CATHOLIC ECOLOGY

Humanity needs to live within its means

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“The wounds that divide us are rooted in the loss of confidence that the members of the household of the faith actually, in fact, love one another.”

These words were offered last week by the Most Rev. Daniel Flores, Bishop of Brownsville, Texas, at a panel on polarization within the Church. The event, sponsored by the University of Notre Dame’s Center for the Study of Religion and Society, focused on the general phenomenon of polarization within the Church.

The timing was especially important for any Catholic interested in ecology.

Five thousand miles from the event in South Bend, Indiana, another gathering was held in Rome. Its purpose was to discuss climate change and sustainable development. Sponsored by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, “Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity; The Moral Dimensions of Climate Change and Sustainable Humanity” brought together one-hundred leaders in science, business, diplomacy, and development experts from a variety of faiths—including high level officials of the United Nations, most especially its Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The meeting culminated in a joint declaration that had the support of Church hierarchy, including Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. The document stated, essentially, that humanity needs to live within its means; that the strong must sacrifice for the weak; and that we must all love our neighbor.

“Climate-change mitigation will require a rapid world transformation to a world powered by renewable and other low-carbon energy and the sustainable management of ecosystems,” the statement read. It continued:

“These transformations should be carried out in the context of globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals, consistent with ending extreme poverty; ensuring universal access for healthcare, quality education, safe water, and sustainable energy; and cooperating to end human trafficking and all forms of modern slavery. All sectors and stakeholders must do their part, a pledge that we fully commit to in our individual capacities.”

Portions of the declaration (and the Vatican conference itself) annoyed some people and delighted others. The split occurred mostly along political and worldly ideological lines along which people either accept the science of climate change or do not. This prompted existing ideological divisions to widen and hostility to grow within the Church—which always delights our ancient enemy.

There are healthy reasons for disagreement on complex issues like climate change, and what or what not to do about it. But because of the (fallen) human trait to accept only whatever supports our pre-determined views, disagreements on polarizing issues can of late be nearly impossible to overcome.

Thus in such discussions truth, charity, and unity are too often victims.

Leaving aside for the moment the politics and science of climate change, we would all do well to consider the words of Bishop Flores, who told us that division ultimately results from a lack of love. This observation reminds me of a similar one by a young Fr. Joseph Ratzinger, who in the late 1950s wrote a doctoral thesis that concluded with this exhortation: a Church that seeks peace in the future is obliged to “love in the present.”

Bishop Flores had some particularly helpful advice for navigating the conversational minefield of a great many modern issues, most especially climate change—an issue that will become more talked about as we prepare for Pope Francis’s encyclical on the environment, which is slated to be released this summer.

“There is, perhaps, too much gravity and not enough levity in our circles these days,” Bishop Flores said. “I would go so far as to suggest … that until we have reached a point wherein we can actually laugh together and enjoy the simple and primary gift of being together in the same world—in the same Church and in the same room—then it is not yet time for us to discuss the issues that divide us.”

William Patenaude, M.A., KHS, serves on the diocesan pastoral council, is an engineer with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and is a parishioner of SS. Rose and Clement Parish, Warwick. He is a special lecturer at Providence College and writes at catholicecology.net.