Virgin of Guadalupe: Catholic Church gives environmental recommendations for pilgrims

The Catholic Church issued a series of recommendations “to encourage pilgrims to walk in a more respectful way with the environment, our ‘Common Home’”, on the eve of the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe, on December 12 in the Mexico City.

Since the first days of December, millions of people from all over the world visit the Marian temple, with December 9 to 12 being the days with the highest number of visitors.

According Martí Batres Guadarrama, then head of Government of Mexico City, in that period of December 2023 “more than 11 million pilgrims arrived at the Basilica of Guadalupe.”

The Dimension of Comprehensive Care of Creation of the Conference of the Mexican Episcopate, through a statementindicated that while the pilgrims celebrate “their faith and devotion to the Virgin of Guadalupe” “certain problems have been identified such as a large generation of waste, food waste, excessive use of fireworks, abandoned pets, among others.”

For this reason, he shared recommendations to mitigate these problems.

1. pet abandonment

One of the main suggestions was “travel without pets and street animals.” The Catholic Church asked that “if your pet accompanies you, be sure to pick up its feces and have it return home with you.”

This recommendation is also made in line with an exhortation that the Congress of Mexico City issued on November 25 to people who attend the Basilica of Guadalupe. According to the document, “every December 12, millions of pilgrims come to Mexico City to visit the Basilica of Guadalupe, but they do not arrive alone, they do so accompanied by their pets, whom they abandon due to the impossibility of taking them back. ”.

2. Use of pyrotechnics

Another call made by the episcopal dimension was “to use pyrotechnics moderately.” In the statement, the pilgrims were reminded that they will share “the path with many other people,” which is why they were encouraged to use “pyrotechnics responsibly, since it can cause accidents, affect health and damage the environment.”

In addition, it was recalled that the use of pyrotechnics “is prohibited in the Basilica”, so they invited the Catholic faithful to find “other ways to express your faith.”

3. Do not throw garbage in the street

Regarding waste management, pilgrims were urged to always carry “a bag to store your garbage” and deposit it in appropriate places. It was highlighted that throwing garbage on public roads generates “environmental problems such as: generation of harmful fauna and spread of pests, sources of infection, and transmission of diseases, bad odors, effects on the drainage network, in addition to affecting aesthetics. of the place.”

4. Waste management

Likewise, it was recommended to use “biodegradable containers such as paper and cardboard” whenever possible. This suggestion is aimed at both pilgrims and those who offer them food during their journey. The goal is to reduce “the use of single-use plastics and Styrofoam.”

5. Take only the food you need

The Mexican episcopal dimension indicated to the pilgrims that “along the way” they will have “the opportunity to receive food” from the hands of many people, encouraging them to take “only what is necessary so as not to waste.”