"You love all that exists ... all things are yours, God, lover of life ..." (1): a pastoral letter on the Christian ecological imperative.

"You love all that exists ... all things are yours, God, lover of life ..." (1): a pastoral letter on the Christian ecological imperative. SOCIAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops October 4, 2003 Feast of St. Francis of Assisi (Patron Saint patron saintSaint to whose protection and intercession a person, society, church, place, profession, or activity is dedicated. The choice is usually made on the basis of some real or presumed relationship (e.g., St. for Ecology) 1. The beauty and grandeur of nature touches each one of us. Frompanoramic vistas to the tiniest living form, nature is a constant sourceof wonder and awe. It is also a continuing revelation of the divine.Humans live within a vast community of life on earth. In the Jewish andChristian religious traditions, God is first described as the Creatorwho, as creation proceeded, "saw that it was good." (2)God's love for all that exists was wondrously evident then, remainsso now, and invites the active response of humankind. 2. To enter into ever-deeper relationship with God--this"Lover of Life"--entails striving to develop right relationswith nature and with other human beings. But life on earth today isplagued with an unprecedented and accelerating ecological crisis An ecological crisis occurs when the environment of a species or a population changes in a way that destabilizes its continued survival. There are many possible causes of such crises: .Deforestation deforestationProcess of clearing forests. Rates of deforestation are particularly high in the tropics, where the poor quality of the soil has led to the practice of routine clear-cutting to make new soil available for agricultural use. , species extinction, climate change, ecosystem collapse,contamination of air and water, and soil erosion are just a few of theenormous ecological problems which we face in Canada and elsewhere inour world. How many of us remember a childhood spent playing under thesun, a beach we were once able to swim at, a river we were once able todrink from--but no more! The closing of the once overwhelminglybountiful cod fishery the business of fishing for cod.See also: Cod in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador, province, CanadaNewfoundland and Labrador(ny`fənlənd, ny is aparticularly painful example of this crisis. Indeed, every region hasbeen affected in some negative manner. Environmental health concerns arefrequent, arising from the Sydney Tar Ponds The Sydney Tar Ponds are a Canadian hazardous waste site on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.Located on the eastern shore of Sydney Harbour in the former city of Sydney (now amalgamated into the Cape Breton Regional Municipality), the Tar Ponds form a tidal estuary at the in Nova Scotia to urban smogalerts in Toronto or Montreal, from contaminated mine sites in northernSaskatchewan and the Northwest Territories to the safety of food thatevery Canadian family will eat. 3. God's glory is revealed in the natural world, yet we humansare presently destroying creation. In this light, the ecological crisisis also a profoundly religious crisis. In destroying creation we arelimiting our ability to know and love God. "The ecological crisisis a moral issue" and "the responsibility of everyone,"says Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (Latin: Ioannes Paulus PP. II, Italian: Giovanni Paolo II, Polish: Jan Paweł II) born Karol J��zef Wojtyła(helpinfo). (3) "Care for the environment is not anoption. In the Christian perspective, it forms an integral part of ourpersonal life and of life in society. Not to care for the environment isto ignore the Creator's plan for all of creation and results in analienation of the human person." (4) A RELIGIOUS RESPONSE Praise be my Lord for our brother the wind, and for air and cloud, calms and all weather, by which you uphold life in all creatures. --St. Francis of Assisi, The Canticle of the Sun 4. Throughout history, each people's religious beliefs haveconditioned their relationship to their environment. Some Christianshave developed the ecological acumen of saints. Others seem to havemisinterpreted the Genesis account to "subdue" the earth andestablish "dominion" over all living things Living Things may refer to: Life, or things in nature that are alive Living Things (band), a St. Louis musical group Living Things (album) by Matthew Sweet . Pope John Paul IIhas emphasized the need for "ecological conversion," (5) andwe are encouraged that many Christian traditions are responding activelyto the ecological crisis. They have recognized that churches haveinsufficiently come to grips with how aspects of Christian theology Noun 1. Christian theology - the teachings of Christian churchesfree grace, grace of God, grace - (Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God; "God's grace is manifested in the salvation of sinners"; "there but for the grace of God go andtradition are implicated in the Western capitalist development modelwhich has led to so much ecological ruin (6) (not to mention theecological disasters left by communist regimes). Christians are miningbiblical and theological resources in order to gain insight into"eco-justice" issues. Others are collaborating by forming newecumenical and interfaith alliances. The work to highlight a theology ofcreation that directs us towards the proper relationship between God andthe entire earth community is most timely and appreciated, both withinthe churches and increasingly among environmental activists. (7) 5. All spiritual traditions speak of the marvels of the earth: theoverwhelming beauty, the vast array of creatures, the complex andinterconnected weave of ecosystems. They also teach respect for theearth and call humans to live within its limits. Certainly the Christiantradition Christian traditions are traditions of practice or belief associated with Christianity.The term has several connected meanings. In terms of belief, traditions are generally stories or history that are or were widely accepted without being part of Christian doctrine. has both biblical and theological resources that could deterhumans from further ecological ruin. Biblical teachings are rich withecological guidance and wisdom. The bible has abundant images thatconnect the earth to God, and teach about God; the wind, water, soil,seeds, trees, birds, sheep. Many passages speak of the need to respectthe land, for example. (8) The metaphors of planting and tending,pruning and harvesting are used to speak of God and of life. Themagnificent story of Job is a reminder that God loves and tends to allof creation. (9) The rainbow, set by God in the clouds, "recallsthe Covenant between myself and you and every living creature of everykind that is found on the earth." (10) 6. The bible also teaches about an equitable distribution ofresources, including sharing land, animals and water. This insistence onjustice is often directed towards distributing the bounty of the earthand providing for those who are marginalized. (11) The profoundinterconnection between God's care for humans and care for theenvironment is noted in Psalm 146, in which The maker of heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them ... secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry ... sets prisoners free ... gives sight to the blind ... raises up those who are bowed down ... protects the stranger [and] sustains the orphan and the widow. Ecological problems are enmeshed within social structures thatserve the interests of the few at the expense of the many, especiallythose marginalized and in poverty. 7. Christian theological and liturgical tradition affirms thebiblical message. Creation and the redemptive Incarnation of the Son ofGodare inextricably in��ex��tri��ca��ble?adj.1. a. So intricate or entangled as to make escape impossible: an inextricable maze; an inextricable web of deceit.b. linked. Through his Incarnation, Jesus Christ Jesus Christ:see Jesus. Jesus Christ40 days after Resurrection, ascended into heaven. [N.T.: Acts 1:1–11]See : AscensionJesus Christkind to the poor, forgiving to the sinful. [N.T. notonly entered and embraced our humanity; he also entered and embraced allof God's creation. Thus all creatures, great and small, areconsecrated in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. This is whythe Church does not hesitate to bless and make generous use of theearth's materials in liturgical celebrations and sacraments. Thisis also why, in Catholic social thought, the common good should beconceived as the sustenance and flourishing of life for all beings andfor future generations. (12) The call for a "new solidarity"should take into consideration not only the economic needs of all peoplebut also environmental protection in order to provide for all. (13) Theprinciple of the social mortgage on private property should include an"ecological mortgage" on the goods of creation (for this aswell as future generations). The preferential option for the poor can beextended to include a preferential option for the earth, made poorer byhuman abuse. EMBRACING ECOLOGICAL CONVERSION--LIVING WATER OR PRIVATE COMMODITY? Praise be my Lord for our sister water, which is very serviceable to us, and humble and precious and clean. --St. Francis of Assisi, The Canticle of the Sun 8. Water is the source of all life, and a primary symbol inreligious traditions. Water cleanses, purifies, refreshes and inspires.The bible speaks of living waters, of becoming a fountain of livingwater, of longing for running water, and of justice flowing as a mightyriver. Yet how can anyone speak about the "waters of life" ifthese waters can no longer sustain life? As Thomas Berry writes,"if water is polluted it can neither be drunk nor used for baptism.Both in its physical reality and its psychic symbolism it is a sourcenot of life but of death." (14) 9. Without water everything dies. Water is the basic elementthrough which all life forms emerged, exist and flourish. Water is thelife-blood of the planet, and maintains an intricate and delicatelybalanced circulation system that has evolved for over four billionyears. Water not only serves the common good, but is part of the commongood. 10. Today, water is threatened almost everywhere on earth. Manywater systems are over-saturated with contaminants and carcinogens. Thediversion and damming of rivers has resulted in drought, and in desertswhere lush ecosystems once thrived. Ground water is diminishing andaquifers are mined. Bulk exports of thousands of gallons of freshwaterare planned as if such ecological trauma would leave no negativefootprint. These realities pose grave risks to human health and foodsecurity, as well as to the future of entire regions. 11. The world's fresh water resources are finite and are nowbecoming market commodities, no longer public goods. Currently,inadequate access to safe drinking water drinking watersupply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g. affects the well-being of overone billion people, and 2.4 billion persons lack access to adequatesanitation. (15) Some persons living in urban slums in poor countriesare forced to pay between four and one hundred times more for water thantheir middle and upper class fellow citizens. (16) No wonder that forpersons living in poverty, water has become, in the broad sense of theconcept, a right to life issue. (17) The tragedy of seven deaths andthousands of illnesses in Walkerton, Ontario, as a result of acontaminated water system has brought this concept into the Canadianconsciousness, as well. 12. One of the Millennium Development Goals “MDG” redirects here. For other uses, see MDG (disambiguation).The Millennium Development Goals are eight goals that 192 United Nations member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. (MDGs--which Canada iscommitted to achieving by 2015) is to reduce by half the proportion ofpeople without sustainable access to safe drinking water. (18) TheUnited Nations has declared 2003 the International Year of Freshwater.This is a propitious pro��pi��tious?adj.1. Presenting favorable circumstances; auspicious. See Synonyms at favorable.2. Kindly; gracious.[Middle English propicius, from Old French time for Christian communities to reflect on themeaning of water in our lives, the need to preserve it and safeguard itspurity, and also to redefine how it is shared. Not only should everyhuman person enjoy the right to a safe environment but, specifically,every person's right to water must also be respected. (19)Canada's bishops encourage all Canadians to sign the "WaterDeclaration" and to participate in the action campaigns of theCanadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace as a concreteway to advance these concerns. (20) 13. Such a basic human right as access to water cannot be left tothe whims of market forces to deliver. In our own country, Canadiansshould insist on government action to ban bulk exports of water, excludewater services from international trade agreements, ensure high qualitystandards of drinking water for all and guarantee that water utilitiesremain public, rather than private entities. Campaigns such as that ofthe Franciscan Family of Quebec, which raise our attention tointernational trade agreements that threaten our ability to protect andpreserve supplies of freshwater, are worthy of our support. (21) Membersof Christian communities, especially in Catholic schools, are encouragedto include education related to environmental issues, especially water,in their upcoming programs. EMBRACING FORMS OF ECO-JUSTICE 14. All serious solutions to the ecological crisis demand thathuman beings change our thinking, relationships and behaviours in orderto recognize the interconnectedness of all creation. In previousmessages, the Social Affairs Commission suggested several pedagogical ped��a��gog��ic? also ped��a��gog��i��caladj.1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of pedagogy.2. Characterized by pedantic formality: a haughty, pedagogic manner. steps to assist communities to develop social action. (22) Todayhowever, we must imbue im��bue?tr.v. im��bued, im��bu��ing, im��bues1. To inspire or influence thoroughly; pervade: work imbued with the revolutionary spirit.See Synonyms at charge.2. this pastoral methodology with ecologicalsensitivity. For example, while beginning to listen to the experiencesof the marginalized in society, we must also be attentive to the cry ofthe creation that surrounds and sustains them. Whereas we once began bydeveloping critical analysis of economic, political and socialstructures that cause human suffering, we must now also bring theadditional riches of ecological justice to bear on such realities. OurChristian tradition provides us with at least three inter-related formsof active response: the Contemplative, the Ascetic and the Prophetic.(23) THE CONTEMPLATIVE RESPONSE 15. Each one of us is called to deepen our capacity to appreciatethe wonders of nature as an act of faith and love. In the silence ofcontemplation, nature speaks of the beauty of the Creator. "If youlook at the world with a pure heart, you too will see the face ofGod" (cf. Matthew 5:8). (24) Standing in awe of creation can assistus to perceive the natural world as a bearer of divine grace In Christianity, divine grace refers to the sovereign favour of God for humankind — especially in regard to salvation — irrespective of actions ("deeds"), earned worth, or proven goodness.Grace is enabling power sufficient for progression. . Much canbe done in the preparation of liturgy and meditation to include arenewed or deepened appreciation of nature that will sensitize sen��si��tizev.To make hypersensitive or reactive to an antigen, such as pollen, especially by repeated exposure. us to theproblems and encourage us to work for the solutions that our planet andfuture generations require. (25) THE ASCETIC RESPONSE 16. Canadians are blessed with an abundance of natural resources,but we also are among the planet's most excessively wastefulinhabitants. Thankfully, there is in our tradition an ascetic responsethrough which we can confidently adjust our lifestyle choices and dailyactions to respect ecological limits, attune at��tune?tr.v. at��tuned, at��tun��ing, at��tunes1. To bring into a harmonious or responsive relationship: an industry that is not attuned to market demands.2. us to solidarity withvulnerable peoples, as well as encourage the movement of grace in ourlives. Rather than an attempt to "flee the world," a newasceticism asceticism(əsĕt`ĭsĭzəm), rejection of bodily pleasures through sustained self-denial and self-mortification, with the objective of strengthening spiritual life. would enable us all to enter more deeply into the planetaryrhythms of restraint from the demands of consumerism. To"fast" from actions that pollute, to embrace whateverinconveniences may arise from running a "greener" household,to decrease our use of fossil fuels and to tithe titheContribution of a tenth of one's income for religious purposes. The practice of tithing was established in the Hebrew scriptures and was adopted by the Western Christian church. time, treasure andtalent to environmental causes may all be aspects of this response.Buying locally produced goods, organic produce and fairly tradedmerchandise are increasingly realistic options for many Canadians. Wecan challenge the hold of the marketplace over our lives by consciousefforts to avoid over-consumption and by using our purchasing power Purchasing Power1. The value of a currency expressed in terms of the amount of goods or services that one unit of money can buy. Purchasing power is important because, all else being equal, inflation decreases the amount of goods or services you'd be able to purchase.2. topromote earth-friendly enterprises. THE PROPHETIC RESPONSE 17. Social justice issues have ecological implications: the case ofwater is a perfect example of this. We can make the links between socialand ecological justice more evident in our preaching and communityaction. The cry of the earth and the cry of the poor are one. (26)Ecological harmony cannot exist in a world of unjust social structures;nor can the extreme social inequalities of our current world orderresult in ecological sustainability. (27) But the growing movements foreco-justice can contribute substantially to the necessary solutions forboth crises. Christian communities, inspired by St. Francis ofAssisi--the friend of the poor who was loved by God's creatures--should provide positive recognition and support to thoseenvironmentalists, farmers, educators and solidarity activists who havebegun to show us the way forward. CONCLUSION 18. All of creation is of God, and is as yet unfinished. We arecalled as co-creators to join God's work to repair some ofcreation's wounds which have been inflicted due to our ecologicalsins. We are also called to creative actions of solidarity with thosewho have less access to the benefits of God's bountiful creation.The "Lover of Life," who came so that we all might have life,and have it abundantly, (28) continues to provide us with opportunitiesto renew the face of the earth. How can we not take up that challenge? Members of the Episcopal Commission for Social Affairs [dagger] Jean Gagnon, Chairman, Bishop of Gaspe [dagger] Blaise E. Morand, Bishop of Prince Albert Prince Albert,city (1991 pop. 34,181), central Sask., Canada, on the North Saskatchewan River. Prince Albert is a commercial and distribution center for a lumbering, gold- and uranium-mining, and mixed-farming area. There are wood-products and meatpacking industries. [dagger] Jean-Louis Plouffe, Bishop of Sault Ste-Marie [dagger] Donald J. Theriault, Military Ordinary of Canada Heather Eaton, Ottawa, Consultant Constance Vaudrin, Montreal, Consultant October 4, 2003 Vous pouvez vous procurer des exemplaires de cette publication enfrancais au Bureau des affaires sociales, Conference des evequescatholiques du Canada, 2500, promenade Don Reid, Ottawa, ON K1H 2J2.Telephone: (613) 241-9461, poste 133; telecopie : (613) 241-9048;courriel : mchabot@ cccb.ca APPENDIX What Can Christians Do to Protect the Environment? 1. Set up a study group on ecology in your church. As a beginning,share this pastoral letter Pastoral letters are open letters addressed by a bishop to the clergy or laity of his diocese, or to both, containing either general admonition, instruction or consolation, or directions for behaviour in particular circumstances. with interested people and develop a processof reflection leading to action. Or, as another option, reflect on thewatershed in which you live, and read the pastoral letter of theCanadian/American bishops, The Columbia River Watershed: Caring forCreation and the Common Good. Seehttp://www.columbiariver.org/index1.html. 2. Engage in actions designed to minimize your ecologicalfootprint. Some groups have begun to practice the 5Rs: reverence,reduce, repair, reuse and recycle, at home, in the garden, whileshopping, as well as at church. For a wide range of practical ideas,refer to the guide prepared by the Ecology and Theology Working Group ofthe Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, October 2002, Renewing Our RelationshipWith the Earth: A Guide to What You and Your Church Can Do. Inparticular, Appendix A lists "The Twenty Most Important Things toDo." Would your parish/diocese engage in a similar project orconsider acting on some of these 20 options? Seehttp://www.ottawa.anglican.ca/docs/renewing.pdf. 3. Participate actively in the advocacy campaigns of the CanadianCatholic Organization for Development and Peace, and contributefinancially to projects for social and ecological justice. Inparticular, ensure that your family, parish and school join the campaignto sign the CCODP CCODP Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace "Water Declaration." See www.devp.org. 4. Oppose the bulk export of water from Canada. Join the campaignof the Franciscans of Quebec. For more information: SIAF, 5732 boul. PieIX, Montreal, Qc H1X 2B9; telephone and fax (514) 722-5700; Office emailfisiaf@colba.netm; Sister Danielle Julien: danifmic@colba.net. As well,visit the Blue Planet Project Website: www.blueplanetproject.net 5. Participate in the ecological justice activities ofenvironmental groups. The interfaith organization Faith and the CommonGood is encouraging Canadians to take The Nature Challenge proposed byDr. David Suzuki. Participants commit themselves to do at least three often suggested actions during the coming year. Actions cover areas oftransportation, food and our homes. See www.davidsuzuki.org. 6. Assess the energy use of your church. Obtain a copy of theEnergy Workbook for Religious Buildings and consider energy audits andretrofits for your worship space. See www.kairoscanada.org. 7. Engage your political representatives on the issues of socialand ecological justice. Make sure whatever action you take, be itrelated to local environmental protection, the limiting of climatechange, or international cooperation on ecological issues, that yourpolitical representatives know about your concern and how you expectthem to respond. (1) Wisdom 11:25-26. Jerusalem Bible translation. (2) Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25. (3) Pope John Paul II, Peace with God the Creator, Peace with allof Creation (World Day for Peace Message), January 1, 1990, No. 10. (4) Ibid, No. 3. (5) Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 17 January 2001, No. 4;Sister Marjorie Keenan, RSHM RSHM Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary (religious order)RSHM Rosen School of Hospitality Management (University of Central Florida), From Stockholm to Johannesburg: AnHistorical Overview of the Concern of the Holy See for the Environment,1972-2002, Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (Justitia et Pax) is a part of the Roman Curia dedicated to "action-oriented studies" for the international promotion of justice, peace, and human rights from the perspective of the Roman Catholic Church. , Vatican City, 2002,p. 75. (6) David G. Hallman's introduction to his book, Ecotheology:Voices from South and North, Orbis Books, New York New York, state, United StatesNew York,Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , 1994, p. 5, makesthis point. (7) For an overview of the growing relationship between religionand ecology Religion and ecology is an emerging subfield in the academic discipline of Religious Studies. It is founded on the understanding that, in the words of Iranian-American philosopher Seyyed Hossein Nasr, "the environmental crisis is fundamentally a crisis of values," and that , see the Worldwatch Institute's 2003 State of the WorldReport, especially the chapter entitled "Engaging Religion in theQuest for a Sustainable World," W.W. Norton and Co., New York. (8) Deuteronomy 26:9-10, Psalm 24:1. (9) Job 38, 39, 40. (10) Genesis 9:15. Jerusalem Bible translation. (11) Amos 6:4-6; Luke 12:33. (12) CCCB Social Affairs Commission, The Common Good or Exclusion:A Choice for Canadians, February 2, 2001, No. 12; and Celebrate Life:Care for Creation, Catholic Bishops of Alberta, Western CatholicReporter, October 5, 1998, pp. 12-13. (13) Pope John Paul II, Peace with God the Creator, Peace with allof Creation, op. cit., No. 4. (14) Thomas Berry, "Economics as a Religious Issue,"Riverdale Papers X, 1985, p. 4. (15) The United Nations World Water Development Report, "Waterfor People, Water for Life," UNESCO UNESCO:see United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. UNESCOin full United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization , March 2003, p. 11. (16) C.K. Prahalad, Allen Hammond, "Serving the World'sPoor, Profitably," Harvard Business Review Harvard Business Review is a general management magazine published since 1922 by Harvard Business School Publishing, owned by the Harvard Business School. A monthly research-based magazine written for business practitioners, it claims a high ranking business readership and , September 2002, p. 5. (17) Archbishop Renato Martino, "Water: An Essential Elementfor Life," Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace contribution tothe Third World Water Forum, Kyoto, Japan, March 16-23, 2003. (18) All 189 United Nations Member States As of 2007, there are 192 United Nations (UN) member states. Each member state is a member of the United Nations General Assembly.According to the United Nations Charter, Chapter 2, Article 4, the admission of any state to membership in the UN "will be effected by a pledged in 2000 to meetthe Millennium Development Goals by 2015. See:www.un.org/millenniumgoals/index. (19) Pope John Paul II, Peace with God the Creator, Peace with allof Creation, op. cit., No. 9; Archbishop Renato Martino, "Water: AnEssential Element for Life," op. cit. (20) For more information, see www.devp.org. (21) "Notre soeur l'eau n'est pas a vendre! Prise deposition de La Famille franciscaine du Quebec." December 23, 2002. (22) See "From Words to Actions," Labour Day 1976, No. 9;and "Ethical Challenges and Political Challenges," December13, 1983, No. 4. (23) Elizabeth A. Johnson, "God's Beloved Creation,"America, April 16, 2001, p. 10, was most helpful throughout thissection. (24) Pope John Paul II, World Youth Day, Denver, August 14, 1993,Part II, No. 5-6. (25) See National Bulletin on Liturgy, Vol. 27, No. 136 (Spring1994). (26) The Canadian bishops, for example, made three publicinterventions in 2001 in favour of the ratification of the Kyoto Accord.As well, the bishops actively participate in the Ecology ProgramCommittee of KAIROS--Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, whereexcellent work is being done to monitor the ecological responsibility ofthe corporate sector. See www.kairoscanada.org; also: Assemblee deseveques du Quebec, Social Affairs Committee, Cry of the Earth; Cry ofthe Poor, May 1, 2001. (27) Pope John Paul II, Peace with God the Creator, Peace with allof Creation, op. cit., No. 11. (28) John 10:10.