominion over creation (decided by God) must not be despotic or insane: on the other hand, man must "cultivate and preserve" crated goods. In accordance with the social doctrine of the Church, included in the relevant Compendium published by the Vatican ministry, environment defence, "for development, too recalled Martino, is a common and universal duty, within respect for collective goods destined to everybody". In this perspective, he concluded, "consumers and industrial operators are asked for a higher sense of responsibility in their behaviours".
