Stewardship & Ecological Integrity

• Stewardship involves caring and protecting life, both human and nature, and includes protecting, promoting, and enhancing the quality of life, as well as discovering, using, and sharing talents
• Care for the life of each person starts from the beginning of the process of human life development (fertilization) and is a life-long responsibility
• Stewardship starts in the family, with parents taking care of their children, reflecting the social dimension of stewardship which involves not only taking care of oneself but also the life of others
• The family is considered the seedbed of values and virtues, with parents having a special role in educating about the value of respect for life
• The family is described as a covenant relationship, mirroring the love of God to his people, making a family a home
• The family is highlighted as the first and vital cell of society, being the foundation of moral values and virtues that a society needs, with a role and contribution to the good of society
• Ecological Integrity refers to the balance of life and the state of nature as God created it, with humans having the capacity and responsibility to maintain ecological integrity and sustain the earth’s natural resources
• Laudato Si, an encyclical by Pope Francis, emphasizes the care for our common home, while Sollicito Rei Socialis states that humans should not abuse other creations based on their whims and caprices, but consider the limitations of creation and ensure its sustainability