Message of Archbishop George Kocherry

  • Vatican Ambassador1
    Vatican Ambassador at 5th National Nature Festival at Notre Dame College
  • Vatican Ambassador2
    Vatican Ambassador at 5th National Nature Festival at Notre Dame College
  • Vatican Ambassador3
    Vatican Ambassador at 5th National Nature Festival at Notre Dame College

Message of His Excellence, the Most Reverend
Archbishop George Kocherry,
The Honourable Ambassador of the Holy See (Vatican) in Bangladesh

 

My dear young brothers and sisters,

I strongly believe that nature loving people are peace loving people. They are kind and compassionate, in their character; generous and courteous in their behaviour; honest and sincere in their life. Surely they acquire good name in the society.

Of all the lessons we learn in our life, nothing, not wealth, nor social status, nor celebrity, nor beauty is more important than one’s good name. In the end, goodness in us is all that we really have. It cannot be battered or trade with it. When your good name for honest and sincerity is gone, you become an object of ridicule and mockery.

I heard a story. A successful business man CEO of a company wanted to choose his successor to take over the business empire. For the selection of his successor, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company to his office.

‘I am going to give each one of you a SEED today – one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here after one year with what you have grown from the seed’.

Among the young executives, there was one Jim who, like the others, received a seed. He went home excited, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed, water it regularly. But the seed that Jim and his wife planted did not grow. It was a failure; his seed became dead. After some months, other executives began to talk about the plants that were growing.

One year after, the day came when the young executives joyfully brought their plants for inspection by the CEO.

Jim told his wife that he wasn’t going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room.

It is with great joy that I stand before you and with great pleasure I take note that youthful and energetic members of the Dame Nature Study Club are trying their level best to contribute to the safeguard of the nature.

The Catholic Church always stands for the protection of nature and natural environment. In 2006 pope Benedict XVI published a Message for the World Day of peace based on Ecology.

God created this beautiful Earth and entrusted it to the custody of man. It is the responsibility of man to respect the nature and preserve it. “ He must therefore respect the natural and moral structure with which he has been endowed”.

In recent years, developing nation have entered enthusiastically into industrial production, thereby increasing their energy needs. This phenomenon, has led to an unprecedented race for available resources that has affected negatively the Eco system of the earth. The destruction of the environment, its improper use, and the violent hoarding of the earth’s resources cause destruction of nature that has negative impact for the peaceful living and co-existence of humanity. Consequently, Global warming climate change, floods, hurricane, tsunamis etc. are some of the calamities that the world faces now. In order to get rid of such alarming catastrophe, every one of us should try to contribute to keep the balance of nature on the earth.

In this respect, I wish to express my appreciation to the Notre Dame Nature Study Club for its untiring efforts to make its members and friends aware of the need for conservation of natural environment. Bangladesh has tremendous natural beauty and wealth. Proper use of the ecosystem will ensure country’s smooth progress without any hazard. As a well wisher of Bangladesh, the Holy see is ready to help in promoting conservation of nature.

When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful – in all shapes and sizes. Jim just tried to hide in the back with his empty pot.

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives. He exclaimed. ‘My goodness, what great plants, and flowers you have grown’,

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back with his empty pot. He asked Jim to come forward. Jim was terrified. He expected a dismissal for his failure to grow the seed.

When CEO then announced that Jim is the next Chief Executive Officer! CEO explained that the seeds that he gave were all boiled seeds; they were dead – it was not possible for them to grow.

All, except Jim, have brought here trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it.

Look at the value of honesty and sincerity, dear young brothers and sisters.

If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

If you plant goodness, you will reap friends

If you plant sincerity, you will reap greatness

You are young boys and girls on the budding stage. A long life is ahead of you. My only advice to you is this: and be sincere in yourselves; be good, do good; you will find success in your life.

God bless you all.