Filipino Bishop Calls for Bold Ecological Action at RVA-Hosted Laudato Si’ Webinar

In a stirring keynote address during the second Laudato Si’ webinar hosted by Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), on July 31, 2025, Bishop Gerardo A. Alminaza, D.D. of San Carlos issued a passionate call for the Asian Church to embrace urgent ecological conversion, divest from harmful industries, and heed both the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.

The webinar, titled “Celebrating 10 Years of Laudato Si’: The Ecological Response of the Asian Church”, gathered voices from across Asia to reflect on the impact of Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical and the growing urgency of the climate crisis.

“Seven of the ten most climate-vulnerable countries are in Asia, including the Philippines, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Thailand,” Bishop Alminaza said. “Over 80% of disasters in Asia in the past two decades were climate-related. We are not just reading statistics. We are living them.”

Referencing Pope Francis’ encyclicals Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum, the bishop emphasized that ecological conversion must be “personal, communal, and structural,” and that the Church in Asia must respond with both prophetic witness and practical action.

“A true ecological approach always becomes a social approach,” he quoted. “Without tenderness, compassion, and concern, communion with nature is impossible.”

Bishop Alminaza underscored a range of inspiring ecological initiatives emerging across Asia. He highlighted mangrove reforestation efforts in Timor Leste, interfaith solar energy projects in India, and Catholic-led climate resilience programs in Bangladesh as powerful examples of faith in action.

In the Philippines, he drew attention to several bold and hope-filled responses, including the 10 Million Solar Rooftop Challenge, the Bamboo Forest Project, and the integration of the Laudato Si’ School Framework into Catholic education.

“These efforts show that ecological conversion is not just a concept, it’s a movement taking root in our communities,” Bishop Alminaza affirmed.

“Let us build a Laudato Si’ Synodal Platform for Asia, linking schools, parishes, and dioceses in a shared ecological mission. We must recover ancestral wisdom, embrace divestment, and mobilize against destructive projects threatening our communities.”

The second RVA webinar is part of a yearlong commemoration of the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the Jubilee Year 2025, and the 10th anniversary of the Laudato Si’ Movement.

Radio Veritas Asia has published over 90 ecological stories, including articles and feature stories from across Asia, especially amplifying the voices of grassroots communities working for climate justice.

“This is not just a celebration. It is a call to action,” Bishop Alminaza concluded. “Let us become seeds of hope in a planet crying out for healing.”