{"id":16179,"date":"2025-11-27T19:44:16","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T17:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cvx-clc.net\/?p=16179"},"modified":"2025-11-27T19:44:16","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T17:44:16","slug":"clc-ecological-apostolate-finding-hope-at-the-boundary-of-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cvx-clc.net\/en\/clc-ecological-apostolate-finding-hope-at-the-boundary-of-life\/","title":{"rendered":"CLC Ecological Apostolate | Finding Hope at the Boundary of Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ha Yookyung, Eco CLC Team Leader, CLC in Korea
\nThe Journey and Vision of the CLC Ecological Apostolate<\/strong><\/p>\n

On September 27 members of CLC in Korea<\/a>, their families, and friends took part in an ecological exploration at the DMZ(Demilitarized Zone). Paradoxically, in the very place where the wounds of division are most deeply engraved, life was breathing most abundantly. Because humans were unable to develop it, the Imjin River wetlands\u2014shaped by the breath of nature\u2014have become a place where countless plants grow and migratory birds find rest. Despite the long years of war and division caused by humankind, we offered awe, admiration, and praise to the hand of God who has continued to protect, nurture, and give life to creation. That day\u2019s exploration was a profound time of reflection on what our CLC ecological<\/a> apostolate must strive for.<\/p>\n

Everything Is Connected\u2028<\/strong><\/p>\n

As we walked through the DMZ, I reflected on the word \u201cconnection.\u201d Rivers flow in connection, birds cross freely between North and South, and seeds carried by the wind take root to form forests. The ecosystem is not a collection of isolated beings but an intricate web of life. The integral ecology that Pope Francis emphasizes in Laudato Si\u2019\u2014that \u201ceverything is connected\u201d\u2014was vividly alive before our eyes.
\nThis integral perspective is at the heart of our CLC ecological apostolate. Environmental issues are not merely about protecting nature. They are questions of justice, peace, solidarity with the poor, and responsibility toward future generations. Those who suffer first and most from the climate crisis are the poorest nations, and those who pay the price of environmental destruction are the vulnerable. We seek to live an integral ecological life with this awareness\u2014knowing that reducing plastic use is linked to environmental justice in poorer countries, and that practicing vegetarianism is connected to climate change, animal ethics, and food justice.<\/p>\n

Hope Blossoming in Our Communities\u2028<\/strong><\/p>\n

CLC ecological activities began in the early 2000s as small local gatherings. Members opposed the Saemangeum reclamation project, shared eco-friendly food, and promoted zero-waste products. Recognizing that the climate crisis is the most urgent issue of our time and that caring for our common home is an imperative, the CLC in Korea discerned ecology as one of its major communal apostolates in 2020.\u2028In 2024, the Eco CLC was officially launched to carry out this apostolate, developing concrete initiatives through three local communities.<\/p>\n