Courtney McGrailThe Pope’s environment encyclical is one of most important papal documents in over a century, writes Fr Seán McDonagh SSC
Fr Seán McDonagh SSC
The title of Pope Francis’ new encyclical is Laudato Si (Praise be to you). The words are taken from a popular prayer of St Francis of Assisi. Francis was giving thanks to God for ‘Brother Fire’, ‘Sister Moon’ and ‘Mother Earth’.
Laudato Si is one of the most important documents to come from a Pope in the past 120 years. It can be compared with two other important encyclicals. The first was Rerum Novarum (New Things), written by Pope Leo XIII in 1891.
That document criticised the central thesis of liberal capitalism which was that “labour is a commodity to be bought at market prices determined by the laws of supply and demand rather than by the human needs of the workers”. (RN 16-17, 33-34)
In Populorum Progressio (On the Development of Peoples), published in 1967, Pope Paul VI wrote about authentic human development which for him went beyond economic development. He considered it “a transition from less human conditions to those which are more human”.
All creation
Laudato Si widens the Church’s perspective even further to embrace, not just humans, but all creation.
Though previous Popes had written about ecology, Pope Francis is the first to acknowledge the magnitude of the ecological crisis, the urgency with which it must be faced and the irreversible nature of ecological damage. “It is my hope that this encyclical letter, which is now added to the body of the Church’s social teaching, can help us to acknowledge the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face,” he writes (No. 15).
As in all his documents, Pope Francis acknowledges the work and witness of others. These include other Christian Churches and religions (No. 7). There is a special word of praise for the Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew who has spoken “persuasively, challenging us to acknowledge our sins against creation” (No. 7).
Many might be surprised by his words of gratitude to “the worldwide ecological movement that has already made considerable progress and led to the establishment of numerous organisations committed to raising awareness of these challenges” (No. 14).
One could also say that Laudato Si is the first encyclical to capture the extent of the modern ecological crisis – across the land, air, oceans and in every part of the world. I am delighted that he dealt so emphatically with both climate change and the destruction of biodiversity.
His quotation from St Thomas Aquinas, a man who did not have access to a microscope or telescope is marvellous: “St Thomas Aquinas wisely noted that… inasmuch as God’s goodness ‘could not be represented fittingly by any one creature’. Hence we need to grasp the variety of things in their multiple relationships” (48). Pope Francis also shows the “intimate relationship between (caring for) the poor and the fragility of the planet (No.16).
Many will ask whether the vision of this document will be shared across the Catholic Church and the wider community. As someone who has been involved in eco-theology for 37 years, I know that it will not happen unless serious money is invested in educating people. Why do I say this? On January 1, 1990, Pope John Paul II wrote a wonderful document on ecology, entitled Peace with God the Creator: Peace with all Creation. In the second paragraph he acknowledges that “a new ecological awareness is beginning to emerge which, rather than being downplayed, ought to be encouraged to develop concrete programmes and initiatives”.
Little happened in the intervening years. Parishes, dioceses and even religious congregations did not set up ‘Care of the Earth’ ministries. There is little or no ecological theology being taught in seminaries or houses of formation.
Compare what happened in the Catholic Church with respect of initiatives to protect children. Twenty five years ago, parishes and diocese had not invested in this area and the results were tragic for children. Now there is major funding for this ministry with excellent results.
One effective way of educating the Christian community would be by way of a synod which might last for three years. During the first year the Churches might learn about the natural world in their local dioceses.
People would be encouraged to learn about the flora and fauna in their local parishes and dioceses. There they could address issues such as climate change, the destruction of biodiversity and pollution of water.
Developing a spirituality to support this would also be important. The second year’s the focus would be on the national scene and, the final synod would be at an international level. This initiative should be ecumenical.
Thirty seven years ago, I remember one evening returning home from visiting a village in the mountains of Cotabato in the Southern Philippines. On one side of me I could see a beautiful lake and a tropical forest. The other side of mountain was scared, burned and almost lifeless.
I knew this was horribly wrong, but did have the resources in my religious tradition to deal with this destruction. During the following days I decided to try to educate myself about ecology and with the support of the late Fr Thomas Berry and Dr John Feehan in Ireland I began to learn about ecology and religion.
I was disappointed that Pope Francis didn’t mention the witness which Catholics have given to protecting creation in recent decades. I can still remember with horror that morning on April 7, 1988, when my neighbour, Fr Carl Schmitz CP, was murdered because of his efforts to protect what remained of the tropical forest. Many other deaths have followed in the Philippines and Latin America in the intervening years.
I think of the testimony of Sr Dorothy Stang who gave her life to protect the tropical forest in the Amazon. She was brutally murdered.
Caring for the Earth can be a costly business.