Human Ecology: Toward a Genuinely Catholic Environmental Vision

"If the Church's magisterium expresses grave misgivings about notions of the environment inspired by ecocentrism and biocentrism, it is because such notions eliminate the difference of identity and worth between the human person and other living things. In the name of a supposedly egalitarian vision of the "dignity" of all living creatures, such notions end up abolishing the distinctiveness and superior role of human beings. They also open the way to a new pantheism tinged with neo-paganism, which would see the source of man's salvation in nature alone, understood in purely naturalistic terms." (Pope Benedict XVI)

P>CHESAPEAKE, Va. (Catholic Online) - In December of 2009 Pope Benedict XVI released a brilliant letter in anticipation of the 2010 World Day of Peace. It was entitled "If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation" and can be read in its entirety here.  It was not new teaching. Rather, it was a further elaboration of the teaching of the Church on the necessity of an integral human development which includes a proper relationship with - and recognition of - the gift of creation.

After all, the Catholic Church has always "been green" - once that term is properly understood. Therein lies the rub, as the old expression goes. Most of the reports purporting to cover that letter bore such absurd titles as "Pope Goes Green". Some of the reports intimated that the Pope had joined the fringe of the environmental movement. In reality, he  simply  called for a proper stewardship of the environment rooted in our obligations to - and solidarity with - one another. We have been given to one another as gifts. Creation has been given to us as a human community, with responsibilities which we must now share. I sent the following excerpt from the letter to a few friends:

"There exists a certain reciprocity: as we care for creation, we realize that God, through creation, cares for us. On the other hand, a correct understanding of the relationship between man and the environment will not end by absolutizing nature or by considering it more important than the human person. If the Church's magisterium expresses grave misgivings about notions of the environment inspired by ecocentrism and biocentrism, it is because such notions eliminate the difference of identity and worth between the human person and other living things.

"In the name of a supposedly egalitarian vision of the "dignity" of all living creatures, such notions end up abolishing the distinctiveness and superior role of human beings. They also open the way to a new pantheism tinged with neo-paganism, which would see the source of man's salvation in nature alone, understood in purely naturalistic terms."

Most of the news reports seemed to have been written by people who had not read what the Pope had actually written. They simply tried to fit the fact of the existence of such a letter into their readymade, simplistic template. In so doing they did not report news at all. The Late Pope Paul VI in his letter entitled "On the Progress of the People" opined that "the world is in trouble because of the lack of thinking". That is certainly true in the news business these days.

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In this brilliant letter, the Pope repeated many of the themes which he developed so well in his Encyclical Letter entitled "Charity in Truth". Those themes are a part of the body of Catholic Social teaching. They were an integral part of the teaching of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II. They are found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and of course, they have their roots in the Bible. They are not new at all.

The Pope called for "integral human development" which recognizes the centrality of the human person and the primacy of our relationships with one another in family and society. He underscored the truth that creation is a gift, given to human persons by a God of love who entrusts us with responsibility for one another - and therefore for the goods which promote our human flourishing. We all have a responsibility for one another. We need to live together as good stewards of creation, recognizing the need for a "human ecology".

Here is another excerpt:

"The Church has a responsibility towards creation, and she considers it her duty to exercise that responsibility in public life, in order to protect earth, water and air as gifts of God the Creator meant for everyone, and above all to save mankind from the danger of self-destruction. The degradation of nature is closely linked to the cultural models shaping human coexistence: consequently, "when 'human ecology' is respected within society, environmental ecology also benefits". Young people cannot be asked to respect the environment if they are not helped, within families and society as a whole, to respect themselves. The book of nature is one and indivisible; it includes not only the environment but also individual, family and social ethics. Our duties towards the environment flow from our duties towards the person, considered both individually and in relation to others.

"Hence I readily encourage efforts to promote a greater sense of ecological responsibility which, as I indicated in my Encyclical "Caritas in Veritate," would safeguard an authentic "human ecology" and thus forcefully reaffirm the inviolability of human life at every stage and in every condition, the dignity of the person and the unique mission of the family, where one is trained in love of neighbour and respect for nature. There is a need to safeguard the human patrimony of society. This patrimony of values originates in and is part of the natural moral law, which is the foundation of respect for the humaand creation."

In this beautifully written letter, Pope Benedict sest forth a Catholic Environmental vision which is pro-life, pro-family, pro-poor and pro-peace. We are to receive one another as gifts. We must never use human persons as objects. We should receive creation as a gift, to be shared with one another, and not as an object of use. If you were to read many of the news sources which reported on this letter you would think the Pope joined those lambasting and blaming the West for every environmental problem. Instead, he simply writes as a Christian and articulates a responsible and intelligent vision for a "human ecology" which can promote a path to true peace.

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He concluded the letter with these words:

"The Church, for her part, is concerned that the question be approached in a balanced way, with respect for the "grammar" which the Creator has inscribed in his handiwork by giving man the role of a steward and administrator with responsibility over creation, a role which man must certainly not abuse, but also one which he may not abdicate. In the same way, the opposite position, which would absolutize technology and human power, results in a grave assault not only on nature, but also on human dignity itself.

"If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation. The quest for peace by people of good will surely would become easier if all acknowledge the indivisible relationship between God, human beings and the whole of creation. In the light of divine Revelation and in fidelity to the Church's Tradition, Christians have their own contribution to make. They contemplate the cosmos and its marvels in light of the creative work of the Father and the redemptive work of Christ, who by his death and resurrection has reconciled with God "all things, whether on earth or in heaven" (Col 1:20). Christ, crucified and risen, has bestowed his Spirit of holiness upon mankind, to guide the course of history in anticipation of that day when, with the glorious return of the Savior, there will be "new heavens and a new earth" (2 Pet 3:13), in which justice and peace will dwell forever.

"Protecting the natural environment in order to build a world of peace is thus a duty incumbent upon each and all. It is an urgent challenge, one to be faced with renewed and concerted commitment; it is also a providential opportunity to hand down to coming generations the prospect of a better future for all. May this be clear to world leaders and to those at every level who are concerned for the future of humanity: the protection of creation and peacemaking are profoundly linked! For this reason, I invite all believers to raise a fervent prayer to God, the all-powerful Creator and the Father of mercies, so that all men and women may take to heart the urgent appeal: If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation"

We have a rich body of profound Christian insight compiled in one source called the"Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church." Yet many Catholics do not even know it exists. That has to change. We are the ones who can lead the way out of the insanity of our age and facilitate an authentic human recovery. We do not need a "conservative revolution" in the United States and the West, we need a "Christian revolution", and Catholics need to be in the forefront.

Those news reports brought back to my memory a scene from one of my favorite childhood movies, the "Wizard of Oz". When Dorothy landed in Oz she was asked by the "good witch" named Belinda, "Are you a good witch or a bad witch". To which she responded "Why, I am not a witch at all". I am tired of the annoying effort to force Catholic Social thought into the stale political categories of "left" or "right" when it is not a political category at all. It presents a vision for a new and true humanism.

Some in the current "green" movement have clearly lost their way. It is obvious. Think about the inherent contradiction of worrying about polluting the atmosphere with toxic chemicals and at the same time supporting making toxic chemicals available to be ingested by mothers in order to kill the children in their womb because they do not want them. We need to articulate a new way of being "green", the Catholic way, which views the recognition of the dignity of every human person as the path to true and authentic peace.

One of the intelligent reports on the Pope's letter came from Giuliano Ferrara, the director of the Italian daily Il Foglio who wrote "The Pope denounces the ecological crisis but does not belong to the church of Al Gore. Benedict XVI in no way denies human abuse of nature. He notes that he does not share the 'the environmentalist religion or environmentalism as a religion'. The Pope has another faith, based on the transcendence of a God that creates man in his image and likeness to entrust nature to him ... He has, evidently, no need for replacement beliefs, of ideologies feigned as science."

We need to form our Catholic minds in the truth and rebuild this culture for the true common good. We need to embrace a lifestyle which implements a Catholic way of understanding our place with one another - and in the world which God created for all of us - which reflects that truth. Pope Benedict XVI is calling us to embrace and to live the full meaning of a truly Human Ecology within the context of an integrated human devlopment. It is time we learn what that means and properly respond.

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