Laudato Sii: 5 key facts about the environmental encyclical
5. Far from being an isolated initiative by Pope Francis, Laudato Sii is part of
The Popes much anticipated climate change encyclical Laudato Sii: on the
care of our common home was leaked to an Italian magazine ahead of the
scheduled official launch Thursday. The Vatican stressed this was not the final
version, with a spokesperson even talking of a sabotage against the Pope.
In any case, what happens next is just as important for the climate change
debate.
Here are five key facts, to cut through the noise about Laudato Sii.
1. Encyclicals convey authoritative teaching by the Church, which 1.2 billion
Catholics around the world are meant to consider for their own lives. Popes
have in the past used them to intervene in global political debates and have
on occasion such as this one addressed them to all humans, rather than
just Catholics. Heres some background. Yet this Encyclical is also grounded
on detailed theological arguments. This is what Catholics may hear more about
over the coming years during Mass and in schools, which is significant given
that not many report having heard about climate change in church so far.
2. The Encyclical is not just about climate change, it is much broader. However
it does call for replacing the most polluting fossil fuels and promoting
renewable energy. It explains climate change as a largely human-made
symptom of what is wrong in the world today, including social and economic
injustice. It also places it within the wider picture of ecological damage caused
by waste, pollution, biodiversity loss, and toxic chemicals. The key idea behind
it is that of integral ecology, i.e. that people and planet are part of one family
where the Earth is our common home. It invites people to protect Gods
creation for future generations, to embrace a lifestyle change for their own
good, and to take care of people who are poor and more vulnerable.
3. Its title Laudato Sii, or Praised be You is a reference to St. Francis of
Assisis 13th century Canticle of the Creatures poem. Written in a Medieval
Italian dialect, it praises God for providing brother sun, sister water, brother
wind, and sister Mother Earth.
4. Laudato Sii does not mark a major departure from the Catholic Churchs
recent relationship with science. A prominent US climate change sceptic has
told the Pope to stay with his job rather than get involved with science. Yet
the days of Galileo being condemned by the Church are long gone. Successive
Popes have accepted modern science for a long time, including the theory of
evolution and the Big Bang. The Pontifical Academy of Sciences has a long
history, originating from an institution created in 1847. It has become a well
respected scientific body, working on science and technology, scientific policy,
bioethics and epistemology, with scientists from all that is, not exclusively
Catholic backgrounds.
wider efforts by faith communities worldwide to engage more deeply on climate
change. The Orthodox Church was due to be present at the launch of the
encyclical in Rome Thursday, and Patriarch Bartholomew was specifically
quoted in the leaked draft Encyclical having previously said that a crime
against nature is a crime against ourselves and a sin against God. Parallel
efforts to boost environmental and climate change awareness have been going
on in other faiths. More than 340 Rabbis have so far signed a letter calling for
action to prevent worsening climate disruption and to seek eco-social justice.
The Dalai Lama has been publicly speaking about environmental challenges
since the 80s. Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard spoke earlier this year with
Road to Paris about climate change.
Pope calls for increased attention to environment
Pope Francis has invited everyone to pay greater attention to environmental
issues. Speaking after the Angelus to pilgrims in St Peter's Square, Pope
Francis said his first encyclical will be published on Thursday, and he said:
"This encyclical is aimed at everyone"
Calling on everyone to accompany this event with renewed attention to
environmental degradation, and the need to act to salvage one's territory, the
Pope said of his encyclical: Let us pray that everyone can receive its message
and grow in responsibility toward the common home that God has entrusted
to us."
The document, entitled: 'Laudato Sii', On the Care of Our Common Home' will
be launched at a Vatican news conference this week.
The Pope's appeal followed a reflection on the Gospel reading of the day that
speaks of the seed that sprouts and grows and of the mustard seed which is
the smallest of all seeds but becomes the largest of plants. Francis said that
through these images Jesus speaks to us of strength of God's life-giving Word,
and of how Christ's love transforms that what is small and modest into
something that makes the whole world and all of history ferment.
And reminding those present to always carry a pocket-sized copy of the
Gospel, and to read a passage every day, the Pope said in the Gospel is the
strength that makes the Kingdom of God germinate and sprout within us.
Above all, he said, the two parables teach us something important: the
Kingdom of God is a gift of the Lord, but it requires our collaboration.
The Holy Father said that although our contribution may appear meagre before
the complexity of problems in the world, thanks to God's love each seed of
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goodness will sprout and grow, and this gives life to hope; notwithstanding the
injustice and pain we may come across, the seed of charity and peace will
yield its fruits thanks to the mysterious love of God.
Heed the Popes message on environmental degradation
On the Churchs slowness in reacting on vital matters of life, Canadian
theologian Bernard Lonergan once said, The Church often arrives a little
breathless and a little late. On June 18, Pope Francis published an encyclical
on the pastoral care of the planet, Laudato Sii: On the Care of our Common
Home; in Latin it means Praised be to you. These words are taken from the
famous Hymn to the Universe: Canticle of the Sun written by St Francis of
Assisi in 1224. Pope Francis chose the patron of Nature.
Days before publishing this document, the Pope said: I invite you to
accompany this event with a renewed attention to the situation of
environmental degradation, but also of recovery, in its territories... This
encyclical is addressed to all: let us pray so that all may receive its message
and grow in the responsibility towards the common home that God has
entrusted to all.
Pope Francis two predecessors had much to say on the subject. Pope John
Paul II spoke in 2001 of humanitys need for an ecological conversion, while
Pope Benedict XVIs regular utterances on the subject were so common that
he was dubbed The Green Pope. But Pope Francis has dedicated an entire
encyclical on nature. By devoting an entire encyclical to humanitys troubled
relationship with Gods creation, Pope Francis is breaking with precedent.
Encyclical is a long letter from the Pope circulated among the Catholic faithful
for study and reflection. Though circulating encyclical is an ancient practice of
the Papacy, in the past 100 years, it is addressed to All People of Goodwill.
We are all aware of all the environmental degradation done by all people, rich
and poor, wealthy nations as well as the poorer ones. Destruction of nature
and abuse of environment have detrimental effect on humanitys life and
wellbeing. Now the religious leaders are making the 11th hour appeal through
religious motivations to care for the earth.
We are polluting the planet, strip-mining its resources, creating mega-landfills,
pouring carbon dangerously into the atmosphere, causing the disappearance
of thousands of species, creating bad air and bad water, and thinning the
ozone layer. This document of the Pope seems to be saying: live more simply,
use fewer resources, lessen your carbon footprint, and try to recycle whatever
youve used as much as you can.
In Uganda, we have cut down countless trees, thus creating a desert, filled the
wetland with development projects, thus creating floods, and polluted the
lakes, thus depleting fish and water creatures. It is noted that about 14 per cent
of children between the ages of eight and 14 living in Kampala, have bronchial
asthma. There is an increase of cancer patients in Uganda, especially those
related to lungs. We often tend to pay attention to problems that are visible
such as poor roads and lack of infrastructure. But we are least bothered about
things that are hidden or that kill our people silently, slowly but steadily. Let us
pay attention to the Popes message. In addressing the issue of environment
he goes beyond our religious beliefs.
A few months ago, Pope Francis was quoted as saying: People occasionally
forgive but nature never does. His time for publishing this encyclical is no
coincidence. Pope Francis has publicly stated that he wants the world to take
note of its content before the crucial make or break United Nations Climate
Change Summit in Paris this December.
The Church believes that an assault on nature is sinful and contrary to the
teachings of our faith. The popes repeated call for change of heart and
change in our lifestyle that will bring a change in climate change, should be
taken seriously. It is a call to reduce our appetite for material things, unlimited
consumption of resources, abuse of mother nature and over use of technology.
In Laudato Sii, Pope Francis says ecological crisis and social crisis are but the
same thing. Ecological crisis is essentially a spiritual crisis, which leads people
to think of his own individual needs and happiness without thinking of other
people, that is ones personal good is viewed as more important and arbitrary
to common good. This leads to a clear understanding on how theology and
ecology are related: human life is founded on relationship between man with
God, with neighbour and with the earth, the material world.
Going against ecology/nature constitutes an ecological sin which is not only
against God but also against neighbour. As Christians (and more so as human
beings), we are called to nurture in us ecological ascetism, meaning simple life
and living within available means. This kind of ascetism leads us beyond
ourself and places us in full unity and interdependent amongst ourselves as
human beings and creation just as we have a common Creator.