In the first chapter of this important document, Francis tackles not the scientific roots of our ecological crisis -that will come later- but a more reflective approach on those roots: What does the crisis say about how we chose to live our lives? Are those choices we make in communion with creation, or are they contrary to them? Answering these questions can help us understand a little better what is actually happening to our common home.
One theme that comes out of this reflection is that of “rapidification” (LS 18).That our world lives in a culture that needs to get things quickly is not a revelation to anyone. What Francis suggests we lose sight of is, first, how contrary this need for 'instant gratification' is to the created world around us, and second, how it doesn't lead to to caring for the common good or 'to integral and sustainable human development' (LS 18) something that as we saw in Cathy's entry, is important to Francis.
What is also key to this section, and to the whole document, is that while Francis is not afraid to look at the problems we face, he also joyfully looks at movements in our world that give us hope that we are slowly moving away from our bad habits, and towards a culture that is more sensitive towards our environment. (19)
Today's entry is written by Deacon Brian Cordeiro. Brian is a permanent deacon and Associate Director of Finance of the Archdiocese of Montreal. He is a Certified Public Accountant from Illinois and holds a Masters in Theology from Concordia University in Montreal. His passion is working for Christian unity, helping persecuted Christians and leading pilgrimages. He is the Vice-President of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism, and is a Board member of Aid to the Church in Need Canada.
The introduction of chapter 1 gives us an overall perspective of the challenges faced and the
major areas to be addressed in taking care of our planet. It invites us to discuss
concrete facts and solutions (LS 17). Solutions must necessarily look at societal
problems like rampant poverty, injustices and imbalances in sharing resources.
My reflection on these paragraphs will be under the following sections:
1. The ethics of choices
2. The relevance of the encyclical to our society and times
3. Stewardship of our home
4. A personal call to conversion
1 The Ethics of Choices
Choices demand a fine balancing act, the need to select on the basis of
which option is the better one. In this constant jugglery, we are called to balance
profit against ethical practices, immediate gain versus future benefits, self-benefit
against common good. As individuals, we are asked regularly to make decisions
such as: Do I eat and exercise right to stay healthy? Do I recycle, do I get rid of
dangerous waste responsibly? Governments, for their part, are called to balance
their fiscal budgets and keep their people employed and in good health while
being respectful of the environment. We as individuals, corporations and
governments, have to evaluate the impact of change on our home while making
our choices (LS 18).
2 Relevance of the Encyclical to our Society
Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si comes at a most opportune time; for
the Catholic Church and for society. Pope Francis, since becoming Pope in
March 2013, has brought a great amount of openness to all forms of dialogue
and possible change. For our society, the environment is currently a very
relevant subject. Forty years ago when I was resident in India, I must confess
that environmental concerns were not high on my list of priorities; taking care of
starving millions was a greater priority.
Today, the massive destruction that environmental changes have brought
about are there for all to see. For many of us, these changes have come far too
rapidly than we had expected. While reflecting on this encyclical and on the
environment, we need to keep in mind that cultural and economic contexts are
not the same across the planet. Thus others may have a context significantly
different from mine and this impacts their choices. The poor have to struggle to
make ends meet and to stave off starvation and this occupies the time, attention
and resources of less developed countries. But, we cannot afford to ignore the
impact on our home; it has to serve the many generations to follow.
Ethics comes with a cost. The Church, I believe, is in an advantageous
position to dialogue on environment. It is not driven by profit and has values such
as “common good” and “preference for the poor” which are recurring themes in
the encyclical. The encyclical is of interest not only to Catholics but to all
Christians, peoples of all religions and non-believers. In other words, it should be
of interest to all residents of this world since we are all called to be ethical in
taking care of our home.
3 Stewardship of our Home
The Scriptures are replete with references about good stewardship. A
steward is one who takes care of the property of another and returns it in a better
state than it was in when he initially received it. We are stewards of our time,
talents and treasures. God is the ultimate owner and giver of all. As stewards we
are to endeavour to use wisely what we have received and give glory to God by
returning more than what we received. In this sense, we are called to be
stewards of our environment. Let’s take care of this treasure wisely for God’s
glory.
4 A Personal Call to Conversion
The encyclical is a personal call to do my part in taking care of our planet.
Whether it is to save power by choosing low watt lighting, using efficient
appliances, keeping our homes slightly cooler in winter or converting grass
clippings into mulch; the possibilities are endless. Obviously, all this demands
personal energy, effort and cost on my part. But it is worth it; living ethically and
responsibly requires it. I remember when I was studying at St. Xavier’s High
School in Bombay, India in the 1960’s, recycling of newspapers was very
advanced, and probably more that it was in the Western world at that time. Why?
For economic reasons. By selling used papers, people could earn money. Thus
economic reasons of earning a livelihood were driving processes that were good
for the environment. I also remember that each year the Jesuits would carry out a
competition among classes in our school to see who could sell the most papers.
The money from such sales was used to help the poor. Thus one ethical choice;
that of saving the environment led to another, taking care of my brother. This
encyclical too calls for personal conversion and a change of hearts (LS 19).
In conclusion, we can say that this section of Chapter 1 of the encyclical is one that takes stock of where we are in our care of the world. It initially discusses the impact of pollution on climate change, the challenges of availability and purity of fresh water and discusses societal
conditions such as quality of life and inequalities that have become more and
more rampant in our world. My wish for our readers is that this chapter will give
you information on the nature and gravity of the problem so as to make you
enthusiastic about playing your part in the solution. Our home belongs to all of
us, both those of us who inhabit it now and those who will come after us. You
and I are called to be involved actively in taking care of our home, being
stewards of our planet. By doing this, we give glory to God, the generous giver of
all our resources.
Deacon Brian Cordeiro
 |
| source:Dreamstime |
major areas to be addressed in taking care of our planet. It invites us to discuss
concrete facts and solutions (LS 17). Solutions must necessarily look at societal
problems like rampant poverty, injustices and imbalances in sharing resources.
My reflection on these paragraphs will be under the following sections:
1. The ethics of choices
2. The relevance of the encyclical to our society and times
3. Stewardship of our home
4. A personal call to conversion
1 The Ethics of Choices
Choices demand a fine balancing act, the need to select on the basis of
which option is the better one. In this constant jugglery, we are called to balance
profit against ethical practices, immediate gain versus future benefits, self-benefit
against common good. As individuals, we are asked regularly to make decisions
such as: Do I eat and exercise right to stay healthy? Do I recycle, do I get rid of
dangerous waste responsibly? Governments, for their part, are called to balance
their fiscal budgets and keep their people employed and in good health while
being respectful of the environment. We as individuals, corporations and
governments, have to evaluate the impact of change on our home while making
our choices (LS 18).
2 Relevance of the Encyclical to our Society
Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si comes at a most opportune time; for
the Catholic Church and for society. Pope Francis, since becoming Pope in
March 2013, has brought a great amount of openness to all forms of dialogue
and possible change. For our society, the environment is currently a very
relevant subject. Forty years ago when I was resident in India, I must confess
that environmental concerns were not high on my list of priorities; taking care of
starving millions was a greater priority.
Today, the massive destruction that environmental changes have brought
about are there for all to see. For many of us, these changes have come far too
rapidly than we had expected. While reflecting on this encyclical and on the
environment, we need to keep in mind that cultural and economic contexts are
not the same across the planet. Thus others may have a context significantly
different from mine and this impacts their choices. The poor have to struggle to
make ends meet and to stave off starvation and this occupies the time, attention
and resources of less developed countries. But, we cannot afford to ignore the
impact on our home; it has to serve the many generations to follow.
Ethics comes with a cost. The Church, I believe, is in an advantageous
position to dialogue on environment. It is not driven by profit and has values such
as “common good” and “preference for the poor” which are recurring themes in
the encyclical. The encyclical is of interest not only to Catholics but to all
Christians, peoples of all religions and non-believers. In other words, it should be
of interest to all residents of this world since we are all called to be ethical in
taking care of our home.
3 Stewardship of our Home
The Scriptures are replete with references about good stewardship. A
steward is one who takes care of the property of another and returns it in a better
state than it was in when he initially received it. We are stewards of our time,
talents and treasures. God is the ultimate owner and giver of all. As stewards we
are to endeavour to use wisely what we have received and give glory to God by
returning more than what we received. In this sense, we are called to be
stewards of our environment. Let’s take care of this treasure wisely for God’s
glory.
4 A Personal Call to Conversion
The encyclical is a personal call to do my part in taking care of our planet.
Whether it is to save power by choosing low watt lighting, using efficient
appliances, keeping our homes slightly cooler in winter or converting grass
clippings into mulch; the possibilities are endless. Obviously, all this demands
personal energy, effort and cost on my part. But it is worth it; living ethically and
responsibly requires it. I remember when I was studying at St. Xavier’s High
School in Bombay, India in the 1960’s, recycling of newspapers was very
advanced, and probably more that it was in the Western world at that time. Why?
For economic reasons. By selling used papers, people could earn money. Thus
economic reasons of earning a livelihood were driving processes that were good
for the environment. I also remember that each year the Jesuits would carry out a
competition among classes in our school to see who could sell the most papers.
The money from such sales was used to help the poor. Thus one ethical choice;
that of saving the environment led to another, taking care of my brother. This
encyclical too calls for personal conversion and a change of hearts (LS 19).
In conclusion, we can say that this section of Chapter 1 of the encyclical is one that takes stock of where we are in our care of the world. It initially discusses the impact of pollution on climate change, the challenges of availability and purity of fresh water and discusses societal
conditions such as quality of life and inequalities that have become more and
more rampant in our world. My wish for our readers is that this chapter will give
you information on the nature and gravity of the problem so as to make you
enthusiastic about playing your part in the solution. Our home belongs to all of
us, both those of us who inhabit it now and those who will come after us. You
and I are called to be involved actively in taking care of our home, being
stewards of our planet. By doing this, we give glory to God, the generous giver of
all our resources.
Deacon Brian Cordeiro
...'Giving more than we receive'. Brian, I think that's one of the best descriptions of stewardship that I have ever seen! It makes me at peace with this label...many in my environment who are concerned with how we relate to the earth found this label insufficient, maybe because it did not encourage us to be 'in relationship' enough with creation. But your formulation of it seems to address that very beautifully. I wonder if there would be any other objections to this word!?
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