Catholic Environmental Statement

What I found from the Catholic Church, in lieu of their environmental statement, is an address that the Pope John Paul II made on January 1, 1990. I found this statement to be fascinating because it set forth a very unique Environmental Statement that was both true to the spirit of Environmentalism, while being uniquely Catholic at the same time. What follows are my reflections on the statement, taking into consideration the blend of Catholic and Environmental orthodoxies.

There were a few areas of this statement that reflect the unique contributions that the Catholic Church is making to the environmental discussion. Though Catholic language and influences clearly run throughout John Paul's statement, I pulled out a few that I thought were particularly interesting.

Throughout the address, John Paul II uses language of "order and creation." What this does is allude to a larger worldview that Catholic theology operates from. For example, the address says,

Today, the dramatic threat of ecological breakdown is teaching us the extent to which greed and selfishness - both individual and collective - are contrary to the order of creation, an order which is characterized by mutual interdependence. - point 8

An ordered universe is a concept that I find interesting because it suggests that creation has a specific way that it must exist. When we break away from this order, there are natural consequences that arise according this theory. Though it may be a myopic understanding of creation, it does help us to think of the "natural" order as being a God given gift. The trouble of course, is when we try to define what is and what isn't natural or part of the order.

John Paul's statement develops a close link between social ills and environmental ills that is interesting. For example, the address states,

It must also be said that the proper ecological balance will not be found without directly addressing the structural forms of poverty that exist throughout the world. -Point 11

What it does, is to take seriously the interconnectedness of all life. Lack of environmental education is tied to poverty which is tied to war, which is tied to famine, which is tied to economically unjust structures (etc.). I found these connections to be a particularly helpful for thinking about environmental injustice as a system rather than an isolated problem

The Pope's address also reflected more orthodox environmental concerns (if such a thing exists). For example this part of the address has echoes of Earth in Mind by David Orr. It reads,

An education in ecological responsibility is urgent: responsibility for oneself, for others, and for the earth. This education cannot be rooted in mere sentiment or empty wishes. Its purpose cannot be ideological or political. It must not be based on a rejection of the modern world or a vague desire to return to some "paradise lost" . Instead, a true education in responsibility entails a genuine conversion in ways of thought and behaviour. - pt. 13

Specifically this statement places an emphasis on the importance of education for ecological responsibility, but more importantly, I think it takes seriously the conversations that are going on in the broader context of the church. It also does not let us off the hook by denying our own personal responsibility towards environmental renewal.