SIBU: The Catholic Church has called for greater environmental stewardship and conservation, urging communities to take responsibility for protecting creation rather than exploiting natural resources.
Archbishop of Kuching Datuk Dr Simon Poh Hoon Seng said environmental conservation was among four key areas being addressed at the Malaysia Pastoral Convention 2026 (MPC2026), alongside family, the Church and society.
He said the focus on ecology was deeply rooted in the teachings of the late Pope Francis, particularly through the encyclical Laudato Si’, which calls for an ecological conversion in the way humanity treats the environment.
“There’s a call to environmental stewardship, to care for creation in our use of natural resources,” he said at the opening of MPC 2026 at Kingwood Hotel here on Thursday.
The event was officiated by Minister of National Unity Datuk Seri Aaron Ago Dagang.
Poh said the importance of environmental protection had been highlighted by the recent haze affecting the region, originating from Indonesia.
“The last few days really have given a very sharp focus on this, the haze in Indonesia that has affected our land,” he said.
He expressed gratitude for the rain, which had helped to ease the situation and clear the haze.
Poh said the four areas would form the basis of the convention’s discussions, with participants encouraged to listen, pray and discern together on the challenges facing the Church and society.
He said MPC2026 also represented an important milestone in the Catholic Church’s journey towards becoming a more united Malaysian Church.
The convention evolved from the Peninsular Malaysia Pastoral Convention (PMPC), which initially brought together Catholic communities in Peninsular Malaysia.
Poh said the change was prompted by discussions during the fourth PMPC in October 2016, when representatives from East Malaysia were invited to participate in the convention in preparation for the fifth convention in 2026.
“At that time, the proposal was made: Why don’t we change from Peninsular Malaysia Pastoral Convention to a Pan-Malaysia Pastoral Convention, keeping PMPC but no longer Peninsular, so that it would be inclusive and involve the churches of Sabah and Sarawak?” he said.
He said the initiative was supported by then Archbishop of Kuching, Archbishop John Ha, who envisioned bringing Catholic clergy from throughout Malaysia together.
The first major step was the Malaysian Catholic Clergy Assembly held in Johor in 2018, which brought together about 200 bishops, priests and deacons from all nine dioceses in Malaysia.
Poh said it was the first time clergy from Sarawak, Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia had gathered to pray, discern and respond to the pastoral realities and challenges facing the Catholic Church in Malaysia.
“We acknowledge the various differences between Semenanjung, Sabah and Sarawak, but we also realised the importance of the family and society, and how the Church could respond,” he said.
The journey continued with the Malaysian Religious Assembly in Johor in 2023, bringing together religious priests, friars and sisters.
Poh said the Malaysia Pastoral Convention 2026 had since broadened the journey of unity and collaboration, bringing together the Catholic community from across the country.
He said the convention’s focus on family was inspired by Pope Francis’ Amoris Laetitia and Christus Vivit, while Evangelii Gaudium provided the foundation for the Church’s call to renewal, collaboration and mission involving all the baptised.
For society, he said, Fratelli Tutti called the Church to engage in social outreach and contribute towards building a nation based on peace, justice, goodwill and fraternity.
“These four areas are what we will be doing during this convention, focusing on listening at the back of our prayer and discernment — on family, on Church, on society and on ecology,” he said.
