Image: Tomas King
To make Laudato Si’ accessible to the people of Pakistan, the Columbans are sponsoring its translation into Urdu. They are collaborating with the Pakistan Theological Institute for Laity, and with the approval of the Bishops’ Conference, because they believe it will have a real impact on work to protect the environment.
The Columbans have long recognised the need for ecological ministry in Pakistan for many reasons. One was to create awareness of the environmental issues it faces. It knows the effects of weather extremes only too well, experiencing a recent heat wave that killed over 1000 people. Fr Tomas King whose parish in the Sindh includes the Parkari Kohli Tribal People said that in the Thar Desert, drought is getting worse. Yet floods also have been increasingly more frequent with increasing destruction. One of the practical projects Tomas has been involved in is the construction of water harvesting tanks, as well as sinking hand pumps to provide fresh drinking water. This saves the time, effort and labour of women and children from having to carry water long distances.
Since 2004, the Columbans have been running programs in Christian, government and private schools as well as parishes and youth groups, using an Ecology Kit. They try to convey the message that ecological issues are deeply religious and spiritual. Fr Liam O’Callaghan, Columban Co-ordinator of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Co-ordinator, said in announcing the Urdu translation that they want to assist the Church in Pakistan to become more engaged in ecological spirituality and issues. They also want to collaborate from an interfaith perspective with Muslim and other groups who are working on environmental issues, especially on climate change. As Pope Francis says in Laudato Si’, it is by working together that there will be greater effectiveness in the transformation that is needed. In a country like Pakistan where Christians are a minority of 3%, it is absolutely imperative to engage with the wider society, including other religious traditions and the non-governmental organisations.
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