Lydio (centre) joins the March for Water in solidarity with Chileans. Photo: Lydio Mangao, Jr.
Chile’s Global Ecological Significance
Did you know there are 110 recognised ecosystems around the world, and 88 of them are in Chile? This amazing diversity comes from Chile’s unique geography, which covers Antarctica, South America, and the Pacific. Within these borders, Chile has eight biomes or 15 ecological zones, ranging from the Atacama Desert (the driest place on Earth) to Santiago’s Mediterranean climate, glacier-fed rivers, the high Andes Mountains, and the abundant marine life nurtured by the Humboldt Current.
Faith and Creation
As a person of faith, especially as a Catholic, I see this amazing biodiversity as more than just a natural wonder; it is a sign of God’s creative work. When we see these landscapes and ecosystems, we are reminded that God has entrusted us with their care. By appreciating what Chile has, we recognise both the beauty and the responsibility we have as stewards of Creation.
Creed, Scripture, and Stewardship
Chile’s 88 ecosystems make up about 80% of the world’s ecosystems. In the Catholic faith, we believe in the Creator of Heaven and Earth, as we recite in the Creed at Mass. In Genesis, our sacred scripture tells us that everything God created was good. I find immense beauty in this faith. As God’s creatures, made in God’s image and likeness, we have been blessed with special gifts and abilities. With these, we are called to care for creation. The 88 ecosystems in Chile, with their plants and animals, are examples of God’s creation.
Community and Legal Protection
People in Chile work together to protect their country’s biodiversity through laws and community actions. There are laws in place, and many groups, like volunteers, local communities, indigenous peoples, and government departments, help care for these ecosystems. Citizens can report violations using government platforms, and the media encourages people to speak up when protected areas are threatened.
Political Context and Leadership
Chile’s new president, Jose Antonio Kast, is a devout Catholic, husband, and father of nine. His administration, which is right-wing, uses the slogan “working for you.” Although the intentions seem good, the government withdrew 43 environmental decrees as part of its usual practice. These decrees protect plants and animals across Chile’s 88 ecosystems. According to Chilevisión Noticias, José Ignacio Vial, Undersecretary of the Environment, explained the controversial withdrawal of more than 40 decrees signed by former President Boric. “He stated that this measure is being carried out ‘within the framework of the internal audit plan of the Kast government, which requires a thorough and exhaustive review of all pending decrees and regulations.’” Recently, one of the 43 decrees was reapproved, protecting the Darwin frog, a species found only in Chile. That means 42 decrees still need to be addressed.
Risks and Threats to Biodiversity
With 42 decrees still awaiting reinstatement, many plants and animals remain without legal protection. As a result, ecologists, animal rights activists, and environmentalists are concerned about the threats to biodiversity. These developments have left many feeling sad, worried, anxious, angry, and powerless.
Views of the Experts
As reported by Ladera Sur News Agency, according to Marcelo Mena, an academic at the School of Environmental Engineering at the Catholic University and former Minister of the Environment, “each one of these decrees goes through a process of citizen consultation, consolidation of those consultations, preliminary drafts, final projects, among others. These processes often take many years. They involve pollution control plans, environmental standards, cost-benefit analyses, and highly technical procedures where the costs of implementation are weighed against the benefits to health and the environment, all expressed in economic terms. These are reviewed by the Council of Ministers. It is not something arbitrary; it happens within a legal framework with established deadlines.”
Sara Larraín, ecologist and director of Chile Sustentable, said: “There is a global regression of everything that has been achieved—not only in the last four years, as in the case of SBAP (Chilean government institution created to manage biodiversity and oversee protected areas, ensuring conservation of ecosystems, flora, and fauna, it is part of Chile’s environmental governance framework) and the climate change policy, but of everything that has been advanced in the last decade. It is extremely serious and clearly a signal of wanting to stop or dismantle environmental regulations and the rules that protect the health of the population.”
National Gathering and Response
During a 2026 national gathering of ecologists in Chile, some groups criticised the decision to withdraw the decrees for review as an environmental regression. Hundreds of environmental and socio-civic groups, NGOs, and governmental organisations attended. At the meeting, a collective space was formed to coordinate an ecological, legal, and nonviolent response. As a result, a concrete strategic action was outlined to address the factors that weaken protection and threaten ecosystems, flora, fauna, and biodiversity.
March for Water and Biodiversity
On World Water Day (March 22), the day after the national gathering, thousands of people from all over Chile marched for water. Noticias Ambientales reported that marchers demanded the urgent reinstatement of the 42 environmental decrees in Chilean law. They insisted that there should be no elimination of Chilean environmental norms, no weakening of protections for the protected areas, and no reduction in technical standards for state environmental agencies. The report also highlighted the threat posed by the Dominga Mining Company. The Dominga project plans to build iron and copper mines near the Humboldt Penguin National Reserve, which is home to 80% of the world’s Humboldt penguins, as well as whales, coastal otters, and other important marine species. The company’s plan to build a seaport puts this marine life and the ecosystem at serious risk.
Lydio (right) joins thousands in the march for Water. Photo: Lydio Mangao, Jr.
Faith in Action
As a Catholic and Columban missionary, I carry a banner in Spanish that reads: "Protection and Restoration of the Biodiversity." I also wear a neon-orange cap that says "Catechist." While I know this march for the Water can be very polarising, divisive, and politicised, my solidarity with the Chilean people comes from my profession of faith—faith in action, belonging to a church that is at the peripheries, and sometimes in the centre of the main street. As I reflect on marching, I recall that Santiago is already in a dry Mediterranean zone, and the Chilean people know about drought and wildfire experiences better than I do.
Rivers and Local Threats
As I walk along the streets, I think about the Mapocho River, which flows through the centre of Santiago. There's a threat to this river: a mining company wants to expand downward, potentially damaging the groundwater near the Yerba Loca National Reserve. This reserve is in Santiago, and I have passed by it four times. I value how much it contributes to maintaining equilibrium for the people living in the Santiago valleys.
Water as Symbol and Gift
I pause out of respect for Chileans who have suffered from drought and wildfires. While I may not fully understand their pain, I know that thirst, the joy of rivers, and the water used in baptism remind me that water is both a spiritual symbol and a basic need. Every drop is a gift from God. There is no true life without water, and it is essential for peace and justice every day.
Presence and Collaboration
At the national assembly of ecologists and during the march for water, I saw how much Chilean communities value nature. At the same time, I noticed that the Catholic Church is hardly present here; it may even be a minority in this area of listening to the cry of the earth. This gap underscores the importance of Pope John Paul II’s call for ecological conversion. I hope that Laudato Si Movement Chile remains active in these community circles.
Catholic Social Teaching and Ecological Conversion
This fidelity to Catholic social teaching is something the Chilean Catholic Church can celebrate. Still, her voice seems limited in daily life, walking with others, and listening to the cry of the earth. Even so, I look forward to seeing how the Holy Spirit can work through the Church, both in her human weaknesses and her God-given strengths. I wonder how Catholics should respond to government decisions that may harm creation while maintaining charity and unity?
Returning to Community and Eucharistic Joy
At the end of the march, I returned to my community, and we gave thanks to God. The church workers asked me to read the first reading at Sunday Mass in the Holy Spirit Chapel of the Columban Parish of St Matthias in Bajos de Mena, Santiago. Praying before the Eucharist that day, I felt the joy of sharing the Gospel. Looking back, I thought I was the only church person on the streets, but I was wrong. That night, I saw a video on social media of a Franciscan in his habit, holding a sign on the sidewalk that same Sunday. I also felt united with all people, despite the differences that separate us. In the end, we all need water. Access to safe, clean water is a basic human right. We must remember the deep, sacred value of water and biodiversity. I see hope for solidarity, for sacred spaces that work for the common good, and for places that listen to the cry of the earth.
Lydio with one of the organisers and speakers at the National Gathering of Environmentalists, Ecologists, and Animal Rights Advocates. Photo: Lydio Mangao, Jr.
Scripture, Magisterium, and Laudato Si
I see ways in which the Sacred Magisterium and Sacred Scripture become tangible in Laudato Si, and I hope that Columbans can be trailblazers of the Laudato Si Movement in the Chilean parish context. I dream and pray, fully awake, that both lay and ordained people, each with their God-given gifts and charisms, may recognise this missionary gap and together share the Gospel of Joy as a sacramental and, especially, incarnational response to the cry of the earth and the poor.
Columban Mission Priorities
The Columbans have responded to the needs of the times and continue to share the Joy of the Gospel, especially with a focus on the poor. From this, two priorities have emerged, one being the protection and restoration of biodiversity. This aligns with the Columban mission, which advocates for Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation. It is a priority grounded in the Gospel and a missionary spirit, shaped by local experience in Columban parishes and a global understanding of the places where we serve, always alongside the poor.
Solidarity with the Poor and Ecological Vulnerability
The Columban choice to serve with the poor is shaped by a global awareness of the poor's vulnerability, especially as interconnected with the ecological crisis. Since 2015, the call of Laudato Si to listen to the cry of the earth and the poor has not just been an invitation for Columban missionaries, but also an affirmation, for it is what we have been living as part of God’s mission, so that all people may have fullness of life.
Be that as it may, in that same grace of humility, just like the paradox of our Catholic Faith, we, the Columban missionaries, are there but not yet. The Chilean Catholic church is there, but not yet. That is why all the more we rely and ask for the grace of God, because we are there but not yet.
Columban seminarian Lydio Mangao Jr. is currently on his First Mission Assignment in Chile.
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban eBulletin
