2004: Queensland Bishops issue ‘Let the Many Coastlands be glad!’ Pastoral Letter on the Great Barrier Reef

“The Holy Spirit is clearly guiding us into a deeper sense of
companionship and care in regard to all the varied forms of life on
planet Earth. Not only is the Reef a precious ecosystem in itself, but also
an integral part of the one web of planetary life that connects us all –
the human species and all species of the land and sea, rainforest and
reef, mountains, plains and inland desert.”

Catholic Bishops of Queensland, Let the Many Coastlands be Glad!, 2004

Today is a great day to read Let the Many Coastlands Be Glad! again.

For Reflection

Imagine you were helping the Queensland Bishops to draft a pastoral letter on the Great Barrier Reef today. What has changed for the Great Barrier Reef since Let the Many Coastlands Be Glad! was published? Are there new issues to address? How might you take the teaching of Pope Francis into account in updating the Queensland Bishops’ teaching?