September 1st: Engaging the narrative: Brother Dan and paragraphs 1-6 of the introduction of Laudato Si.

Br. Dan Leckman is one of the founders of A Voice in the Wilderness and is a Jesuit brother working as a spiritual director in Canada. He's starting us off with the first six paragraphs of Laudato Si which primarily comprise Pope Francis explaining the reason for writing this encyclical, as well as the history of previous popes speaking about the environment.
-Ramana

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It’s with a lot of excitement that I join the Francises in praising God's presence in creation through my writing the first entry for our page on the same day that many Christians will be celebrating a "world day of prayer for the care of creation“ The excitement is to be expected: The response by many in our world to Laudato Si  has been nothing short of exuberant. The general public seem elated by the potential this document has to galvanize a whole generation into being more conscious, socially active, and caring in their interactions with creation. Adding to the excitement, many Christians are starting to understand that we should be doing more than just walking around quoting pretty lines from the document and saying things like ‘isn’t it great to be Catholic with this Pope around!?’  Of course it is, but that’s not the point.

The point, while addressed to “every person living on this planet” (LS 3), is especially important for all Christians:  Through this Pope, Jesus is inviting Christians to transform themselves, and to live lives that are in communion, not in conflict, with all of creation. Are we willing to answer this invitation, or are made uncomfortable by it? Judging  some of the reactions to this encyclical around the world, it would seem that latter reaction is not uncommon among Catholics: This is illustrated by the many who  dismiss the Pope’s  call to  ‘care for our common home’ as a hippie socialist attitude that doesn’t correspond with how they (comfortably) live their faith; It’s illustrated by the drop in popularity this Pope has suffered among American Catholics because of his attacks on capitalism(and consequently, on our ‘privileged’ Western lifestyle) both in this encyclical and in his papacy in general; It is also illustrated by some Catholic bloggers who have expressed their frustration at feeling scolded by the Pope through this encyclical or other addresses of his. For such people, trying to understand and decipher this Pontiff is so exhausting that they refuse to commit themselves to studying this encyclical or, if they  do so, it is in a somewhat superficial way.

Personally, I love that he uses this encyclical to address us in the first place, and not just express important ideas that will end up lying dormant for decades due to lack of exposure! And while it’s true that many are uncomfortable around his words, I feel the need to emphasize what these words  really are: Not scoldings. Challenges. Challenges to renew our bond with creation. Challenges to remember  that we share earth and her resources with all creatures of creation big and small, and that not one of these creatures is superior, or has more value than others.  This is why it’s so perfectly fitting that the very first quote in this encyclical, and the very title of it, comes from Saint Francis’ Canticle of Brother son, and sister moon “ Praise be to you, my Lord (Laudato Si, mi Signore), through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains (embraces)  and governs us…”  (LS 1) With this powerful language that reminds us how much the earth has provided us, Francis is going to encourage us to ponder  a simple question: We know what the earth is to us, but what are we to the earth?

There are many positive ways we could answer this question. We could speak of how we individually, or communally have done great things to improve our relations to the earth by recycling, composting, or eating food that was more organic. However, it’s the global picture that Francis is looking at: how has humanity as a whole responded to the gifts that we have received from God, and from creation? The picture that comes out of this reflection is a sobering one that is made even more sobering by this analogy of the earth as sister and mother to us.  This is a poignant image that illustrates how  the earth shares life with us as a sister, with whom we are equals in how we use life. At the same time, the earth remains our Mother who gives and sustains that life. Pope Francis highlights how we have taken that sense of equality to an extreme, by proclaiming  ourselves masters over creation. As a result of this egregious and violent act, we destroy that equality by acting like the rulers of our Mother and Sister. What’s worse, is that we’ve become indifferent towards the wonderful gifts we’ve been given, and have even distanced ourselves from our true identity as co-created beings that exist in harmony with the rest of creation. When we consider that ‘nothing in this world is indifferent to us’ (LS 2) our own indifference becomes nothing short of sinful.

While this may seem like harsh language to some, as Francis illustrates in paragraphs 4-6, he is merely continuing a long tradition in the Church: Using papal documents to take a good long hard look at the world, honestly naming the problems and challenges found in it, and proposing some prayers, spiritual practices, or social actions that could lead to a healthy Catholic response to this problem. Our ecological crisis is no different: Many popes have highlighted the human impact on our ecological system,and the consequences of our (collective) actions on human life (LS 5). And this is for me the core of the Pope’s message here: Quoting Blessed Pope Paul Vi, he reminds that any scientific advances and economic growth that is not in communion with creation will eventually “turn against humanity”.  It’s a message Francis comes back to in one form or another rather often,no matter how uncomfortable this may make us.  But this is only one aspect the narrative that Francis explores, and with the help of our many collaborators (including those of you reading and commenting on our entries!) we will continue to unpack it as the weeks go by.