The 50th SIGNIS Indonesian General Assembly, held at the Sisters of Mount Carmel Retreat House in Ruteng, highlighted the urgent need for media to promote a holistic approach to ecology.
July 11, 2024
SIGNIS Indonesia members pose for the camera and showcase their commitment to environmental sustainability by planting avocado and flamboyant trees during the 50th SIGNIS Indonesia General Assembly held at Maria Mother Retreat House, Carmel, Ruteng. Photo courtesy of Signis Indonesia
Rutian: The 50th SIGNIS Indonesian General Assembly, held at the Sisters of Mount Carmel Retreat House in Ruteng, highlighted the urgent need for media to promote a holistic approach to ecology.
The meeting, themed “Media and Pastoral Integral Ecology: Working Together to Build a Perfect and Harmonious Creation of Nature,” brought together 32 members along with Catholic Church leaders.
At the event, the Ruteng Parish showcased its commitment to addressing the major environmental issues plaguing the region.
RD Benedict Gagcu, chairman of the diocese’s Caritas Committee, highlighted serious environmental problems, including severe pollution, destruction of natural habitats and food insecurity leading to health problems such as stunting.
“Humans are the main cause of these crises, treating nature only as a resource to be exploited for our materialistic and consumerist lifestyles,” Gagcu said.
Bishop Cornelius Sipayun (OFMCap), head of social communications for the Indonesian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, cited Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum to highlight the dangers of human arrogance towards nature.
“When humans take on the role of god, they become their own greatest enemy by exploiting the natural world,” he said.
Participants also explored the indigenous Manggarai culture, which sees the universe as a life-giving mother and symbolizes it through the cosmos, a concept important in fostering a more harmonious relationship with the environment.
In local belief systems, the universe is depicted as a web of life, with all elements interconnected through sacred bonds.
The gathering highlighted practical steps towards ecological sustainability and witnessed the planting of “SIGNIS Trees”, including varieties such as avocado and flamboyant, as an initiative towards reforestation and environmental conservation.
The General Assembly also addressed organizational issues such as financial independence, project collaboration among members, and amendments to SIGNIS Indonesia’s Articles of Association, aiming to strengthen the network’s influence on environmental and media initiatives.
SIGNIS (Society for World Catholic Communication) is recognized by the Vatican as an international lay association with the mission “to support the transformation of culture in the light of the Gospel by promoting human dignity, justice and reconciliation.”
It is a consultative body to UNESCO, the United Nations Economic and Social Council in Geneva and New York, and the Council of Europe. A report from Christiana Linawati of the Archdiocese of Palembang.–licas.news
