(Excerpts from his homily at his inauguration)

Speaking of how love involves caring and protecting, he said:

“Let us protect Christ in our lives, so that we can, as St. Francis taught us, protect each other, and so that we can protect creation....

This means protecting all of creation, the beauty of the world. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment we live in and those in need, as well as caring for our families....

Everything has been entrusted to our protection and all of us are responsible for being protectors of God’s gifts....

When we fail to live up to this responsibility the way is open to destruction as our hearts are hardened.....

Let us be protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature....

Caring, protecting, demands goodness; it calls for a certain tenderness, which is not a virtue of the weak but rather a sign of strength of spirit....

We are called to this service. Let us protect with love all that God has given to us.”

(The full homily is available on the internet)

P.O’B