Lenten Studies - Background

St Barnabas Anglican Church, Warrington

LENTEN STUDIES 2016

Caring for our Common Home

Background Notes

These notes are based on the Introduction and chapter 1 of the Encyclical Laudato Si'.

 

Introduction.

These concerns are not new to the Church, nor are they limited to the Church:

• In 1963 Pope John XXIII wrote rejecting war and offered proposals for peace.  He addressed, not only the Church, but "all men and women of good will".  So Pope Francis wishes "to enter into dialogue with all people about our common home".

• In 1971 Pope Paul VI referred to these ecological concerns in this way: "Due to an ill-considered exploitation of nature, humanity runs the risk of destroying it and becoming in turn a victim of this degradation".

• In 1979 Pope John Paul II warned that human beings frequently seem to see no other meaning in their natural environment than what serves for immediate use and consumption".  In 1991 he wrote of the need "to safeguard the moral conditions for an authentic human ecology", and in 2001 called for "a global ecological conversion".

• In 2008 Pope Benedict XVI urged us to recognise that creation is harmed "where we ourselves have the final word, where everything is simply our property and we use it for ourselves alone.  The misuse of creation begins when we no long recognise any higher instance than ourselves, when we nothing else but ourselves".

• These concerns are shared by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew (Orthodox Tradition) who has written: "For human beings...to destroy the biological diversity of God's creation; for human beings to degrade the integrity of the earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the earth of its natural forests or destroying its wetlands; for human beings to contaminate the earth's waters, its land, its air, and its life – these are sins... to commit a crime against the natural world is a sin against ourselves and a sin against God."  As Christians, he writes, we are called "to accept the world as a sacrament of communion, as a way of sharing with God and our neighbours on a global scale.  It is our humble conviction that the divine and the human meet in the slightest detail in the seamless garment of God's creation, in the least speck of dust of our planet."

And so to Pope Francis himself.  After drawing attention to the teaching and example of St Francis, the Pope writes:

If we approach nature and the environment without the openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs.

Pope Francis cites Wisdom 13:5 and Romans 1:20, then makes this appeal:

I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet...  Regrettably, many efforts to seek concrete solutions to the environmental crisis have proved ineffective, not only because of powerful opposition but also because of a more general lack of interest.  Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in technical solutions.  We require a new and universal solidarity.

The Introduction finishes by identifying some of the recurrent themes of the Encyclical as a whole:

• the relationship between the poor and the fragility of the planet:

• the conviction that everything in the world is connected:

• the critique of the attitudes and forms of power derived from technology:

• the call to seek other ways of understanding the economy and progress:

• the value proper to each creature:

• the human meaning of ecology:

• the need for forthright and honest debate:

• the serious responsibility of international and local policy:

• the throwaway culture:

• the proposal of a new lifestyle.

   

   

  Chapter 1.  What is happening to our Common Home?

   

  This chapter gives a brief overview of the ecological challenge facing us today "which we can no longer sweep under the carpet".  In studying these:

   

  "Our goal is not to amass information or to satisfy curiosity, but rather to become painfully aware, to dare to turn what is happening to the world into our own personal suffering and thus to discover what each of us can do about it."

   

   

   

  1.  Pollution and Climate Change

   

              Pollution, waste and the throwaway culture.

   

  "Exposure to atmospheric pollutants produces a broad spectrum of health hazards, especially for the poor, and causes millions of premature deaths."  All are affected by pollution "caused by transport, industrial fumes, substances that contribute to the acidification of soil and water, fertilisers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and agro-toxins in general".

   

  "Each year hundreds of millions of tons of waste are generated, much of it non-biodegradable, highly toxic and radioactive, from homes and businesses, from construction and demolition sites, from clinical, electronic and industrial sources."  As a result "The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth."

   

              Climate as a common good.

   

  I belongs "to all and [is] meant for all".

   

  "A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system.  In recent decades this warming has been accompanies by a constant rise in sea level and, it would appear, by an increase in extreme weather events..."

   

  "The problems is aggravated by a model of development based on the intensive use of fossil fuels, which is at the heart of the worldwide energy system...[and by] an increase in changed uses of the soil, principally deforestation for agricultural purposes."

   

  "Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods.  It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day."

   

  "There has been a tragic rise in the numbers of migrants seeking to flee from the growing poverty caused by environmental degradation... sadly, there is widespread indifference to such suffering, which is even now taking place throughout our world.  Our lack of response to these tragedies involving our brothers and sisters points to the loss of that sense of responsibility for our fellow men and women upon which all civil society is founded.

   

  2.  The Issue of Water.

   

  Other indicators of the present situation have to do with the depletion of natural resources.  We all know that it is not possible to sustain the present level of consumption in developed countries and wealthier sectors of society, where the habit of wasting and discarding has reached unprecedented levels.  The exploitation of the planet has already exceeded acceptable limits, and we have not solved the problem of poverty."

   

  "Fresh drinking water is an issue of primary importance, since it is indispensable for human life and for supporting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.  Sources of fresh water are necessary for health care, agriculture and industry."

   

  "One particularly serious problem is the quality of water available to the poor.  Every day, unsafe water results in many deaths and the spread of water-related diseases, including those caused by micro-organisms and chemical substances.  Dysentery and cholera, linked to inadequate hygiene and water supplies, are a significant cause of suffering and of infant mortality."

   

  "Even as the quality of availably water is constantly diminishing, in some places there is a growing tendency, despite its scarcity, to privatise this resource, turning it into a commodity subject to the laws of the market.  Yet access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights."

   

  "Greater scarcity of water will lead to an increase in the cost of food and the various products which depend on its use...  The environmental repercussions could affect billions of people; it is also conceivable that the control of water by multinational businesses may become a major source of conflict in this century."

   

  3.  Loss of Biodiversity.

   

  "The earth's resources are also being plundered because of short-sighted approaches to the economy, commerce and production.  The loss of forests and woodlands entail the loss of species that may constitute extremely important resources in the future, not only for food but also for curing disease and other uses... [But we must not] think of other species merely as potential 'resources' to be exploited, while overlooking the fact that they have value in themselves."

   

  "It may well disturb us to learn of the extinction of mammals or birds, since they are more visible.  But the good functioning of ecosystems also requires fungi, algae, worms, insects, reptiles and an innumerable variety of micro-organisms."

   

  "Highways, new plantations, the fencing-off of certain areas, the damming of water sources, and similar developments, crowd out natural habitats and, at times, break them up in such a way that animal populations can no longer migrate or roam freely.  As a result, some species face extinction."

   

  "The replacement of virgin forest with plantations of trees, usually monocultures, is rarely adequately analysed.  Yet this can seriously compromise a biodiversity which the new species being introduced does not accommodate."

   

  "In tropical and subtropical area, we find coral reefs comparable to the great forests on dry land, for they shelter approximately a million species, including fish, crabs, molluscs, sponges and algae.  Many of the world's coral reefs are already barren or in a state of constant decline."

   

  4.  Decline in the Quality of Human Life and the Breakdown of Society.

   

  "...we are conscious of the disproportionate and unruly growth of many cities, which have become unhealthy to live in, not only because of pollution caused by toxic emissions but also as a result of urban chaos, poor transportation, and visual pollution and noise...  We are not meant to be inundated be cement, asphalt, glass and metal, and deprived of physical contact with nature."

   

  "...when media and the digital world become omnipresent, their influence can stop people from learning how to live wisely, to think deeply and to love generously...  True wisdom, as the fruit of self-examination, dialogue and generous encounter between persons, is not acquired by a mere accumulation of data which eventually leads to overload and confusion, a sort of mental pollution."

   

  5.  Global Inequality.

   

  "The human and natural environment deteriorate together; we cannot adequately combat environmental degradation unless we attend to causes related to human and social degradation.  In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet."

   

  "...we have to realise that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor."

   

  "Inequity affects not only individuals but entire countries; it compels us to consider an ethics of international relations.  A true 'ecological debt' exists, particularly between the global north and south, connected to the commercial imbalances with effects on the environment, and the disproportionate use of natural resources by certain countries over long period of time."

   

  We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family.  There are no frontiers or barriers, political or social, behind which we can hide, still less is there room for the globalisation of indifference."

   

  6.  Weak Responses.

   

  "Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last two hundred years...  The problem is that we still lack the culture needed to confront this crisis.  We lack leadership capable of striking out on new paths and meeting the needs of the present with concern for all and without prejudice towards coming generations."

   

  "It is remarkable how weak international political responses have been...  There are too many special interests, and economic interests easily end up trumping the common good and manipulating information so that their own plans will not be affected...  The most one can expect is superficial rhetoric, sporadic acts of philanthropy and perfunctory expressions of concern for the environment, whereas any genuine attempt by groups within society to introduce change is viewed as a nuisance based on romantic illusions or an obstacle to be circumvented."

   

  "...economic powers continue to justify the current global system where priority tends to be given to speculation and the pursuit of financial gain, which fail to take the context into account, let alone the effects of human dignity and the natural environment."

   

  "As often occurs in periods of deep crisis which require bold decisions, we are tempted to think that what is happening is not entirely clear.  Superficially, apart from a few obvious signs of pollution and deterioration, things do not look that serious, and the planet could continue as it is for some time.  Such evasiveness serves as a licence to carry on with our present lifestyles, and the models of production and consumption.  This is the way human beings contrive to feed their self-destructive vices: trying not to see them, trying not to acknowledge them, delaying the important decisions and pretending that nothing will happen."

   

  7.  Variety of Opinions.

   

  "Finally we need to acknowledge that different approaches and lines of thought have emerged regarding the situation and its possible solutions...  On many concrete questions, the Church has no reason to offer a definitive opinion; she knows that honest debate must be encouraged among experts, while respecting divergent views.  But we need only to take a frank look at the facts to see that our common home is falling into serious disrepair."

   

  "The present world system is certainly unsustainable from a number of points of view, for we have stopped thinking about the goals of human activity.  If we scan the regions of our planet, we immediately see that humanity has disappointed God's expectations."