Franciscans call for solidarity as haze from Indonesian fires blankets Southeast Asia

SINGAPORE — As smoke from forest and peatland fires in Indonesia blanketed Singapore this month, parishioners at the Church of the Holy Family turned to a prayer written by one of their own.

“As you calmed the winds and the waves on the Sea of Galilee, we humbly ask …” the prayer begins, before asking Jesus to clear the haze from the region. It was prayed at a faith formation session at the parish on Oct. 13.

At 7 p.m. on Oct. 16, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index stood at 225 in Singaporeʼs central region, with three of the city-stateʼs five regions in the “very unhealthy” range, according to the National Environment Agency. The same day, Sustainability and Environment Minister Grace Fu said some of the haze had come from fires on the lands of seven companies in Indonesia, which would receive preventive measure notices under Singaporeʼs Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.

Reports from Kalimantan

The haze was discussed at the assembly of the Franciscan Network for Peace and Integral Ecology in Asia, held in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, from Oct. 5–11, said Friar John Wong, OFM, general definitor for Asia-Oceania of the Order of Friars Minor. Participants discussed how the haze affects the most vulnerable communities and how Franciscans are responding, he said.

A Capuchin Franciscan from Kalimantan, Indonesia, told the assembly that in one area, schools had been closed for a month because of the haze and that in other areas, poor families had lost their homes to the peatland fires, Wong said.

Friar Taucen Girsang, OFM, the orderʼs assistant general director for justice, peace, and integrity of creation, reported that friars in Indonesia have been working with local bishops and governors, and that the Order of Friars Minor and the Capuchins are cooperating to provide clean water and help rebuild homes destroyed by fire in Kalimantan, according to Wong. The assembly focused on natural disaster management, preventing environmental destruction, and reducing disaster risks.

Capuchin Father Pionius Hendi, who chairs Inter-Franciscans for Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Indonesia, said the Church’s response must go beyond relief. “The Church is not called only to be present when disaster strikes but also to fight so that disasters that can be prevented do not keep happening,” he said in written answers in Indonesian.

“We are not called only to help people survive in the midst of the ecological crisis but also to fight for a world in which people and all creation can live with dignity,” he said.

“The Franciscan response always begins with fraternal solidarity with those who suffer, especially the poor and vulnerable,” said Wong, who is based in Rome.

“Laudato Si’ [Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical] reminds us that care for creation and care for people belong together,” he said. “The poor are often the first to suffer from environmental damage, even though they may have contributed least to the problem.”

St. Francis’ Canticle of the Creatures, he said, calls Franciscans “to a change of heart, but also to a change in how we live, produce, consume, and care for the world entrusted to us.”

“The effects of these fires cross national borders. This makes the haze a shared regional concern that calls for solidarity, cooperation, and a sense of shared responsibility,” he said. Caring for our common home “is a matter of faith, justice, and our responsibility to future generations.”

A friar in Assisi

Writing from Assisi, Italy, Friar John-Paul Tan, OFM, a Singaporean Franciscan friar and director of Fraternitas, the orderʼs ministry to young adults, said: “These last days, the thought of the haze and the sufferings of so many people have been on my mind.”

“How can the natural resources be seen as a blessing and a collective asset that is to be cared, managed, and protected from exploitation and abuse?” he asked.

He suggested that old oil palm trees could be used for pulp and paper, mulch, and chipboard rather than being disposed of by fire. “There is a ready source of renewable material from old palm trees,” he said.

“The conversion of these individuals that have the agency and resources, and the collective mindsets, is critical if we are to have an effective response to this ecological crisis at our doorsteps,” he said.

‘A common good’

G. Clare Westwood, regional director of the Roman Catholic Episcopal Commission for Creation Justice of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, said: “The haze is air pollution. Air pollution is a violation of our right to a safe environment and our right to health. When it prevents people from working or children from going to school, then it also affects our right to livelihood and education.”

She too cited Laudato Si’, which raises concern over air pollution and describes climate as a common good.

“We stand in solidarity with those who suffer, and we seek to work with others to prevent further harm, care for those affected, and build a more sustainable future,” Wong said.

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