Pope Urges Stewardship of the Environment
VATICAN (CWN) – Speaking to an international Rotary Club group at the Vatican this morning, Pope John Paul II said that care for the environment now constitutes one of the “new forms of solidarity” across the generations. By careful stewardship of our natural resources, he explained, we can help “those who are neediest, and those of future generations.“
The Rotary Club International is meeting in Rome to discuss the theme of security and the environment. Responding to that theme, the Holy Father urged the international delegates not to fall into the “double temptation” of the modern era: the temptation to equate wisdom with power over nature, and to use resources solely in pursuit of immediate profit “according to the mentality of modern capitalist society.”
Against that temptation, the Pope urged the Rotary leaders to consider the world’s environment as a home for mankind, to be maintained in the best possible condition. He emphasized that “our new scientific capacities have taken on a strong ethical dimension.”
+ March 24, 1997
Peace through Solidarity
THE LOFTY AND DEMANDING task of peace, deeply rooted in humanity’s vocation to be one family and to recognize itself as such, has one of its foundations in the principle of the universal destination of the earth’s resources. This principle does not delegitimize private property; instead it broadens the understanding and management of private property to embrace its indispensable social function, to the advantage of the common good and in particular the good of society’s weakest members…
At the beginning of a new century, the one issue which most challenges our human and Christian consciences is the poverty of countless millions of men and women. This situation becomes all the more tragic when we realize that the major economic problems of our time do not depend on a lack of resources but on the fact that present economic, social and cultural structures are ill-equipped to meet the demands of genuine development.
+ From the Vatican, 8 December 1999
The Ways of “Knowing” and “Faith”
THROUGH THE CAREFUL AND PERSEVERING reading of the witness of created things, human reason is directed toward God and approaches him. This is in a certain sense the “ascending” way. Using the steps of creation, humankind rises toward God by reading the witness of the being, the truth, the goodness, and the beauty that creatures have in themselves. This way of knowledge, which in a certain sense has its origin in humankind and in his mind, enables the creature to ascend to the Creator. We can call it the way of “knowing.” There is a second way, the way of “faith,” which has its origin exclusively in God. These two ways differ from each other, but they meet in man himself and in a certain way mutually complete and help each other.
Unlike knowledge through reason, which begins in “creatures” and which only indirectly leads to God, in the knowledge that comes through faith we draw upon revelation, in which God “makes himself known} directly. God reveals himself. He allows himself to be known, manifesting “the hidden purpose of his will.” God’s will is that humankind, by means of Christ, the Word made man, could have access to the Father in the Spirit and be made a sharer in the divine nature. God therefore reveals “himself” to humankind, at the same time revealing his salvific plan with regard to humankind. God’s mysterious saving plan cannot be known by human reason alone.
+ General audience of March 27, 1985
Chernobyl Nuclear Plant Disaster
ABOUT 5 MILLION PEOPLE were exposed to nuclear radiation when one of the reactors at the Ukrainian power plant burst into flames on April 26, 1986. A toxic cloud from the accident spread across Ukraine, Russia and Belarus, contaminating thousands of people. About 3.4 million people were seriously exposed to radioactivity; of these, 1.2 million are children, whose immune systems have been weakened.“
In recalling the tragic effects caused by the accident of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, one’s thoughts go to future generations represented by these children,” the Pontiff said.
“It is necessary to prepare a peaceful future for them, without fear of similar threats,” he added. “This is a commitment for all. In order for this to take place, it is necessary that a common scientific, technical and human effort be made to put energy at the service of peace, in respect of man’s and nature’s needs. The future of the whole of mankind depends on this.”
He continued: “While we pray for the numerous victims of Chernobyl, and for those who bear in their bodies signs of such a great catastrophe, let us ask the Lord for light and support for those at different levels who are responsible for the destiny of humanity.”
+ Vatican City, April 27, 2001
On Social Concern
MATERIAL GOODS and the way we are developing the use of them should be seen as God’s gifts to us. They are meant to bring out in each one of us the image of God. We must never lose sight of how we have been created: from the earth and from the breath of God.
+ Solicitudo Rei Socialis … in everyday language. On Social Concern, 1987
On Human Work
THE MOST PROFOUND MOTIVE for our work is this knowing that we share in creation. Learning the meaning of creation in our daily lives will help us to live holier lives. It will fill the world with the spirit of Christ, the spirit of justice, charity, and peace.
+ #25 – Donders translation
The Intelligent and Noble Guardian
WE SEEM TO BE increasingly aware of the fact that the exploitation of the earth, the planet on which we are living, demands rational and honest planning. At the same time, exploitation of the earth not only for industrial but also for military purposes and the uncontrolled development of technology outside the framework of a long-range authentically humanistic plan often bring with them a threat to man’s natural environment, alienate him in his relations with nature and remove him from nature. Man often seems to see no other meaning in his natural environment than what serves for immediate use and consumption. Yet it was the Creator’s will that man should communicate with nature as an intelligent and noble “master” and “guardian,” and not as a heedless “exploiter” and “destroyer.” (Section 15)
The essential meaning of this “kingship” and “dominion” of man over the visible world, which the Creator himself gave man for his task, consists in the priority of ethics over technology, in the primacy of the person over things, and in the superiority of spirit over matter. (Section 16)
+ Redemptor Hominis (1979)
Nature Rebels Against Humankind
WHEN MAN DISOBEYS GOD and refuses to submit to his rule, nature rebels against him and no longer recognizes him as its “master,” for he has tarnished the divine image in himself. The claim to ownership and use of created things remains still valid, but after sin its exercise becomes difficult and full of suffering (cf. Gen 3: 17-19). (Section 30)
+ Solicitudo Rei Socialis (1988)
Moral Dimension of Development
AMONG TODAY’S POSITIVE SIGNS we must also mention a greater realization of the limits of available resources, and of the need to respect the integrity and the cycles of nature and to take them into account when planning for development rather than sacrificing them to certain demagogic ideas about the latter. Today this is called ecological concern… Nor can the moral character of development exclude respect for the beings which constitute the natural world, which the ancient Greeks alluding precisely to the order which distinguishes it–called the “cosmos”. Such realities also demand respect, by virtue of a threefold consideration which it is useful to reflect upon carefully.
1. The first consideration is the appropriateness of acquiring a growing awareness of the fact that one cannot use with impunity the different categories of beings, whether living or inanimate, animals, plants, the natural elements simply as one wishes, according to one’s own economic needs. On the contrary, one must take into account the nature of each being and of its mutual connection in an ordered system, which is precisely the “cosmos.”
2. The second consideration is based on the realization which is perhaps more urgent that natural resources are limited; some are not, as it is said, renewable. Using them as if they were inexhaustible, with absolute dominion, seriously endangers their availability not only for the present generation but above all for generations to come.
3. The third consideration refers directly to the consequences of a certain type of development on the quality of life in the industrialized zones. We all know that the direct or indirect result of industrialization is, ever more frequently, the pollution of the environment, with serious consequences for the health of the population.
Once again it is evident that development, the planning which governs it, and the way in which resources are used must include respect for moral demands. One of the latter undoubtedly imposes limits on the use of the natural world. The dominion granted to man by the Creator is not an absolute power, nor can one speak of a freedom to “use and misuse,” or to dispose of things as one pleases. The limitation imposed from the beginning by the Creator himself and expressed symbolically by the prohibition not to “eat of the fruit of the tree” shows clearly enough that, when it comes to the natural world, we are subject not only to biological laws but also to moral ones, which cannot be violated with impunity. A true concept of development cannot ignore the use of the elements of nature, the renewability of resources, and the consequences of haphazard industrialization, three considerations which alert our consciences to the moral dimension of development. (Section 34)
Development which is merely economic is incapable of setting man free; on the contrary, it will end by enslaving him further. (Section 46)
+ Solicitudo Rei Socialis (1988)
Concern for the Poor
IT IS NECESSARY TO STATE once more the characteristic principle of Christian social doctrine: the goods of this world are originally meant for all. The right to private property is valid and necessary, but it does not nullify the value of this principle. Private property, in fact, is under a “social mortgage,” which means that it has an intrinsically social function, based upon and justified precisely by the principle of the universal destination of goods…
The motivating concern for the poor–who are, in the very meaningful term, “the Lord’s poor”– must be translated at all levels into concrete actions. (Section 43)
+ Solicitudo Rei Socialis (1988)
Respect Environment, Fight Hunger
By FRANCES D’EMILIO, Associated Press Writer
VATICAN CITY (AP), November 12, 2000 – Dedicating Sunday to the world’s farmers, Pope John Paul II urged those who are developing new biotechnologies to keep a “healthy balance” with nature to avoid putting people’s lives at risk. Tens of thousands of farmers and their families, most of them from Italy but many from other countries and continents, crowded into St. Peter’s Square on a chilly, overcast day to attend Mass celebrated by the Pope on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica. The Mass was part of a Holy Year tribute to the world of agriculture. His words picked up on a speech he gave Saturday evening in which he urged rigorous scientific and ethical controls to avoid possible “disaster for the health of man and the future of the Earth” from new agricultural technologies. On Sunday, the Pope told the farmers in the square that “if the world of most refined techniques doesn’t reconcile itself with the simple language of nature in a healthy balance, the life of man will run ever greater risks, of which already we are seeing worrying signs.” John Paul told the farmers to “resist the temptations of productivity and profit that work to the detriment of the respect of nature.” Saying God entrusted land to mankind to take care of it, the Pope said: “When you forget this principle, becoming tyrants and not custodians of the Earth, sooner or later the Earth rebels.”
REUTERS, November 12, 2000 – Pope John Paul II said today that if humanity did not learn to reconcile technology with respect for nature, life on earth would become ever more dangerous. “Today, all people have a right to live from the fruits of the earth. It is an intolerable scandal that at the start of the new millennium there are very many people who are still reduced to hunger and who live in conditions that are unworthy of man,” he said. “We can no longer limit ourselves to academic reflection. We must erase this shame from humanity with appropriate political and economic choices on a planetary level.” The Pope attacked what he called the “irrational consumerism” and “culture of waste” that had taken hold in developed countries.
Call to Deep Personal Conversion
HUMAN BEHAVIOR sometimes is the cause of serious ecological imbalance, with particularly harmful and disastrous consequences in different countries and the globe as a whole…
The Creator has put man in creation, charging him to administer it for the sake of the good of all, thanks to his intelligence and his reason. We can therefore be certain that even a person’s tiny good actions have a mysterious effect of social change and contribute to the growth of all. On the basis of the covenant with the Creator, towards whom man is called over and over to return, each one is invited to a deep personal conversion in his or her relationship with others and with nature.
+ Address to the Seminar on “Science for Survival and Sustainable Development,” March 12, 1999
Conversion of Heart
THE JUBILEE is a further summons to conversion of heart through a change of life. It is a reminder to all that they should give absolute importance neither to the goods of the earth, since these are not God, nor to man’s domination or claim to domination, since the earth belongs to God and to him alone: “the earth is mine and you are strangers and sojourners with me” [Leviticus 25:23]. May this year of grace touch the hearts of those who hold in their hands the fate of the world’s peoples!
+ Incarnationis Mysterium, Bull Proclaiming the Great Jubilee of 2000, 1998, n. 12.
Human Ecology
WE ARE QUICKLY LEARNING how vital it is to respect the ecology of nature, if we are not to cause serious harm to the world future generations will receive from us. More urgent still, though more difficult, is the need to learn to respect the ecology of the human world, by which I mean the truth of the human person and the social implications of this.
+ May 25, 2000, John Paul II Welcomes Four New Ambassadors to the Vatican
Rethinking the Economy
IN THIS CONTEXT we also need to examine the growing concern felt by many economists and financial professionals when, in considering new issues involving poverty, peace, ecology and the future of the younger generation, they reflect on the role of the market, on the pervasive influence of monetary and financial interests, on the widening gap between the economy and society, and on other similar issues related to economic activity.
Perhaps the time has come for a new and deeper reflection on the nature of the economy and its purposes. What seems to be urgently needed is a reconsideration of the concept of “prosperity” itself, to prevent it from being enclosed in a narrow utilitarian perspective which leaves very little space for values such as solidarity and altruism.
Here I would like to invite economists and financial professionals, as well as political leaders, to recognize the urgency of the need to ensure that economic practices and related political policies have as their aim the good of every person and of the whole person. This is not only a demand of ethics but also of a sound economy.
+ Message of His Holiness Pope John Paul II for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace, 1 JANUARY 2000
Reflecting on the Environment
THE QUESTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT is closely related to other important social issues, insofar as the environment embraces all that surrounds us and all upon which human life depends. Hence the importance of a correct approach to the question. In this regard, reflection on the biblical foundations of care for the created world can clarify the obligation to promote a sound and healthy environment.
The use of the earth’s resources is another crucial aspect of the environmental question. A study of this complex problem goes to the very heart of the organization of modern society. Reflecting on the environment in the light of Sacred Scripture and the social teaching of the Church, we cannot but raise the question of the very style of life promoted by modern society, and in particular the question of the uneven way in which the benefits of progress are distributed. The Pontifical Council will render a valuable service to the Church, and through the Church to all of humanity, in promoting a deeper understanding of the obligation to work for greater justice and equity in the way people are enabled to share in the resources of God’s creation.
+ Message of John Paul II to the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, 1999
Duty of Christians to Protect the Environment
WHEN CONCERN for economic and technological progress is not accompanied by concern for the balance of the ecosystem, our earth is inevitably exposed to serious environmental damage, with consequent harm to human beings. Blatant disrespect for the environment will continue as long as the earth and its potential are seen merely as objects of immediate use and consumption, to be manipulated by an unbridled desire for profit. It is the duty of Christians and of all who look to God as the Creator to protect the environment by restoring a sense of reverence for the whole of God’s creation. It is the Creator’s will that man should treat nature not as a ruthless exploiter but as an intelligent and responsible administrator. The Synod Fathers pleaded in a special way for greater responsibility on the part of the leaders of nations, legislators, business people and all who are directly involved in the management of the earth’s resources. They underlined the need to educate people, especially the young, in environmental responsibility, training them in the stewardship over creation which God has entrusted to humanity. The protection of the environment is not only a technical question; it is also and above all an ethical issue. All have a moral duty to care for the environment, not only for their own good but also for the good of future generations.
+ POST-SYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION, ECCLESIA IN ASIA, OF THE HOLY FATHER JOHN PAUL II TO THE BISHOPS, PRIESTS AND DEACONS, MEN AND WOMEN IN THE CONSECRATED LIFE AND ALL THE LAY FAITHFUL ON JESUS CHRIST THE SAVIOUR AND HIS MISSION OF LOVE AND SERVICE IN ASIA: “…THAT THEY MAY HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY” (Jn 10:10)
Book of Nature
THE BOOK OF WISDOM contains several important texts which cast further light on this theme. There the sacred author speaks of God who reveals himself in nature. For the ancients, the study of the natural sciences coincided in large part with philosophical learning. Having affirmed that with their intelligence human beings can “know the structure of the world and the activity of the elements… the cycles of the year and the constellations of the stars, the natures of animals and the tempers of wild beasts” (Wis 7:17, 19-20)—in a word, that he can philosophize—the sacred text takes a significant step forward. Making his own the thought of Greek philosophy, to which he seems to refer in the context, the author affirms that, in reasoning about nature, the human being can rise to God: “From the greatness and beauty of created things comes a corresponding perception of their Creator” (Wis 13:5). This is to recognize as a first stage of divine Revelation the marvelous “book of nature,” which, when read with the proper tools of human reason, can lead to knowledge of the Creator. If human beings with their intelligence fail to recognize God as Creator of all, it is not because they lack the means to do so, but because their free will and their sinfulness place an impediment in the way…
In the field of scientific research, a positivistic mentality took hold which not only abandoned the Christian vision of the world, but more especially rejected every appeal to a metaphysical or moral vision. It follows that certain scientists, lacking any ethical point of reference, are in danger of putting at the center of their concerns something other than the human person and the entirety of the person’s life. Further still, some of these, sensing the opportunities of technological progress, seem to succumb not only to a market-based logic, but also to the temptation of a quasi-divine power over nature and even over the human being…
[Saint] Thomas recognized that nature, philosophy’s proper concern, could contribute to the understanding of divine Revelation. Faith therefore has no fear of reason, but seeks it out and has trust in it. Just as grace builds on nature and brings it to fulfillment, so faith builds upon and perfects reason. Illumined by faith, reason is set free from the fragility and limitations deriving from the disobedience of sin and finds the strength required to rise to the knowledge of the Triune God.
+ ENCYCLICAL LETTER FIDES ET RATIO OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF JOHN PAUL II TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FAITH AND REASON, 1998
Conditions Outlined for Transplant of Animal Organs to Humans
THE TRANSPLANTING OF animal organs to people must respect three fundamental criteria, John Paul II said in a message published by the Vatican on July 2, 2001.
Given the “new problems of a scientific and ethical nature” posed by these transplants, the Pope said the procedures have “to be concerned, at the same time, with the good and dignity of the human person; the possible risks to health, which cannot always be quantified or foreseen; and respect for animals, which is always necessary, even when they are operated on for the higher good of man.”
The transplant of animal organs to humans is vital, the Pope explains, because it could help to “resolve the problem of the grave insufficiency of valid human organs for transplants.”
In face of this challenge, the Holy Father proposes two alliances for the progress of scientific research.
First, John Paul II highlights cooperation between science and ethics, because increasingly it is “more clearly seen” that this alliance “enriches the two branches of learning and invites them to converge when it comes to lending their help to every man and to society.”
Second, the Pope proposes an alliance between faith and science, because “rational reflection, confirmed by faith, discovers that God the creator has placed man at the summit of the visible world and, at the same time, entrusted him with the task of directing his own way, by respecting his own dignity, and pursuing the genuine good of his fellowmen.”
“Therefore, the Church will always give her support and aid to anyone seeking the authentic good of man, with the effort of reason, illuminated by faith.”
The Way of Contemplation
HERE THE SILENCE of the mountain and the whiteness of the snow speak to us of God, and they show us the way of contemplation, not only as a way to experience the Mystery, but also as a condition for humanizing life and mutual relations.
Today there is a greatly felt need to slow down the sometimes hectic pace of our days. Contact with nature, with its beauty and its peace, gives us new strength and restores us. Yet, while the eyes take in the wonder of the cosmos, it is necessary to look into ourselves, into the depths of our heart, into the center of our being where we are face to face with our conscience. There God speaks to us and the dialogue with Him gives meaning to our lives.
So, dear friends, …you are, as it were, molded by the mountain, by its beauty and its severity, by its mysteries and its attractions. The mountain opens its secrets only to those who have the courage to challenge it. It demands sacrifice and training. It requires you to leave the security of the valleys but offers spectacular views from the summit to those who have the courage to climb it. Therefore it is a reality which strongly suggests the journey of the spirit, called to lift itself up from the earth to heaven, to meet God.
+ Angelus in the Appenines, 1993
Learn to Savor Nature
SYMPTOMATIC OF OUR TIME is the fact that in the face of what has been called the danger of an environmental holocaust, a great cultural movement has been started to protect and rediscover the natural environment. Young people especially must be sensitized to this need. The respectful enjoyment of nature should be considered an important part of their educational development.
Whoever really wants to find himself, must learn to savor nature whose charm is intimately linked with the silence of contemplation. The rhythms of creation are so many paths of extraordinary beauty along which the sensitive and believing heart easily catches the echo of the mysterious, loftier beauty, that is God Himself, the Creator, the source and life of all reality.
Today’s feast of St. Benedict, Patron of Europe, is an invitation to this rediscovery. Monasticism knew wisely how to join, as Pope Paul VI observed, “the Cross, the book, and the plough,” three factors which must never be separated if one does not want to endanger the personal, social and environmental balance.
May the example of St. Benedict help contemporary man to regain this capacity for synthesis to which the quality of humanity’s future is largely bound.
+ Address in the Dolomites, 1991
Respect for Human Dignity and Nature
RESPECT FOR HUMAN DIGNITY and belief in the equal dignity of all the members of the human family demand policies aimed at enabling all peoples to have access to the means required to improve their lives, including the technological means and skills needed for development.
Respect for nature by everyone, a policy of openness to immigrants, the cancellation or significant reduction of the debt of poorer nations, the promotion of peace through dialogue and negotiation, the primacy of the rule of law: these are the priorities which the leaders of the developed nations cannot disregard.
+ Address to USA President George Bush at Castel Gandolfo, July 23, 2001
Contemplate the Summits of Mountains
WHILE I CONTEMPLATE the summits of these mountains, which by now have become familiar to me, my spirit frequently turns to Mary. God has raised her above all angelic and earthly creatures, and has made her our sustenance in the road to heaven
+ LES COMBES, Italy, JULY 17, 2001. Address before the midday Angelus on Sunday, at a vacation chalet in the north of Italy
Goods of the Earth
THE UNIVERSAL ALLOCATION of the goods of the earth is a cornerstone of the Church’s social doctrine.
+ VATICAN CITY, JULY 8, 2001
Jubilee of the World of Agriculture
WHEN THIS [AGRICULTURE] sector is undervalued or abused, the consequences for life, health, and ecological harmony are always serious and generally without remedy, at least in the short term…
Walk in the footsteps of your best traditions, opening yourselves to all the important developments of the era of technology, while jealously safeguarding the unchanging values which distinguish you…
Man is not the absolute arbiter of the land, he collaborates with the Creator; a marvelous mission but marked by precise boundaries, which cannot be crossed with impunity…
Within the movement of nature, tranquil and silent but rich in life, there continues to palpitate the original delight of the Creator.
+ Vatican, November 17, 2000
Consumerism
WE MUST SEIZE every occasion for harmonious cooperation among the family, the Church, the school, local officials, and the state government to protect young people from today’s flourishing civilization of consumerism.
+ Message to the Polish bishops on June 11, 1999
God Speaks to Us as He Gives Life to Creation
WHEN GOD SPEAKS, his words give life, they call things into existence, they direct our journey, they restore disappointed and broken hearts and pour fresh hope into them.
Reading the Bible, we discover right from the first page that God speaks to us. He speaks to us as he gives life to creation: the heavens, the earth, light, water, living things, man and woman, everything exists by his word. His word gives meaning to all things, rescuing them from chaos. For this reason nature is an immense book in which we can see with ever fresh wonder the traces of divine Beauty.
Even more than in creation, God speaks in the story of humanity. He reveals his presence in world events, by beginning time after time a dialogue with men and women created in his image, in order to establish with each one of them a communion of life and love. History becomes a journey in which the Creator and the individual come to know each other, a dialogue of which the ultimate purpose is to lead us out of the slavery of sin to the freedom of love.
+ Address to Young People in Lviv, “Choose the Narrow Path That the Lord Is Showing You,” June 26, 2001
The Creator’s Original Plan
INDEED, NATURE ITSELF, since it was subjected to the senselessness, degradation and devastation caused by sin, thus shares in the joy of the liberation achieved by Christ in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the full realization of the Creator’s original plan emerges: that of a creation in which God and man, man and woman, humanity and nature are in harmony, in dialogue and in communion. This plan, upset by sin, is restored in the most marvelous way by Christ, who mysteriously but effectively carries it out in the present reality, waiting to bring it to fulfillment.
+ All Creation Will Be ‘Recapitulated’ in Christ, Holy Father’s General Audience address of February 14, 2001
Looking at Creation with New Eyes
“BLESS THE LORD, all works of the Lord” (Daniel 3:57). A cosmic breath pervades this canticle taken from the Book of Daniel…
One looks up at the sun, the moon, the stars; looks down on the expanse of waters, and up toward the mountains, lingers on the most diverse atmospheric situations; passes from heat to cold, from light to darkness; considers the mineral and vegetable world, gazes at the different species of animals. The appeal then becomes universal: It calls the angels of God, gathers all the ‘sons of man,’ but particularly involves Israel, the people of God, its priests, its just people.
“The Christian feels grateful not only for the gift of creation, but also because he is the object of God’s paternal care, who has raised him in Christ to the dignity of a son. A paternal care that makes one look at creation itself with new eyes, and makes one enjoy its beauty, in which one can see, as through filigree, the love of God. It is with such sentiments that Francis of Assisi contemplated creation and raised his praise to God, the ultimate source of all beauty. One imagines, spontaneously, that the elevations of this biblical text echoed in his soul when in San Damiano, after having reached the height of suffering in body and spirit, he composed the “Canticle to Brother Sun.”
+ VATICAN CITY, MAY 2, 2001. Addressing the 20,000 pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square
Irrational Destruction of Nature
DRUG TRAFFICKING, CORRUPTION at all levels, inequality between social groups, and the irrational destruction of nature attest that, in the absence of moral points of reference, an unbridled greed for wealth and power takes over, obscuring any Gospel-based vision of social reality.
+ Papal Address to New Brazilian Ambassador, Vatican City, April 13, 2001
Benefits of Tourism in Contemplation of God in Nature
IN PRACTICE, TOURISM enables us to take a break from daily life, work and the obligations which necessarily bind us. Thus man can “consider his own existence and others through different eyes: free from his impelling daily concerns, he has an occasion to rediscover his own contemplative dimension and recognize the traces of God in nature and especially in other human beings” (Angelus, 21 July 1996)… On their travels, tourists discover other places, other landscapes and different ways of perceiving and experiencing nature. Accustomed to their own home and city, the usual landscapes and familiar voices, tourists see other images, hear new sounds and admire the diversity of a world that no-one can grasp entirely. As they do so, they surely grow in appreciation of all that surrounds them and the sense that it must be protected. Travelers in touch with the wonders of creation perceive the Creator’s presence in their hearts, and they are led to exclaim with sentiments of deep gratitude: “How delightful are all his works, how dazzling to the eye!” (Sir 42,22).
+ From the Vatican, 9 June 2001. Holy Father’s Message for the World Day of Tourism
Value of Solidarity
FACED WITH GROWING inequalities in the world, the prime value which must be ever more widely inculcated is certainly that of solidarity. A society depends on the basic relations that people cultivate with one another in ever widening circles–from the family to other intermediary social groups, to civil society as a whole and to the national community. States in turn have no choice but to enter into relations with one another. The present reality of global interdependence makes it easier to appreciate the common destiny of the entire human family, and makes all thoughtful people increasingly appreciate the virtue of solidarity.
At the same time it is necessary to point out that this growing interdependence has brought to light many inequalities, such as the gap between rich and poor nations; the social imbalance within each nation between those living in opulence and those offended in their dignity since they lack even the necessities of life; the human and environmental degradation provoked and accelerated by the irresponsible use of natural resources. These social inequalities and imbalances have grown worse in certain places, and some of the poorest nations have reached a point of irreversible decline.
Consequently, the promotion of justice is at the heart of a true culture of solidarity. It is not just a question of giving one’s surplus to those in need, but of “helping entire peoples presently excluded or marginalized to enter into the sphere of economic and human development. For this to happen, it is not enough to draw on the surplus goods which in fact our world abundantly produces; it requires above all a change of lifestyles, of models of production and consumption, and of the established structures of power which today govern societies.”
+ “DIALOGUE BETWEEN CULTURES FOR A CIVILIZATION OF LOVE AND PEACE,” The Vatican, 8 December 2000
Autonomy of Created Things
FOR THE VERY CIRCUMSTANCE of their having been created, all things are endowed with their own stability. Truth, goodness, proper laws and order–man must respect these as he isolates them by the appropriate methods of individual sciences or arts… Indeed whoever labors to penetrate the secrets of reality with a humble and steady mind is even unawares being led by the hand of God, who holds all things in existence and gives them their identity…
For without the Creator the creature would not exist. For their part, however, all believers of whatever religion have always heard His revealing voice in the discourse of creatures. For when God is forgotten, the creature itself grows unintelligible.
One must add that the problem of the legitimate autonomy of earthly things is linked up with today’s deeply felt problem of ecology, that is the concern for the protection and preservation of the natural environment. The ecological destruction, which always presupposes a form of selfishness opposed to community well-being, arises from an arbitrary–and in the last analysis harmful–use of creatures, whose laws and natural order are violated by ignoring or disregarding the finality immanent in the work of creation. This mode of behavior derives from a false interpretation of the autonomy of earthly things–man uses these things “without reference to the Creator,” to quote the words of the Council–he also does incalculable harm to himself. The solution of the problem of the ecological threat is in strict relationship with the principles of the legitimate autonomy of earthly things–in the final analysis with the truth about creation and about the Creator of the world.
+ General audience, 1986
Incarnation of God the Son
THE INCARNATION OF GOD the Son signifies the taking up into the unity with God not only of human nature, but in this human nature, in a sense, of everything that is “flesh”: the whole of humanity, the entire visible and material world. The Incarnation, then, also has a cosmic significance, a cosmic dimension. The “first-born of all creation,” becoming incarnate in the individual humanity of Christ, unites himself in some way with the entire reality of man, which is “flesh” – and in this reality with all “flesh,” with the whole of creation.
+ Dominum et Vivificantem (n. 50)
Development of the Small Farmer
WE CANNOT FORGET that the earth and the fruits of the earth are gifts given by God to all. We sincerely hope that all may benefit from them through equitable sharing. We implore the blessing of God, the Almighty Creator, on the men and women who cultivate the earth, particularly on the most deprived among them, and on those who are engaged in defending their human dignity as our brothers and sisters with respect and love.
+ World Food Day, 1987
Constructing a More Beautiful World
GOD, THEREFORE, IS the Maker of all things. It is He whom we seek also when we make efforts to construct a more beautiful world–He the changeless Truth and the Being without defect. The visible world, changeable and limited, cannot totally fulfill the expectations of the human mind and heart.
These are the inner dispositions which we need to face our daily tasks. Those who work with that sort of attitude enter into a kind of dialogue with God which can easily be called prayer. Their activity becomes real cooperation with the Creator in making the Universe advance towards an ever greater perfection.
+ To the people of Comacchio, Italy, 1987
A Grave Responsibility to Preserve the Order of the Universe
IT IS IN A GLOBAL and ethical perspective that I address the question of ecology in my message for the 1990 World Day of Peace. This message emphasizes the fundamentally moral character of the ecological crisis and its close relationship to the search for genuine and lasting world peace. In calling attention to the ethical principles, which are essential for an adequate and lasting solution to that crisis, I lay particular emphasis on the value and respect for life and for the integrity of the created order (Ioannis Pauli PP. II Nuntius ob diem ad pacem fovendamdicatum pro a. D. 1990, 7, die 8 dec. 1989: vide supra, p. 1463).
Since the ecological crisis is fundamentally a moral issue, it requires that all people respond in solidarity to what is a common threat. Uncontrolled exploitation of the natural environment not only menaces the survival of the human race, it also threatens the natural order in which mankind is meant to receive and to hand on God’s gift of life with dignity and freedom. Today responsible men and women are increasingly aware that we must pay “attention to what the earth and its atmosphere are telling us: namely, that there is an order in the universe which must be respected, and that the human person, endowed with the capability of choosing freely, has a grave responsibility to preserve this order for the well-being of future generations” (Ibid. 15: vide supra, p. 1472).
Concern for the environment, guided by objective ethical principles and marked by true human solidarity, is ultimately rooted in man’s very nature as a rational and free being who is constantly interacting with his surroundings. As the ecological crisis makes abundantly clear, man’s individual and social development cannot be considered apart from the natural environment. Within this broader perspective man bears a grave responsibility for wisely managing the environment. Indeed, his responsibility increases as he becomes ever more capable of introducing substantial modifications in his natural surroundings.
A satisfactory description of the relationship between the environment and development must take into account the person in all his dimensions as well as the respect due to nature, ever mindful of man’s central place within the environment. Authentic human development can hardly ignore the solidarity which binds man and his environment, nor can it exclude a universal concern for the needs of all the earth’s peoples. Any attempt to assess the relationship between environment and development which ignores these deeper realities will inevitably lead to further and perhaps more destabilizing imbalances.
Seeing the issue of ecology within a global perspective which takes account of the human person in all his dimensions and of the requirements of an authentically human development may properly be considered one of the great challenges of our time. Should the present generation face this challenge wisely, we may be confident that it will contribute in no small way to resolving other pressing international questions as well. In the end, what is required of us all is an increased awareness of the unity of the human family, in which man remains solidly rooted in his particular culture, and yet is capable of transcending the limits imposed by geography, ideology, race and religion. And in relation to the world’s nations, the need for solidarity in the face of the threats to our common environment presents “new opportunities for strengthening cooperative and peaceful relations among States” (Ioannis Pauli PP. II Nuntius ob diem ad pacem fovendam dicatum pro a. D. 1990, 7, die 8 dec. 1989: vide supra, p. 1469).
The environmental decisions which are adopted today must also take into account the moral responsibility which we bear towards future generations. For this reason, I have spoken of the need for a new “education in ecological responsibility,” one which entails a genuine conversion in our patterns of thought and behavior (Ioannis Pauli PP. IINuntius ob diem ad pacem fovendam dicatum pro a. D. 1990, 7, die 8 dec. 1989: vide supra, p. 1471). This moral imperative is rooted in our common humanity and in the universal ethical demands which flow from it. “Even men and women without any particular religious conviction, but with an acute sense of their responsibilities for the common good, recognize their obligation to contribute to the restoration of a healthy environment” (Ibid. 15: vide supra, p. 1472).
Christians, for their part, will find inspiration for this task in their belief in God as the Creator of the world and in Jesus Christ as the one who has reconciled to himself all things “whether on earth or in heaven” (Cfr. Col. 1, 20).
Our own generation has been blessed in having inherited from the industry of past generations the great wealth of material and spiritual goods which stand at the foundations of our society and its progress.
Universal solidarity now demands that we consider it our grave duty to safeguard that inheritance for all our brothers and sisters and to assure that each and every member of the human family may enjoy its benefits.
Dear Friends: in expressing my gratitude to “Nova Spes” for its commitment to the process of reflection on these problems, I also express the hope that your work will be a fruitful incentive for yourselves and your colleagues to carry on the important work of promoting those values and programs that can guarantee and develop improved living conditions for all people, facing the ecological crisis in a spirit of authentic solidarity, fraternal charity and unfailing respect towards all people and all nations. I am pleased to renew to you, men and women of thought and science, the assurance expressed by the Second Vatican Council that in the Church you have a friend of your vocation as researchers, a companion in your efforts, an admirer of your successes, and if necessary, a consoler in your discouragement and failures (Cfr. Patrum Conc. Nuntii quibusdam hominum ordinibus dati: Aux hommes de lapensée et de la science, die 8 dec. 1965: AAS 58 [1966] 8-18).
+ Address To The Participants In The Symposium Sponsored By “Nova Spes” International Foundation, December 14, 1989
No One Can be Indifferent
AS YOU KNOW the recent message for the World Day of Peace, I called to the attention of every person of goodwill a serious issue–the problem of ecology–recalling that in finding a solution, we must direct the efforts and mobilize the will of citizens. An issue like this cannot be neglected–for it is vital for human survival–nor can it be reduced to a merely political problem or issue. It has, in fact, a moral dimension which touches everyone and, thus, no one can be indifferent to it.
At this brief time in this century, humanity is called to establish a new relationship of attentiveness and respect towards the environment. Humanity must protect its delicate balances, keeping in mind the extraordinary possibilities but, also, the formidable threats inherent in certain forms of experimentation, scientific research and industrial activity–and that must be done if humanity does not want to threaten its very development or draw from it unimaginable consequences…
Ecological problems enter into everyone’s home, they are discussed in the family circle and people wonder what tomorrow will be like.
We must, therefore, mobilize every effort so that each person assumes his or her own responsibility and creates the basis for a lifestyle of solidarity and brotherhood. All have to commit themselves to the equal distribution of this earth’s goods, to respect for the life of the neighbor in trouble or on the fringe, and to development of volunteer agencies which today can undertake an important role in the support and coordination in these areas.
+ Regional Council of Lazio, 1990
Value of Biodiversity in Tropical Ecosystems
THE TOPIC you have been studying is of immense importance. It is to the undeniable credit of scientists that the value of biodiversity of tropical ecosystems is coming to be more understood and appreciated. However, the extent of the depletion of the earth’s biodiversity is, indeed, a very serious problem. It threatens countless other forms of life. Even the quality of human life, because of its dynamic interaction with other species, is being impoverished. Tropical forests deserve our attention, study, and protection. As well as making an essential contribution to the regulation of the earth’s climatic conditions, they possess one of the richest varieties of the earth’s species, the beauty of which merits our profound aesthetic appreciation. Moreover, some plants and microorganisms of the forest are capable of synthesizing unlimited numbers of complex substances of great potential to the manufacture of medicines and antibiotics. Other plants posses value as sources of food or as a means of genetically improving strains of edible plants.
Unfortunately the rate at which these forests are being destroyed or altered is depleting their biodiversity so quickly that many species may never be catalogued or studied for their possible value to human beings. If an unjustified search for profit is sometimes responsible for deforestation of tropical ecosystems and the loss of their biodiversity, it is also true that a desperate fight against poverty threatens to deplete these important resources of the planet.
Today the work of scientists, such as yourselves, is becoming more and more important. An intense program of information and education is needed. In particular your study and research can contribute to fostering an enlightened moral commitment–more urgent now than ever.In this way the present ecological crisis, especially grave in the case of the tropical forests, will become an occasion for a renewed consciousness of man’s true place in this world and of his relationship to the environment. The created universe has been given to mankind, not for selfish misuse, but for the glory of God, which consists, as St. Irenaeus said many centuries ago, in “the living man.”
+ Unesco, UN, World Bank Study Week, 1990
Forest Conservation
BEFORE THIS PANORAMA of meadows, woods, streams and mountain peaks that touch the sky, we all discover afresh the desire to thank God for the wonders that He has made and we wish to listen in silence to the voice of nature, so that we can transform our admiration into prayer. For these mountains awake in our hearts the sense of the infinite with the desire to raise up our minds to what is sublime. It is the Author of Beauty Himself who created these wonders.
Today’s feast has a special message for you forestry workers by reason of the ecological problem that is implied in your work. It is well known how urgent it is to spread awareness that the resources of our planet must be respected. All are involved here because the world that we inhabit reveals ever more clearly it intrinsic unity, such that the problems of conservation of its patrimony concerns peoples without distinction.
The conservation and development of woods, in whatever zone, are fundamental for the maintenance and the recomposition of the natural balances which are indispensable for life. This must be affirmed all the more today as we become aware how urgent it is to change decisively the tendency in all that leads to a disturbing form of pollution. Each single person is obliged to avoid initiatives and actions that could damage the purity of the environment. Since trees and plant life, as a whole, have an indispensable function with regard to the balance of nature, so necessary to life in all its stages, it is a matter of ever greater importance for mankind that they be protected and respected.
For the Christian there is a moral commitment to care for the earth so that it may produce fruit and become a dwelling of the universal human family.
+ Homily in Val Visdene, Italy, on the Feast Day of St. John Gualbert, Patron of Foresters, 1990
A Gift for Future Generations
HUMANITY HAS in its possession a gift that must be passed on to future generations, and, if possible, passed on in better condition.
+ Apostolic Exhortation on the Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and the World, Christifideles Laici, December 30, 1988
Continue Your Work… For the Protection of the Environment
YOUR AWARD is inspired by the spirituality of St. Francis and especially by the Canticle of Praise he composed in honor of the Most High, All Powerful Good Lord. According to the little poor man of Assisi, creation, which is the work of Divine Providence, expresses beauty and goodness, and renders a valuable service to mankind. It speaks of the Creator manifesting His eternal plan of harmony and peace. Therefore, nature should be respected and preserved so that by establishing a healthy proper relationship with it, people can be led to contemplate the mystery of God’s greatness and love. Every being, St. Francis sings, “is beautiful, radiant with great splendor and bears a likeness of You, Most High One” (Canticle of Creatures).
Everything has its origin and receives its strength from the Most High Creator. In contact with creation a person can better understand the eternal values upon which life is built. These are, among others, values of beauty and truth, of simplicity and love, of fidelity and solidarity. Observing the wonders of nature, people learn to observe the laws which regulate its dynamism–they are led to look with gratitude on God’s plan for the world and mankind. Thus all existence becomes a song of admiration and thanksgiving which is expressed in contemplation and prayer–”Praise and bless my Lord and give Him thanks and serve Him with great humility”… Continue your work of consciousness raising for the protection of the environment–spread a culture that is attentive to the values of our ecosystem.
+ The Franciscan Environmental Prize, awarded to Costa Rica, 1991
Burning Problem of Ecology: A Common Declaration
WE MAKE AN APPEAL that everyone will make a determined effort to solve the current burning problem of ecology, in order to avoid the great risk threatening the world today due to the abuse of resources that are God’s gift.
+ Common Declaration Signed in the Vatican by Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Bartholomew I, June 29, 1995
Feminine Genius
DOUBTLESS ONE OF THE GREAT social changes of our time is the increasing role played by women, also in an executive capacity, in labor and the economy. This process is gradually changing the face of society, and it is legitimate to hope that it will gradually succeed in changing that of the economy itself, giving it a new human inspiration and removing it from the recurring temptation of dull efficiency marked only by the laws of profit. How can we fail to see that, in order to deal satisfactorily with the many problems emerging today, special recourse to the feminine genius is essential? Among other things, I am thinking of the problems of education, leisure time, the quality of life, migration, social services, the elderly, drugs, health care, and ecology. “In all these areas a greater presence of women in society will prove most valuable,” and “it will force systems to be redesigned in a way which favors the processes of humanization which mark the “civilization of love” (Letter to Women, n. 4).
+ Equal Opportunity Still Urgently Needed, Message Delivered August 20, 1995
Reaffirm the Culture of Life
LIFE, WHICH HAS ALWAYS been welcomed and desired as a great good for humanity, as well as being the fundamental and primary value for every individual, must be reaffirmed, assimilated and recovered today from a culture which otherwise risks closing in on and destroying itself, or reducing life to a consumer product for an affluent society…
With respect for all creation, the eminent value of the human person acquires an overriding and primordial concern. The culture of life is the basis and the inescapable presupposition for the development of every aspect of an authentic ecology of creation. What is called for is “a general mobilization of consciences and a united ethical effort to activate a great campaign in support of life. All together, we must build a new culture of life” (Evangelium vitae, n. 95).
+ Reaffirm the Culture of Life!, April 23, 1996
Natural Family Planning Involves Respect for Nature
…USING THE NATURAL METHODS requires and strengthens the harmony of the married couple, it helps and confirms the rediscovery of the marvelous gift of parenthood, it involves respect for nature and demands the responsibility of the individuals. According to many authoritative opinions, they also foster more completely that human ecology which is the harmony between the demands of nature and personal behavior.
At the global level this choice supports the process of freedom and emancipation of women and peoples from unjust family planning programs which bring in their sad wake the various forms of contraception, abortion, and sterilization.
+ Found in the January 22, 1997 issue of L’Osservatore Romano.
Attack on Nature is Rooted in Man’s Contempt for Man
SINCE SOME OF THE POWERFUL have turned their backs on Christ, the century now ending is impotently witnessing the death from starvation of thousands of human beings, although, paradoxically, agricultural and industrial production are on the rise; it no longer promotes moral values, which have been gradually eroded by phenomena such as drugs, corruption, unbridled consumerism and widespread hedonism; defenseless, it beholds the growing gap between poor indebted countries and others which are powerful and affluent; it continues to ignore the intrinsic perversion and terrible consequences of the “culture of death”; it promotes ecology, but ignores the fact that any attack on nature is deeply rooted in moral disorder and man’s contempt for man.
+ Address of January 25, 1999 at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City
A Courageous Commitment
IT WAS THESE noble motives that inspired the courageous cultural commitment of Italian Catholic jurists to opposing the divorce law in 1970, and that of abortion in 1978, as well as their valuable contribution to the issues of ecology and bioethics at a time when they were not yet an object of attention on the part of Italy’s legal community.
+ Address of December 5, 1998 to the Union of Italian Catholic Jurists
Biblical Foundations of Care for Creation
THE QUESTION OF the environment is closely related to other important social issues, insofar as the environment embraces all that surrounds us and all upon which human life depends. Hence the importance of a correct approach to the question. In this regard, reflection on the biblical foundations of care for the created world can clarify the obligation to promote a sound and healthy environment.
The use of the earth’s resources is another crucial aspect of the environmental question. A study of this complex problem goes to the very heart of the organization of modern society. Reflecting on the environment in the light of Sacred Scripture and the social teaching of the Church, we cannot but raise the question of the very style of life promoted by modern society, and in particular the question of the uneven way in which the benefits of progress are distributed.
+ Message of John Paul II to the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, November 4, 1999
Human Beings are Appointed by God as Stewards of the Earth
“O THE DEPTH of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen” (Rom 11,33.36). With this hymn of praise, presented again in today’s liturgy, St Paul ends the first part of his Letter to the Romans. Before the wonder of divine providence manifested in creation and in history, the human creature feels very small. At the same time, the human creature recognizes that he is the one who receives the message of love inviting him to responsibility. Human beings are appointed by God as stewards of the earth to cultivate and protect it. From this fact there comes what we might call their “ecological vocation,” which in our time has become more urgent than ever.
+ ANGELUS, Castel Gandolfo, Sunday, 25 August 2002
Table of Creation
THIS LORD, whose supreme proof of love we celebrate this Easter, was with the Father from the beginning preparing the wonderful table of creation to which He meant to invite all without exception (John 1.3).
The Church has understood this truth made known since the dawn of Revelation, and she sees it as an objective to be proposed to people as a way of life (Acts 2.44-45, 4.32-35). In more recent times, she has repeatedly preached the universal destination of the goods of creation, both material and spiritual, as a central theme of her social teaching. Continuing this long-standing tradition, the encyclical Centesimus Annus … is meant to encourage reflection on this universal destination of goods, which comes before all particular forms of private property and which should give them their true meaning. However, it is sad to see how, in spite of the frequency with which these truths have been proclaimed, the earth with all its goods–which we have compared to a great banquet to which all men and women have been invited–is unfortunately, in many ways, still in the hands of a few minorities. Wonderful are the goods of the earth, both those which come directly from the hands of the Creator and those which are the result of the activity of human beings called to cooperate in the work of creation through their intelligence and labor. It is thus painful to note how many millions of people are excluded from the table of creation. For those people and for all the dispossessed of the world, we must work hard and without delay so that they can occupy their proper place at the table of creation.
+ Lenten Message, 1992
Burning Problem of Ecology
WE MAKE AN APPEAL that everyone will make a determined effort to solve the current burning problem of ecology, in order to avoid the great risk threatening the world today due to the abuse of resources that are God’s gift.
+ Common Declaration Signed in the Vatican by Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Bartholomew I, June 29, 1995
© Copyright Libreria Editrice Vaticana