CARDINAL Gaudencio Rosales, archbishop of
Manila, yesterday urged he faithful to join the "Earth Hour"
observance on March 29 by not using electricity from 8 p.m. to 9
p.m. and use the "darkness" by praying for the success of the
war against global warming.
"At this hour of 'darkness' and being
'disconnected', we can in turn be connected with and enlightened
by the Lord. We can gather the family in the living room and
together pray the mysteries of the Rosary, remembering in our
prayers our dear Mother Earth, and offering for her renewal and
protection," he said.
The Cardinal also called on the public to
continue acting to save the environment as it could serve as
"penance for our ecological sins and offenses and the beginning
of our resolve never to commit those sins again".
The Earth Hour, an initiative of the World
Wildlife Fund, was launched in Sydney, Australia last March 31,
2007 to fuel awareness on climate change.
According to its website, about 2.2 million people and 2,100
business establishments in Sydney turned off their lights for
one hour, reducing energy consumption for that day by at least
10.2 percent. - Gerard Naval
