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When we talk about the environment, about creation, my thoughts turn to the first pages of the Bible, the Book of Genesis, which states that God placed man and woman on earth to cultivate and care for it. And the question comes to my mind: What does cultivating and caring for the earth mean? Are we truly cultivating and caring for creation? Or are we exploiting and neglecting it?
Pope Francis
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote emphasizes humanity's responsibility to care for the environment as outlined in the Bible.

Pope Francis reflects on the Biblical account of creation in Genesis, where humans are tasked with the stewardship of the Earth. He poses critical questions about whether we are fulfilling our role as caretakers of the environment or if we are instead exploiting and neglecting the natural world, highlighting the ethical implications of our actions toward creation.

Themes

EnvironmentStewardshipCreationResponsibilityCare

In practice

Example use cases

In a speech about sustainability, one might reference this quote to emphasize our responsibility to take care of the planet.

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More and more people work on Sundays as a consequence of the competitiveness imposed by a consumer society.
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This Christmas may we be consistent in living the Gospel, welcoming Jesus into the centre of our lives.
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Quote by Pope Francis | QuoteProject