A message from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., on the papal encyclical “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home”
In 1226, one of the Catholic Church’s most beloved saints authored a poem that has come to be known as the “Canticle for All Creation.” Seven hundred and eighty-nine years later, Pope Francis used that poem as the backdrop for his long awaited encyclical on the environment, borrowing the Canticle’s phrase “Laudato si (Praised be)” for its title. That encyclical was released today, June 18, at the Vatican in Rome.
Click here to read the Holy Father’s encyclical
The issues that it addresses were mentioned early on in his pontificate as cause for international concern. The encyclical’s subtitle gives insight into its major theme: on the care of the common home. That phrase, indeed, receives Pope Francis’ heartfelt attention.
The Holy Father addresses his words not to the “bishops of the world,” as most encyclicals do, but, rather, “to all people on the planet.” The urgency of his message at this particular time in the history of the Church and the world cannot be overstated. This is a deeply felt, personal statement that echoes the call of his predecessors, Popes St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI, to all people to be good stewards of God’s creation precisely because the world and all that it contains is his gift to us.
Pope Francis writes, not as a scientist or a politician, not for idealists on the left or right of the political spectrum, but, rather, as a pastor, the World’s Pastor who seeks to lift up for everyone’s careful consideration a compelling moral message imbedded in care for the world around us. “Rather than a problem to be solved,” Pope Francis writes, “The world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise (no. 12).”
It is very clear that the Holy Father did his homework and benefitted from the input of many scientific and environmental experts. He confronts head on the vexing issues of pollution, global warming and climate change; the quality of available supplies of fresh drinking water; biodiversity and caring for the earth’s ecosystems and a host of other environmental concerns. “These,” he writes, “are closely linked to a throwaway culture which affects the excluded just as it quickly reduces things to rubbish (no. 22).” Of course, Pope Francis’ overriding concern is “the intimate relationship between the poor and the fragility of the planet, the conviction that everything in the world is connected … 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 and the proposal of a new lifestyle (no. 16).” The Holy Father believes deeply that “the human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together,” so much so that any efforts to reverse ecological trends toward degradation must also “attend to causes related to human and social degradation (no. 48).” For him, inequality among peoples, waste and human poverty are the by-products of countries and cultures that place little value on the gifts that the Creator has given us, especially the gift of life.
There are those who will disagree with the Pope’s challenges to us and who will view this encyclical as venturing into areas that are beyond the competence proper to the Church and its pastors. While it is true that the Holy Father is neither a scientist nor an expert in these areas, he considers the subject matter of his latest work as more than mere scientific analysis: they are topics that cannot be separated from a genuine moral understanding of our “common home” and its appropriate use. Reason and faith must work together in this effort as they must in other areas of human endeavor. “The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. Hence, there is a mystical meaning to be found in a leaf, in a mountain trail, in a dewdrop, in a poor person’s face (no. 233).”
More than simply a statement or a reflection or a meditation, Pope Francis writes that “it is my hope that this Encyclical Letter, which is now added to the body of the Church’s social teaching, can help us to acknowledge the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face (no. 15).” He urges, “we need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all. … All of us can cooperate as instruments of God’s care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents (no. 14).”
This is a landmark encyclical and will be a significant part of Pope Francis’ legacy, although his work is far from finished. We can expect to hear more from him on these topics, no doubt during his upcoming and widely anticipated pastoral visit to the United States, especially in addresses to Congress and the United Nations. In my five years as Bishop and long before, I have never witnessed such urgency and attention in preparation for the release of a papal Encyclical Letter. We should heed now the words of St. Augustine from long ago: “Tolle et lege. Pick up and read!”
Most Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M.
Bishop of Trenton