As we witness the horrific destruction in Tibet and Nepal caused by a Himalayan glacier melt, our call to ecological conversion becomes more urgent, writes Congregational Leader Sister Catherine McCahill.
On the morning of 26 August, as everyone was going about their normal day along the Trishuli River in Tibet and Nepal (children, students, workers, parents, pilgrims, tourists, engineers, hikers, everyone), part of a Himalayan glacier melted enough to break free and plummet down the river. As it went, friction melted the ice. The resulting high energy, rapidly moving water crashed down the river valley taking everyone and everything in its path – people, buildings, plants, earth and rocks.
Most of us have seen the horror in video clips and watched amazed as people have been rescued from rooftops, from high banks of the river, or pulled from the mud under rubble, or from the underground hydro tunnels. We have gasped in horror at the suddenness and hopelessness faced by so many as the tsunami of water and debris swept them down the river.
On 8 September, the ABC reported at least 1399 people were killed and more than 5400 were still missing in Nepal and Tibet. In Australia, home to 35 of those missing and home to many residents from Nepal and Tibet, we have offered our concern and our prayers.
Media reports about this event, its aftermath and the stories of searching, finding and rescuing continued in Australia for nearly three weeks. During this time, many associated reflections have held my attention.
Firstly, I know that we, in Australia, stand by and with our fellow residents. When one of ‘our own’ is impacted, especially in another country, all of us seem to know that one is one of us. There is something good and noble in that loyalty and neighbourliness.
I wonder, however, why we are less concerned about other persons similarly impacted.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), from 1998-2017 landslides affected an estimated 4.8 million people and caused more than 18,000 deaths. These statistics have not featured as prominently in our news feeds.
Secondly, I wonder, and I really do hope this might be correct, that perhaps we are finally becoming aware of more consequences of climate change. No doubt the heating of the world’s glaciers will lead to more of these natural disasters. There are more glaciers on the Himalayan mountains than anywhere else on the earth, and that part of the planet is heating faster than anywhere else. Understandably, this is a ‘health issue’ for the WHO.
On 1 September, Christians around the world began the Season of Creation, which will continue until the feast of St Francis of Assisi on 4 October. This year’s theme, ‘Living Water’, is poignant, given what happened in the Trishuli Valley. It “explores Ezekiel 47:9 and 12 as a powerful biblical vision of hope and ecological healing. Set amid exile and loss, the image of living water flowing from God’s sanctuary reveals divine healing that renews land, water, biodiversity, and human responsibility towards the whole creation.”
Lack of water, the degradation of water supplies and the consequent effect on human communities and whole ecosystems is evident in so many part of our common home. the call to ecological conversion is strong from the leaders of Christian Churches. I quote just a few snippets:
“Environmental justice – implicitly proclaimed by the prophets – can no longer be regarded as an abstract concept or a distant goal. It is an urgent need that involves much more than simply protecting the environment. For it is a matter of justice – social, economic and human. For believers it is also a duty born of faith, since the universe reflects the face of Jesus Christ, in whom all things were created and redeemed.” (Pope Leo XIV)
“Creation care is a collective mandate and responsibility.” (Bartholomew, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople)
“Ezekiel’s vision of Living Water … is not one of despair but of hope for all creation. Even the Dead Sea — a symbol of a devastated ecosystem such as we see today – is healed by the Living Water… [It] inspire[s] ecological metanoia and faith-rooted actions for ecological restoration as part of our common Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity.” (Rev Prof Jerry Pillay, World Council of Churches General Secretary)
Yes, I hear myself ruminate, ‘living’ water is life-giving. However, we all know how destructive water is when it comes too fast or in too much volume or at the wrong time. The fact of climate change is that all of these destructive events are becoming more likely. So, the very gift of God – water – becomes a curse.
Our call to ecological conversion becomes more urgent.
Thirdly, the tragedy for some families still searching for missing persons is that their loved ones were on the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, the pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a sacred mountain for Hindus.
There is something unnerving for all of us when a religious event ends tragically. What is meant to bring peace, inner strength, contact with the divine, and from all reports was that for this group. Photos of the group, having completed the pilgrimage, testify to this fact.
Whatever the reason, this tragedy and the amazing rescue efforts have stayed at the forefront of so many media outlets, we know that thousands of people in Tibet and Nepal and in many other countries have been impacted and, collectively, we bear witness to their grief and their courage. I hope that when the media loses interest, we will not.
The words of Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah have been much quoted. For me, they speak strongly of “being neighbour”:
“We know our responsibility and its sensitivity. We are translating the humanitarian spirit of the Nepali people into practice through the search and rescue operation.”
Laudato Si’ Movement initiatives
With Nepal: A Prayer of Solidarity, Healing and Hope
The people of Tibet and Nepal are facing a profound moment of grief following devastating floods and landslides that have claimed lives, left people missing, displaced families and communities, and caused widespread destruction. We also remember communities in neighbouring areas who may also be affected.
Join the online prayer service on Zoom on 15 September at 9.30pm AEST. To register, click here.
Launch of ‘Light for Our Common Home’
The Laudato Si’ Movement is launching ‘Light for Our Common Home: Accelerating a Catholic-Led Renewable Energy Transition in Asia Pacific’.
A webinar on 23 September will explore how renewable energy can be part of our ecological conversion and commitment to climate justice. This is a faith-informed introduction to renewable energy and energy transition planning, with practical examples of what parishes and religious communities across the Asia Pacific region are already doing. Starts 7.00pm AEST. To register, click here.
Plant Hope for World Youth Day 2027
The Laudato Si’ Movement and the WYD Seoul 2027 Local Organising Committee invite everyone to plant a tree, nurture it and help it grow as a sign of hope on the journey towards World Youth Day. You can share your tree-planting stories, photos and experiences on the WYD Seoul 2027 Global Tree Planting Map.
