World Oceans Day, observed on June 8, is a suited time to raise awareness and appreciate these great gifts received from God. Oceans are the lungs of our Planet and a major source of food and medicine and a critical part of the biosphere.
The concept of World Oceans Day was originally proposed in 1992 by Canada’s International Centre for Ocean Development (ICOD) and the Ocean Institute of Canada (OIC) at the Earth Summit – UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution officially recognizing June 8 to be “World Oceans Day.”
The purpose of the Day is to inform the public of the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a worldwide movement of citizens for the ocean, and mobilize and unite the world’s population on a project for the sustainable management of the world’s oceans.
The Orthodox Church urges the protection and preservation of nature as a gift of God: “Do not harm the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees!” (Revelation 7: 3).
“The entire creation is made for sanctification and blessing. This is why we, who are baptised in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, must behave in the world in such a way as to bless and hallow the place we live in and take good care of God’s creation: not to deform it, not to desecrate it, not to destroy it, not to deform the beauty of the Earth, nor that of the rivers, not to pollute the waters of the seas and oceans”, said Patriarch Daniel.
“Our vocation is to preserve the environment, as administrators and not owners of the creation”.
The celebration of United Nations World Oceans Day, on June 8, 2022, highlights the theme “Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean.”
Photo courtesy of UN / Hannes Klostermann
