The Groaning of the Earth

This word was delivered by the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, at the the Second Symposium on Eco-Theology organized by MECC, under the patronage of His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark, and under the title "Peace with Creation, Spiritual and Practical Perspectives from the East". It was held between 10 and 11 October 2025, at the Coptic Orthodox Cathedral, Abbassia - Cairo.

Professor Michel Abs

The Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC)

It is the gift of the Creator who entrusted it to us, placing us upon it and allowing us to enjoy its blessings so that we might have a better life.
It is the ground beneath our feet, the resting place of our bodies, the source of our air, our water, our greenery, and the pasture of our flocks, and above all, the solid land upon which we build our homes and where our families grow.

The Creator gave it to us beautiful and pure, its breeze gentle, its waters refreshing.
He gave it to us adorned with mountains, valleys, and rivers, covered with vegetation, and clothed in colors He Himself designed to delight our sight.
In it we found all that we need, for our basic and for our advanced needs, and we began to invest in it through all kinds of means and techniques, seeking to satisfy more needs or to gain more profit.

For thousands of years, the earth remained silent, bearing the injustice of humankind, and, in many cases, the harshness of climate.
In silence it watched its population grow, and it received them.
In silence it allowed its inhabitants to pursue what they deemed suitable for their comfort and progress.

The earth is patient.
Nature is nurturing.
She gives without calculation.
Her generosity knows no limits.
For millennia she has provided humanity with all it needs for survival, continuity, and growth.
And humanity has drawn from her abundance,
without restraint,
without accountability.

Thus, urban expansion spread,
industry grew rampant,
and wars came to make things worse,
combined with the ever-rising demands of luxury.
These two opposites, war and indulgence, together ravaged nature,
treating it as a mute commodity,
one that does not object to its abuse.

But when the flood reached its limit,
those of enlightened minds rose up
and raised their voices high,
warning humankind that the present is terrifying
and the future even more so.

Some took heed.
Others ignored the warnings.
Humanity entered a conflict,
between those who seek to exploit without restraint,
their eyes fixed only on accumulating profit,
and those who strive to curb this course,
believing it is not yet too late.

The struggle intensified, voices rose,
and specialized institutions were founded,
from environmentally friendly investment companies
to associations and parties devoted to protecting what remains of nature.
Governments moved, enacted legislation,
and established systems of supervision.
Environmental innovation was launched,
from waste sorting to industrial recycling,
from full energy combustion systems
to green management, and the list goes on.

Yet, despite all this,
the anti-environment forces remain stronger,
for corruption is mightier than integrity,
and neglect stronger than care.

The abuse of our eternal cradle,
the Creator’s gift,
continued with silent arrogance,
and its corrupters penetrated to new depths,
accelerating the pace of decay —
until the time came when we began to hear
the groaning of that which had long been silent.

This patient earth stirred,
intensified its signals,
and her groaning became clearer and louder than ever before.

We have crossed the red lines.
We have persisted in our arrogance,
relying on the silence of this generous mother,
the Creator’s gift to us,
given together with life itself.

For she is part of life,
its complement and guardian.

Today, creation groans.
The earth says to us: Enough!
You have gone too far.

What have you left for your tomorrow?
What are you leaving for future generations,
for the future of humanity?

The time to act has come —
in the name of science and in the name of the Creator.

Science tells you:
You have destroyed the cradle of your life.

The Creator tells you:
What have you done with My gift?

And generations yet unborn cry out:
Woe to you! What have you done?
Do you not feel shame for what your hands have wrought?

As for us gathered here, we say to the Lord:
Have mercy, O Maker of Creation.
Do not hold us accountable for what the foolish among us have done.
They have turned Your trust into ruins.

But we, in Your name, have intervened —
to stop the regression,
to save what remains,
to snatch it from their grasp
with all the faith and determination we possess.

We shall save Your trust
and return it pure and sound
to the children of life,
that they may enjoy a better existence
and glorify Your holy name forevermore.

Cairo, October 11, 2025