Pope Francis on Climate Change

https://robertscribbler.wordpress.com

My comment is not intended to explain the encyclical nor to provide a summary. I just want to encourage you to read it carefully. It comes in at less than 200 small pages. It can easily be read in one day, two half days or an hour a day for a week. There is nothing in it that anyone who is familiar with ecology, especially eco-theology, will find especially new. What is new is that this is a very official Church document and thus it presents a framework for the work of the Church in the next decades.

There is a precedent. In 1963, Pope John XXIII, after convening the Second Vatican Council, published an encyclical called Pacem in terris. In this encyclical, and for the first time in history, the Church addressed the question of human rights in positive terms and laid out an argument for world governance through international law. This encyclical, Laudate sii – the opening words of St. Francis’ Canticle of the Sun, does something similar for the care of the earth. It is about climate change and it takes a very strong position. However, it is much more than that, it situates human beings in relation to the earth and elaborates for the first time the ethical, spiritual and theological principles that guide us in that relationship.

As the Pope himself insists, this is not a scientific document though it draws extensively on what scientists are saying about climate, ecological systems and the impact of humans on the earth as well as the way in which humans relate to one another especially in an urban setting. Ultimately, it is a document about moral guidelines for living into the future that are deeply rooted in our biblical tradition as Christians. In this respect it is a fundamental document not just for Catholics but for anyone who follows a belief tradition.

In the text you will find a strong call for not only ecumenical action (with reference to Patriarch Bartholomew) but also to interreligious solidarity (with a reference to the Sufi tradition).

In general, my impression is that the text was carefully crafted to take into account the basic framework of contemporary ecological studies and eco-theological studies. There is only one glaring flaw: no mention of women. It seems to me that the contribution of women to the development of cosmic consciousness, ecological sensitivity and eco-theology has been impressive. Surely there could have been some place at least to acknowledge that. Here is another case of the Church’s inability to integrate one half of humanity into its theological and spiritual framework.

That aside, it is a ground-breaking document in several respects and stands as a dramatic call to action for decision-makers all over the world. That includes each of us, every day.