The president of the Asian bishops’ body has urged churches in the continent to safeguard the earth for future generations, stressing the need to “rise to the moment with courage and determination.” “Across Asia, we see creation groaning under the weight of human indifference, abuse, and exploitation,” said Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC). In his March 15 pastoral letter titled “To the Local Churches in Asia on the Care of Creation: A Call to Ecological Conversion,” Ferrao, who is the archbishop of Goa and Daman, said, “the consequences are already visible and scientifically attested.” He noted the devastation of rainforests in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines and the displacement of indigenous communities. “These forests, vital for the survival of the planet, are under immense pressure from illegal logging, agricultural expansion, and mining,” he said. Ferrao also cited biodiversity loss, rising sea levels, coastal displacement, water security, air pollution, stronger and frequent extreme weather events, agricultural crises, and food security. “Warming in the Pacific Ocean has intensified typhoons, flooding, and rising sea levels, which threaten the existence of entire villages in countries like the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Vietnam,” the prelate said. He further said the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas and drying rivers in South and Central Asia are endangering the water supply for millions.