Pope ignites revolution on environment

Pope Francis has urged the world to embark upon a revolutionary ethical rethink and change of heart in its relationship with the planet. In an encyclical dedicated to the environment he has warned of the threat to God’s Creation particularly from climate change and backed a reduction in the use of fossil fuels.

Laudato si’ – named after words of St Francis of Assisi in his Canticle of the Creatures and published on Thursday – is a bold step by Pope Francis. Vatican sources have indicated that this is a deliberate intervention in the debate over climate change in the run-up to three major UN summits, including that in Paris in December where 196 countries will meet to sign a new agreement.

The Pope’s words are addressed not only to Catholics but to all people of good will, including governments and businesses which can make decisions that will limit global warming. Francis makes it plain that his concern for the planet is born out of both a concern for the poor and for the planet itself because it is in essence good, being God’s Creation. He urges a conversion of the heart and a rejection of the throwaway culture of consumerism.

The document makes it clear that Pope Francis is shifting Catholic theology away from a more human-centred concept of life towards a more planet-centred idea. “We are not God. The earth was here before us and it has been given to us. This allows us to respond to the charge that Judaeo-Christian thinking, on the basis of the Genesis account which grants man “dominion” over the earth (cf. Gen 1: 28), has encouraged the unbridled exploitation of nature by painting him as domineering and destructive by nature,” says the encyclical.

“This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible as understood by the Church ... nowadays we must forcefully reject the notion that our being created in God’s image and given dominion over the earth justifies absolute domination over other creatures.”

Laudato si’ urges Catholics to examine their consciences about their treatment of Creation, both in terms of actions and a failure to act, saying “a healthy relationship with Creation is one dimension of overall personal conversion, that entails recognition of our errors, sins, faults and failures, and leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change”.

The encyclical rejects the common belief that population control is the solution to environmental problems, saying, that “to blame population growth instead of extreme and selective consumerism on the part of some, is one way of refusing to face the issues”. It cites abortion as part of the throwaway culture mentality that has damaged the planet.

While the document identifies the importance of small acts by individuals such as switching off light bulbs, recycling paper and cutting food waste, it is clear that action must be taken at the global level to protect the earth from further degradation. Its starting point is an acceptance of the science on climate change and global warming, backed by the majority of leading scientists. Among the contributors to the document are Professor John Schellnhuber, founding director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Change and a member of the International Panel on Climate Change.

Other contributors include Professor Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and John Zizioulas, a Greek Orthodox bishop and theologian. Pope Francis also pays tribute to Patriarch Bartholomew in the text for his work on green issues. The Patriarch issued a joint declaration on the environment with St John Paul II in 2002.

Bishops’ conferences have also played a major part in shaping Pope Francis’ thinking, as citation in the encyclical of their reports makes clear. Among them are the bishops of the Philippines, Australia and Brazil. Pope Francis warns: “The ecosystems of tropical forests possess an enormously complex biodiversity which is almost impossible to appreciate fully, yet when these forests are burned down or levelled for purposes of cultivation, within the space of a few years countless species are lost and the areas frequently become arid wastelands.”
(See pages 4-10.)