Juan Ambrósio, university professor and member of the Caring for Our Common Home Network, warned in an interview with the ECCLESIA Programme, broadcast on RTP2, about the urgent need for behavioral change in the face of environmental damage, challenging society to "get used to living with less". In statements collected by the Ecclesia Agency, he stressed that "the signs are more than evident" and that it is still possible to reverse the global environmental crisis "by choice" or "by conviction".
The leader addressed the start of the Season of Creation, an ecumenical initiative running from September 1 to October 4, positively referring to Pope Leo XIV's conviction that "it is not too late" to change. Juan Ambrósio advocated for the linking of the encyclicals "Laudato Si" and "Fratelli Tutti" to simultaneously ensure the care of Our Common Home and the care of our common humanity, refusing to devalue individual contributions on a planet with limited resources.
The Portuguese theologian recalled the Pope's monthly call for the preservation of water resources, considering that care for water can be an "evident sign" of care for life, given that it is "an essential good" and not a tradeable product. He also pointed out that Christian communities should affirm themselves as "sentinels of the care of our common home", demanding a pastoral approach that prioritizes reconciliation and forgiveness.
The agenda of the Caring for Our Common Home Network for the coming weeks includes an online meeting of ecological teams on September 17, a celebration on September 19 on the banks of the Tagus River with the Lusitanian Church, and participation in the "Steps for Peace" walk in Coimbra on the 27th.
