The Care of Creation
“Ireland: Archbishop calls for Catholic institutions to become models of sustainability
"’Climate change driven by predatory economic interests impacts those on the margins’ Irish Primate, Archbishop Eamon Martin told graduates of theology and philosophy at Saint Patrick's College, Maynooth, yesterday. …
“A few weeks ago, on the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis - together with other Christian, Islamic, Jewish, Buddhist and Hindu leaders, - declared following a meeting with international climate scientists and experts, that:
“'We are currently at a moment of opportunity and truth.
“'Future generations will never forgive us if we squander this precious opportunity.
“'We have inherited a garden: we must not leave a desert to our children'
“From a faith point of view, God is calling us today, more than ever, to be caring stewards of creation, to protect and nourish our planet and its resources, and not to selfishly waste them or ruthlessly and excessively exploit and destroy them.
“In his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si' (159) Pope Francis reminded us that: 'Since the world has been given to us, we can no longer view reality in a purely utilitarian way, in which efficiency and productivity are entirely geared to our individual benefit'. The world belongs also to those who will follow us. Intergenerational solidarity is therefore 'not optional, but rather a basic question of justice'….
“We all share responsibility for the problems facing our world, but equally, we share responsibility for finding the solutions. Each one of [us] must accept our personal and collective need to change and make sacrifices, recognising the inherent issues of justice and fairness that are involved, and realising, as Pope Francis says, that 'the cry of the earth' is especially 'the cry of the poor'….
“As servants of God and of one another, this will also mean accepting our own share of the pain necessary for ecological conversion.”
With permission, Independent Catholic News, Source: Irish Catholic Media Office, 7th Nov. 2021
“Church to EU ahead of COP26: 'Limiting global warming to 1.5°C is a profound moral imperative'
“In a letter addressed to all leaders of the European institutions participating in the upcoming COP26, the President of COMECE, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, urges the European Union to play a leading role at the international level for a bold response to tackle the climate emergency: ‘finding a pathway likely to respect the 1.5°C threshold for global warming is a profound moral imperative’.
“Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ calls on the EU leaders participating in COP26 to accelerate climate action and to promote a holistic care of our Common Home.
"’The COVID pandemic has brought to light the fact that everything is interconnected and interdependent and that our health is inextricably linked to the health of the environment in which we live’ - the letter reads. "’The Earth cries out - and those cries have taken the form of soaring temperatures with records being broken across many regions; of deadly floods and wildfires devastating communities across Europe and the world; of material loss compounded by social and psychological trauma.’
“Moreover, in this period of global transformation, Europe has a responsibility to respect, protect and promote the rights and dignity of people, not least those in the most vulnerable and marginalised situations.”
With permission, Independent Catholic News, Source: COMECE, Oct. 27th 2021
“Global faith institutions make largest-ever divestment ahead of COP26
“… five days before the UN climate conference, COP26, in Glasgow, and four days before the G20 Summit in Rome, 72 faith institutions, including 37 from the UK, announce their divestment from fossil fuels in the largest-ever joint divestment announcement by religious organisations.
“The global divestment announcement comes from faith institutions with more than $4.2 billion of combined assets under management in Australia, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Nepal, Peru, Ukraine, the UK, the United States and Zambia. … “The UK Churches and dioceses involved in this announcement represent nearly 2,000 local churches.
“It follows the recent call from Pope Francis and other faith leaders to global governments to address the 'unprecedented ecological crisis' ahead of COP26 and calls from an international alliance of grassroots multi-faith activists who have called for an immediate end to all fossil fuel finance. [This] announcement shows an increasing number of Catholic institutions are responding to the recent Vatican recommendation to divest from fossil fuel companies and invest in climate solutions.
“Bishop Bill Nolan, Bishop of Galloway and Lead Bishop on the Environment for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Scotland, said: ‘The bishops decided that disinvestment would show that the status quo is not acceptable and further, that given the harm that the production and consumption of fossil fuels is causing to the environment and to populations in low income countries, it was not right to profit from investment in these companies. Disinvestment is a sign that justice demands that we must move away from fossil fuels.’
“Many UK Churches have fully divested from fossil fuel companies this year, including the Church of Scotland, the Church in Wales and the Baptist Union….
“Tomás Insua, Laudato Si' Movement Executive Director, said: ‘People of faith are divesting at scale from dirty coal, oil and gas, demanding the G20 in Rome to finally conclude that there is no future for fossil fuel finance. As Pope Francis said, 'enough of the thirst for profit that drives the fossil fuel industry's destruction of our common home'.'…
“Revd Fletcher Harper, Executive Director of GreenFaith, said: ‘In the midst of a climate emergency, fossil fuel divestment is a moral imperative. More and more religious groups - Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Jewish as well as Christian - must continue to add their names to the growing list of divestment commitments, and must also lead the way by investing in ensuring access to clean energy for absolutely everyone - particularly the 800 million people who lack electricity.’"
With permission, Independent Catholic News, Oct. 26th 2021
Active nonviolence - an integral approach to Cry of the Earth
“In the week when Pax Christi International launched its #WaterforLife campaign, calling for support for communities adversely affected by extractive industries such as mining and deforestation, Pax Christi England and Wales held an on-line discussion on the relationship between nonviolence and care for the earth. Aware of the violence done to the earth through war, the global demand that militarism makes on fossil fuels and other energy sources and the conflicts that arise over access to resources, the gathering explored relationship between these acts of violence and the power and approach of nonviolence as a response.
“Christina Leano, Associate Director of the Global Catholic Climate Movement spoke of the environmental crisis we face as a moral and spiritual crisis. Active nonviolence, she suggested, offers an integral approach to addressing this crisis. She outlined three nonviolent dimensions: the spiritual, lifestyle and social. The first calls us to recognise that we are within creation, not 'outside' of it, there is no separation. Hearing the cry of the earth means hearing our own suffering within creation. The choices we make in our life, our patterns of consumption, use our energy, how we choose to witness to violence and injustice, are part of the lifestyle dimension, what Pope Francis calls 'the nobility to care for creation through little daily actions'. The social dimension relates to raising our voice in the public space, advocacy, public witness and protest against the destruction of the earth.
“Aisling Griffin, Pax Christi's Schools and Youth Education Officer shared approaches she is taking in creating educational approaches and resources on nonviolence and care of the earth. The extractive industries have become a focus for this work which is being undertaken with the London Mining Network and with Pax Christi International. Coal mining, mineral exploitation, creation of dams, deforestation are examples of these industries that pollute, destroy bio-diversity, cause damage to human health and displacement and in many cases bring violence and a culture of militarism to communities as companies seek to 'protect' their interests over those of local people and the earth.”
Pat Gaffney, Vice-President of Pax Christi, 6 July 2021 in
Independent Catholic News, https://www.indcatholicnews.com/ (With permission)
“NJPN Blog: Can climate change became (sic) a transformative tool for humans?
“…Last month, Christians celebrated the Season of Creation and ‘the integral web of relationships that sustain the well-being of the Earth’ - a fitting prayer for COP 26 which begins on 1st November.
… we must stabilise the climate by reducing CO2 emissions.
“The complexity of the task is awesome and perhaps I expect too much from COP26. It is about more than fossil fuels, world economies, technologies and ‘the science’, important though these are. It needs a vision suggesting the meaning of the world and the place of humankind (and our fellow travellers) within it, appealing to intellect, emotion and spirit; in other words, a within as well as a without, a joining of creation and nature, heaven and Earth.
“The presence of Pope Francis brings Laudato Si and Fratelli Tutti to the table, reminding us that ‘In the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the word ‘creation’ has a broader meaning than ‘nature’, for it has to do with God's loving plan in which every creature has its own value and significance. Nature is usually seen as a system which can be studied, understood and controlled, whereas creation can only be understood as a gift…’ (LS 76)…. “Each and all of us must discover within ourselves the gift of intentional creativity in response to the climate emergency; that is, to adapt, form new structures, generate new behaviour patterns, solve new problems, create new narratives of 'progress' and collectively to embed innovations into our cultural repertoires. 'Our goal is to become painfully aware, to dare to turn what is happening to the world into our own personal suffering and thus to discover what each of us can do about it’ (LS 19)….
“Climate change was transformational in our human journey. DNA research suggests that megadroughts around 100,000 years ago may have bottled up early humans in Africa, making travel risky. A climate shift bringing wet periods probably helped propel the first migrations out of Africa. Climate change became a transformative tool for humans. In the best sense, may it prove to be again.”
With permission, Independent Catholic News, Paul Southgate, Oct. 5th 2021
“The Pope Video - September 2021 - An environmentally sustainable lifestyle
“… Pope Francis says: ‘We pray that we all will make courageous choices for a simple and environmentally sustainable lifestyle, rejoicing in our young people who are resolutely committed to this.
“’It makes me very happy to see that young people have the courage to undertake projects for environmental and social improvement, since the two go together.
“’We adults can learn much from them, because in all matters related to care for the planet, they are at the forefront.
“’Let us take advantage of their example and reflect on our lifestyle, especially during these moments of health, social and environmental crisis.
“’Let us reflect on how the way we eat, consume, travel, or the way we use water, energy, plastics, and many other material goods, is often harmful to the earth.
“’Let us choose to change! Let us advance with young people towards lifestyles that are simpler and more respectful of the environment.
“’…[T]hey aren't foolish, because they are committed to their own future. This is why they want to change what they will inherit at a time when we will no longer be here.’
“Watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnQxcFLH7Y8&list=PLTroqZcBkue16MMgzz9LKRp-W1biit5sp “
(With permission) Sep 1st 2021, Independent Catholic News
Reclaim Our Common Home – CAFOD Campaign
“’Anyone who thinks that the only lesson to be learned was the need to improve what we were already doing, or to refine existing systems and regulations, is denying reality.’ Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, #7
“In 2020, we experienced the worst global health crisis in a century. …
“The pandemic exposed many of the inadequacies of how our world currently works. It has proved that we need greater cooperation between nations, solidarity between people and a greater focus on the poorest in society. …
“Pope Francis, and popes before him, have consistently called for a transformation of the way our global economy works and the ideology upon which it is built. For too long, it has been based on the pursuit of profit and growth, above care for people and our planet.
“A system based on unregulated free markets has created extreme inequalities, and has allowed some countries and companies to become wealthy at the expense of others while the precious gifts of climate, nature and biodiversity have been destroyed. …
“As Catholics, we are called not to stay silent and not to be passive. This is why Reclaim Our Common Home is a call to action! It’s a call to participate both individually and collectively in rebuilding a more dignified and sustainable world after the pandemic.
“To do this we need to:
- RECLAIM nature so that everyone can breathe clean air and be protected from the threat of climate disasters.
- RECLAIM the world’s land and resources so they are more fairly distributed and all our brothers and sisters around the world can live in dignity.
- RECLAIM power so that everyone can be involved in decision making and have control over their own lives.”
CAFOD, https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Reclaim-our-common-home
A separate ‘Supporter’s Briefing’ with more information on this important CAFOD campaign is available at https://cafod.org.uk/content/download/54502/757303/version/2/file/Supporter%20briefing%20-%20Reclaim%20Our%20Common%20Home%20-%20January%202021.pdf
Why is CAFOD campaigning on climate?
“Climate change affects our health, our homes, our heritage and our beautiful landscapes. Our community centres where we meet, our sports fields where we play and our places of pilgrimage where we reflect. It also ruins the work we do to fight poverty.
“Enough. Together as Catholics, we can turn the tide. We can call our politicians to go further and faster with emission cuts. We can treat our common home with respect and choose to live sustainably. …
“What are the links [of climate change] with our faith?
“God reveals himself to us in nature. The world is a gift from God and its future is intimately bound up with our own lives and choices.
“At CAFOD we have also been inspired by Pope Francis’ letter on the environment Laudato Si'. It complements what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says that our responsibility as good stewards of creation is to care for our world and not ‘steal’ resources from future generations.
“In Laudato Si' Pope Francis speaks openly about the devastating effects of climate change on people and the planet. He says that climate change is real, urgent and it must be tackled. He also describes the climate as "a common good, belonging to all and meant for all". He calls us to an ecological conversion and invites us to praise God for the gifts of creation.
“Explore Pope Francis’ message in Laudato Si’ with your parish or school. Find resources to help you do this. [at https://cafod.org.uk/Pray/Laudato-Si-encyclical ].”
CAFOD, https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Climate/Climate-change-FAQs
“Caritas Internationalis statement on Human Rights Day [Aug 18th 2021 ]
“In 2021, World Humanitarian Day is marked by many crises, both man-made and natural disasters.
Caritas Internationalis, a confederation of 162 members working with the grassroots communities in 200 countries and territories, is witnessing the untold sufferings caused by these man-made and natural crises. In line with the teaching of Pope Francis, on this World Humanitarian Day, Caritas recalls that the only solution is Integral Human Ecology, putting the interest and dignity of the human person at the centre of all activities and decisions. Without determined political will on the part of the decision makers and political leaders, there will be no change, and the wellbeing of the poorest cannot be ensured.
“COP26 must address this as an urgent priority and come out with tangible and adequate solutions with the allocation of appropriate means to realise them.
“On World Humanitarian Day, Caritas Internationalis urges decision makers to take courageous steps to address the different issues particularly related to climate change, the pandemic's impact, and the political turmoil in Afghanistan and Lebanon. Without determined political will, human life is in danger, and one part of humanity is bound to suffer and live in dire conditions of inhuman poverty.”
(With permission) Aug 18th 2021, Independent Catholic News
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
‘"The annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation will offer individual believers and communities a fitting opportunity to reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care, and to implore his help for the protection of creation as well as his pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live."’ (Pope Francis, Letter inaugurating World Prayer of Care for Creation)
Prayer
O Lord, good Father, who in your providence have entrusted the earth to the human race, grant, we pray, that with the fruits harvested from it we may be able to sustain life and, with your help, always use them to promote your praise and the wellbeing of all.
Roman Missal