| FRANCISCI SUMMI PONTIFICIS LITTERÆ ENCYCLICÆ Laudato si’(« Laudatus sis »)DE COMMUNI DOMO COLENDA |
ENCYCLICAL LETTERLaudato si’(“Be Thou Praised”) OF THE HOLY FATHERFRANCIS ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME |
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| 1 | “Laudato si’, mi’ Signore,” sanctus Franciscus Assisiensis cantabat. Venusto hoc in cantico nos ille monebat nostram communem domum esse quoque sororem, quacum exsistentiam communicamus, atque veluti pulchram matrem in complexum nos recipere. “Laudatus sis, mi Domine, propter sororem nostram matrem terram quæ nos sustentat et gubernat, et producit diversos fructus cum coloratis floribus et herba.”[1] | “LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord.” In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. “Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us, and who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.”[1] |
| 2 | Hæc soror objurgat nos sibi damnum facientes propter insanum usum bonorumque sibi a Deo datorum abusum. Adolevimus cogitantes ejus nos esse possessores ac dominos, facultatem eam vastandi habentes. Violentia quæ in hominis corde, peccato sauciato, insidet, in morbi etiam indiciis manifestatur, quem inesse in solo, aqua, aëre, animantibus percipimus. Quapropter inter desertiores vexatioresque pauperes nostra annumeratur oppressa vastataque terra, quæ « congemiscit et comparturit » (Rom 8,22). Obliviscimur nos de limo terræ ipsos esse (cfr Gn 2,7). Ipsum nostrum corpus orbis terrarum ex elementis constat, eodem ex aëre spiritum trahimus atque ejus aqua nos vivificat ac reficit. | This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she “groans in travail” (Rom 8:22). We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen 2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters. |
| Hujus mundi nihil nobis indifferens | Nothing in this world is indifferent to us | |
| 3 | Amplius quinquaginta abhinc annis, quum nucleare ob discrimen terrarum orbis vacillaret, Sanctus Joannes XXIII Litteras encyclicas edidit, quibus non modo bellum reppulit, verum etiam pacis propositum præbere voluit. Suum nuntium, cujus titulus Pacem in terris, toti “catholico orbi” transmisit, sed se vertit etiam “omnibus hominibus bonæ voluntatis.” Nunc coram universali vastatione orbis terrarum, singulis personis terram incolentibus dirigere Nos volumus. Nostra in Adhortatione apostolica Evangelii gaudium Ecclesiæ participibus scripsimus, ut processus concitetur missionalis adhuc complendæ reformationis. Litteras per has encyclicas potissimum cum omnibus de nostra communi domo dialogum instituere cupimus. | More than fifty years ago, with the world teetering on the brink of nuclear crisis, Pope Saint John XXIII wrote an Encyclical which not only rejected war but offered a proposal for peace. He addressed his message Pacem in Terris to the entire “Catholic world” and indeed “to all men and women of good will.” Now, faced as we are with global environmental deterioration, I wish to address every person living on this planet. In my Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, I wrote to all the members of the Church with the aim of encouraging ongoing missionary renewal. In this Encyclical, I would like to enter into dialogue with all people about our common home. |
| 4 | Octo post annos quam Pacem in terris Litteræ encyclicæ sunt evulgatæ, anno MCMLXXI, beatus Paulus VI de œcologica quæstione egit, quum idem exhiberet discrimen, quod ex immoderata humana industria “funeste manat”: “Per inconsideratum immodicumque rerum naturæ usum, periculum adit ne eam deleat atque vicissim se ipsum in hanc ruinam immittat.”[2] Apud sedem consociationis compendiatis litteris FAO appellatæ etiam est effatus, “ex effectibus industriæ cultus […] verum damnum oriri posse œcologicum,” quandoquidem palam significabat “hominum agendi modum necessario instanterque mutari funditus debere,” quum “perquam miræ scientiæ progressiones, mirifica technicæ inventa, extraordinaria œconomica incrementa, nisi quum vero sociali moralique progressu conjungeretur, verterent tandem adversus hominem.”[3] | In 1971, eight years after Pacem in Terris, Blessed Pope Paul VI referred to the ecological concern as “a tragic consequence” of unchecked human activity: “Due to an ill-considered exploitation of nature, humanity runs the risk of destroying it and becoming in turn a victim of this degradation.”[2] He spoke in similar terms to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations about the potential for an “ecological catastrophe under the effective explosion of industrial civilization,” and stressed “the urgent need for a radical change in the conduct of humanity,” inasmuch as “the most extraordinary scientific advances, the most amazing technical abilities, the most astonishing economic growth, unless they are accompanied by authentic social and moral progress, will definitively turn against man.”[3] |
| 5 | Sanctus Joannes Paulus II hoc argumentum studiosius usque tractavit. Suis in primis Litteris encyclicis animadvertit: “Hujus ambitus naturalis sæpe videtur homo non alias significationes percipere quam eas quæ proximo usui et rerum consumptioni inserviunt.”[4] Deinceps ad conversionem quandam œcologicam universalem vocavit.[5] Eadem opera notavit parum poni curæ de “œcologiæ humanæ condicionibus moralibus tutandis.”[6] Quod humanus ambitus deletur, id pergrave est, quandoquidem Deus mundum homini non modo commisit, verum ipsius vita est donum a multiplicibus detrimenti formis arcendum. Quum curare ac meliorem reddere mundum studeatur, penitus mutari debent “vivendi mores rationesque efficiendi et consumendi res necnon ipsæ regiminis compages jam obfirmatæ quibus hodie regitur societas.”[7] Verus humanus progressus morali indole præstat atque secum fert integram personæ humanæ observantiam, sed etiam naturali mundo vacare debet et “oportet contra æstimetur uniuscujusque entis natura et mutua conexio in ordine composito.”[8] Itaque realitatis commutandæ hominis facultas progredi debet supra fundamentum primigeniæ rerum donationis, a Deo tributæ.[9] | Saint John Paul II became increasingly concerned about this issue. In his first Encyclical he warned that human beings frequently seem “to see no other meaning in their natural environment than what serves for immediate use and consumption.”[4] Subsequently, he would call for a global ecological conversion.[5] At the same time, he noted that little effort had been made to “safeguard the moral conditions for an authentic human ecology.”[6] The destruction of the human environment is extremely serious, not only because God has entrusted the world to us men and women, but because human life is itself a gift which must be defended from various forms of debasement. Every effort to protect and improve our world entails profound changes in “lifestyles, models of production and consumption, and the established structures of power which today govern societies.”[7] Authentic human development has a moral character. It presumes full respect for the human person, but it must also be concerned for the world around us and “take into account the nature of each being and of its mutual connection in an ordered system.”[8] Accordingly, our human ability to transform reality must proceed in line with God’s original gift of all that is.[9] |
| 6 | Decessor Noster Benedictus XVI rursus est cohortatus “ut constitutivæ causæ œconomiæ mundialis infirmitatis deleantur, et progressus exemplaria emendentur quæ inania ad ambitus observantiam præstandam videntur.”[10] Commemorat nempe mundum vestigari non possse solummodo singillatim consideratis aspectibus, quandoquidem “naturæ liber unus est et indivisibilis,” et ambitum, vitam, sexualitatem, familiam, sociales necessitudines, et cetera, complectitur. Quapropter “naturæ corruptio cum cultura arte conjungitur quæ humanum convictum fingit.”[11] Nobis illud Benedictus XVI inculcavit ut agnosceremus naturæ ambitum vulneribus repleri, quæ noster arbitrarius agendi modus intulit. Socialis etiam ambitus sua habet vulnera. Sed omnia eodem malo sunt illata, id est quum cogitatur certas veritates haud exstare, nostram vitam dirigentes, humanam ideo libertatem limitibus carere. Illud memoria non tenetur: “Non modo homo est quædam libertas quam ipse per se efficit. Homo haud se ipsum creat. Spiritus ipse est et voluntas, sed etiam natura.”[12] Paterna quidem sollicitudine nos invitavit ut agnosceremus creationem in discrimine versari “ubi nos ipsi novissima simus proposita, ubi universitas mera sit nostra proprietas quam nobis tantum consumamus ipsis. Creationis profusio inde oritur, ubi supra nos nulla agnoscimus proposita, sed solummodo nos ipsi conspicimus.”[13] | My predecessor Benedict XVI likewise proposed “eliminating the structural causes of the dysfunctions of the world economy and correcting models of growth which have proved incapable of ensuring respect for the environment.”[10] He observed that the world cannot be analyzed by isolating only one of its aspects, since “the book of nature is one and indivisible,” and includes the environment, life, sexuality, the family, social relations, and so forth. It follows that “the deterioration of nature is closely connected to the culture which shapes human coexistence.”[11] Pope Benedict asked us to recognize that the natural environment has been gravely damaged by our irresponsible behavior. The social environment has also suffered damage. Both are ultimately due to the same evil: the notion that there are no indisputable truths to guide our lives, and hence human freedom is limitless. We have forgotten that “man is not only a freedom which he creates for himself. Man does not create himself. He is spirit and will, but also nature.”[12] With paternal concern, Benedict urged us to realize that creation is harmed “where we ourselves have the final word, where everything is simply our property and we use it for ourselves alone. The misuse of creation begins when we no longer recognize any higher instance than ourselves, when we see nothing else but ourselves.”[13] |
| Eadem sollicitudine conjuncti | United by the same concern | |
| 7 | Hæc scripta Summorum Pontificum considerationes colligunt complurium scientiæ cultorum, philosophorum, theologorum et socialium institutionum, his de argumentis Ecclesiæ opinationes locupletantium. Ignorare tamen non possumus etiam extra Catholicam Ecclesiam, alias Ecclesias et christianas Communitates – æque ac alias religiones – magnam sollicitudinem manifestasse et magni momenti de his argumentis cogitationem, de quibus omnes sollicitamur. Ut unum præstansque exemplum supponamus, summatim cogitationes perstringere volumus dilecti Patriarchæ Œcumenici Bartholomæi, quocum plenæ ecclesialis communionis spem participamus. | These statements of the Popes echo the reflections of numerous scientists, philosophers, theologians and civic groups, all of which have enriched the Church’s thinking on these questions. Outside the Catholic Church, other Churches and Christian communities – and other religions as well – have expressed deep concern and offered valuable reflections on issues which all of us find disturbing. To give just one striking example, I would mention the statements made by the beloved Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, with whom we share the hope of full ecclesial communion. |
| 8 | Patriarcha Bartholomæus peculiarem in modum necesse esse dixit, ut unusquisque veniam exoret propria de ratione terrarum orbis vastandi, quia “unusquisque nostrum perinde ac exiguis inferendis naturæ damnis dat operam,” ad agnoscendum vocamur “nostrum parvum aut magnum opus, quod ad damnum vastationemque ambitus confert.”[14] Hac de re ipse firmiter solliciteque iterum iterumque est effatus, concitans nos ut adversus creationem peccata agnosceremus: “Homines biologicam diversitatem in Dei creatione delere; homines terræ integritatem in discrimen adducere et climatis mutationi operam dare, compilantes naturales silvas terræ vel uda loca vastantes; homines aquas, solum, aërem corrumpere: hæc omnia esse peccata.”[15] Quandoquidem “crimen contra naturam est crimen contra nosmet ipsos ac contra Deum peccatum.”[16] | Patriarch Bartholomew has spoken in particular of the need for each of us to repent of the ways we have harmed the planet, for “inasmuch as we all generate small ecological damage,” we are called to acknowledge “our contribution, smaller or greater, to the disfigurement and destruction of creation.”[14] He has repeatedly stated this firmly and persuasively, challenging us to acknowledge our sins against creation: “For human beings… to destroy the biological diversity of God’s creation; for human beings to degrade the integrity of the earth by causing changes in its climate, by stripping the earth of its natural forests or destroying its wetlands; for human beings to contaminate the earth’s waters, its land, its air, and its life – these are sins.”[15] For “to commit a crime against the natural world is a sin against ourselves and a sin against God.”[16] |
| 9 | Eodem tempore Bartholomæus in lucem evocavit radices ethicas spiritalesque ambitalium quæstionum, quæ nos concitant ad eas expediendas non modo per technicam artem, verum etiam per hominis mutationem, quoniam alioquin solummodo indicia aggrediemur. Nobis proposuit ut a consumptione ad continentiam transiremus, ab avaritia ad liberalitatem, a profusione ad communicandi facultatem, in ascesi quadam, quæ “significat discere dare, et non tantum recusare. Modus quidam est amandi, gradatim transeundi ab eo quod cupio ad id quo Dei mundus indiget. A metu, ab avaritia, a servitute est liberatio.”[17] Nos christiani insuper vocamur “ad mundum uti communionis sacramentum suscipiendum, modum quidem participandi cum Deo proximoque in universali contextu. Humiliter conscii sumus divinum humanumque in particulas convenire vestis inconsutilis Dei creationis, in postremum utique orbis nostri pulveris granulum.”[18] | At the same time, Bartholomew has drawn attention to the ethical and spiritual roots of environmental problems, which require that we look for solutions not only in technology but in a change of humanity; otherwise we would be dealing merely with symptoms. He asks us to replace consumption with sacrifice, greed with generosity, wastefulness with a spirit of sharing, an asceticism which “entails learning to give, and not simply to give up. It is a way of loving, of moving gradually away from what I want to what God’s world needs. It is liberation from fear, greed and compulsion.”[17] As Christians, we are also called “to accept the world as a sacrament of communion, as a way of sharing with God and our neighbors on a global scale. It is our humble conviction that the divine and the human meet in the slightest detail in the seamless garment of God’s creation, in the last speck of dust of our planet.”[18] |
| Sanctus Franciscus Assisiensis | Saint Francis of Assisi | |
| 10 | Hasce Litteras encyclicas proferre nolumus, nisi pulchrum movensque exemplum exhibeamus. Ejus nomen veluti ducem auctoremque Nobis indidimus, quum Romæ Episcopus eligeremur. Franciscum putamus perinsigne præbere exemplum de rebus debilibus servandis deque integra œcologia, quæ lætanter vereque tenetur. Sanctus est patronus illorum omnium qui œcologiæ student et in ea operantur, a compluribus etiam non christianis amatus. Peculiarem quidem in modum de Dei creatione atque de pauperrimis desertissimisque sollicitus fuit. Amabat et amabatur suam propter lætitiam, suam liberalem deditionem, suum universale cor. Mysticus fuit et peregrinus qui simplicitate vivebat et mira consensione cum Deo, cum aliis, cum rerum natura ac cum se ipso. In eo animadvertitur quatenus sint indissolubiles de natura, justitia erga pauperes, sociali studio ac pace interiore sollicitudines. | I do not want to write this Encyclical without turning to that attractive and compelling figure, whose name I took as my guide and inspiration when I was elected Bishop of Rome. I believe that Saint Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically. He is the patron saint of all who study and work in the area of ecology, and he is also much loved by non-Christians. He was particularly concerned for God’s creation and for the poor and outcast. He loved, and was deeply loved for his joy, his generous self-giving, his openheartedness. He was a mystic and a pilgrim who lived in simplicity and in wonderful harmony with God, with others, with nature and with himself. He shows us just how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, justice for the poor, commitment to society, and interior peace. |
| 11 | Ejus testimonio apertum est etiam integram œcologiam sibi vindicare patefactionem in quasdam rationes, quæ scientiarum exactarum vel biologiæ sermonem transgrediuntur nosque hominis essentiæ conjungunt. Sic quemadmodum usu venit cum amore alicujus personæ capimur, quotiescunque Franciscus solem, lunam, minima animalia intuebatur, ad cantum inducebatur, sua in laude omnes alias creaturas complectens. Omnibus creaturis miscebatur, atque vel floribus prædicabat, “et ad laudem eos dominicam invitabat ac si ratione vigerent.”[19] Ejus agendi modus multo plus valuit quam intellectuale quiddam œconomicumve, quandoquidem, quod ad eum attinebat, omnis creatura ipsi soror erat, ei affectus vinculo conjuncta. Qua de causa ad omnia quæ sunt tuenda se vocari sentiebat. Ejus discipulus, sanctus Bonaventura, narravit: “Consideratione quoque primæ originis omnium abundantiore pietate repletus, creaturas quantumlibet parvas fratris vel sororis appellabat nominibus.”[20] Opinatio hæc non est despicienda tanquam romanticismus carens ratione, quia ea afficit quæ nostros mores moderantur. Si naturam ambitumque adimus stupore dempto et admiratione, si fraternitatis pulchritudinisque verba in nostra cum mundo necessitudine amplius non proferimus, nostri mores erunt illius qui dominatur, consumit vel solum naturalibus opibus abutitur, ac sua commoda proxima continere non valet. Contra autem, si cum omnibus exsistentibus nos arte conjungi animadvertimus, sobrietas et cura sua sponte manabunt. Paupertas et austeritas sancti Francisci non fuerunt ascetismus prorsus extrarius, sed radicitus insitus: scilicet noluit ut realitas tantummodo ad usum et dominatum redigeretur. | Francis helps us to see that an integral ecology calls for openness to categories which transcend the language of mathematics and biology, and take us to the heart of what it is to be human. Just as happens when we fall in love with someone, whenever he would gaze at the sun, the moon or the smallest of animals, he burst into song, drawing all other creatures into his praise. He communed with all creation, even preaching to the flowers, inviting them “to praise the Lord, just as if they were endowed with reason.”[19] His response to the world around him was so much more than intellectual appreciation or economic calculus, for to him each and every creature was a sister united to him by bonds of affection. That is why he felt called to care for all that exists. His disciple Saint Bonaventure tells us that, “from a reflection on the primary source of all things, filled with even more abundant piety, he would call creatures, no matter how small, by the name of ‘brother’ or ‘sister’.”[20] Such a conviction cannot be written off as naive romanticism, for it affects the choices which determine our behavior. If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously. The poverty and austerity of Saint Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used and controlled. |
| 12 | Ceterum sanctus Franciscus, Scripturæ fidelis, nobis suadet ut naturam agnoscamus pulchrum librum, in quo Deus nos alloquitur atque suæ gratiæ bonitatisque aliquid nobis præbet: “A magnitudine enim et pulchritudine creaturarum cognoscibiliter potest creator horum videri” (Sap 13,5) et “invisibilia enim ipsius a creatura mundi per ea, quæ facta sunt, intellecta conspiciuntur” (Rom 1,20). Quapropter postulabat ille ut in claustro quædam hortorum pars inculta maneret, unde silvestres herbæ succrescerent, ita ut omnes qui eas contemplarentur mentem ad Deum elevare possent, tantæ pulchritudinis effectorem.[21] Mundus est majus quiddam quam quæstio solvenda, lætabile est mysterium, quod in gaudio laudeque contemplamur. | What is more, Saint Francis, faithful to Scripture, invites us to see nature as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness. “Through the greatness and the beauty of creatures one comes to know by analogy their maker” (Wis 13:5); indeed, “his eternal power and divinity have been made known through his works since the creation of the world” (Rom 1:20). For this reason, Francis asked that part of the friary garden always be left untouched, so that wild flowers and herbs could grow there, and those who saw them could raise their minds to God, the Creator of such beauty.[21] Rather than a problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise. |
| Nostra adhortatio | My appeal | |
| 13 | Urgens custodiendi communem domum nostram provocatio sollicitudinem amplectitur de tota familia humana congreganda ad tolerabilem et integram progressionem inquirendam, quia scimus res mutari posse. Creator nos non relinquit, nunquam decedit suo de amoris proposito, non pænitet eum nos creavisse. Humanum genus usque, consociata opera, nostram domum communem exstruere valet. Desideramus gratos sensus patefacere, animum addere et gratias agere omnibus qui, variis in provinciis humanæ actuositatis, operam dant domui protegendæ quam participamus. Speciales merentur grates illi qui cum vigore certant ut gravia solvantur consectaria degradationis ambitus apud pauperrimos mundi. Juvenes a nobis mutationem postulant. Illi percontantur quomodo fieri possit ut futurum tempus melius constituatur, si ambitus discrimen æque ac dolores negliguntur illorum qui e societate segregati sunt. | The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change. The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home. Here I want to recognize, encourage and thank all those striving in countless ways to guarantee the protection of the home which we share. Particular appreciation is owed to those who tirelessly seek to resolve the tragic effects of environmental degradation on the lives of the world’s poorest. Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded. |
| 14 | Invitamus vehementer ad novum suscipiendum dialogum quomodo futurum tempus ædificemus terrarum orbis. Egemus collocutione quæ nos omnes in unum congreget, quia provocatio ambitalis quam vivimus ejusque humanæ radices ad nos spectant nosque omnes contingunt. Motus œcologicus mundialis jam perfecit longum frugiferumque iter atque complures generavit civium consociationes quæ vocem juverunt conscientiæ. Pro dolor, multi conatus ad quærendas aptas solutiones ambitalis discriminis ad nihilum sæpe recidunt non solum ob potentium recusationem, sed etiam ceterorum ob neglegentiam. Consuetudines quæ vias solutionis impediunt, etiam inter credentes, a negatione quæstionis transeunt ad indifferentiam, ad tolerantiam commodam vel ad cæcam fiduciam in solutiones technicas. Nova universali egemus solidarietate. Sicut Episcopi Africæ Australis dixerunt, “talenta et implicatio omnium necessaria sunt ad damnum reparandum abusu humano creationi Dei allatum.”[22] Omnes cooperari possumus veluti instrumenta Dei ad curandam creationem, unusquisque propria cultura et peritia, propriis inceptis et facultatibus. | I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all. The worldwide ecological movement has already made considerable progress and led to the establishment of numerous organizations committed to raising awareness of these challenges. Regrettably, many efforts to seek concrete solutions to the environmental crisis have proved ineffective, not only because of powerful opposition but also because of a more general lack of interest. Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in technical solutions. We require a new and universal solidarity. As the bishops of Southern Africa have stated: “Everyone’s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God’s creation.” [22] All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents. |
| 15 | Speramus fore ut hæ Litteræ encyclicæ, quæ Magisterio sociali Ecclesiæ adduntur, nos ad magnitudinem juvent recognoscendam, agendi necessitatem et pulchritudinem provocationis quæ nobis instat. Primum, brevem explanationem de variis aspectibus discriminis œcologici nostræ ætatis præbebimus ut optimos fructus capiamus ex inquisitione scientifica, quæ hodie præsto est, nos ipsos penitus tangi sinamus atque solidum ponamus fundamentum explanationi ethicæ et spiritali quæ sequitur. Initium sumentes ab hac descriptione, quædam iterum argumenta tractabimus quæ e traditione Judæa Christiana manant, ut congruentius nostrum de ambitu officium reddamus. Deinde ad radices pervenire conabimur hodiernæ condicionis, ut non solum signa colligamus sed etiam gravissimas causas. Hoc modo proponere œcologiam valebimus quæ, suis in variis rationibus, locum amplectatur peculiarem quem homo hoc in mundo occupat ejusque necessitudines cum realitate quæ circa eum est. Ejusmodi considerationis sub lumine pervenire velimus ad quasdam amplas sententias dialogi actionisque quæ tum unumquemque nostrum involvunt tum politicam internationalem. Denique, quum persuasum habeamus unamquamque mutationem rationibus egere nec non itinere educationis, quædam lineamenta maturationis humanæ ostendemus, ex thesauro spiritalitatis christianæ deprompta. | 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. I will begin by briefly reviewing several aspects of the present ecological crisis, with the aim of drawing on the results of the best scientific research available today, letting them touch us deeply and provide a concrete foundation for the ethical and spiritual itinerary that follows. I will then consider some principles drawn from the Judaeo-Christian tradition which can render our commitment to the environment more coherent. I will then attempt to get to the roots of the present situation, so as to consider not only its symptoms but also its deepest causes. This will help to provide an approach to ecology which respects our unique place as human beings in this world and our relationship to our surroundings. In light of this reflection, I will advance some broader proposals for dialogue and action which would involve each of us as individuals, and also affect international policy. Finally, convinced as I am that change is impossible without motivation and a process of education, I will offer some inspired guidelines for human development to be found in the treasure of Christian spiritual experience. |
| 16 | Unumquodque caput, licet propria habeat argumenta propriamque methodum, recipit vicissim magni momenti quæstiones in capitibus præcedentibus tractatas. Hoc potissimum spectat ad quædam lineamenta præcipua quæ totas decurrunt Litteras encyclicas. Exempli gratia: intima inter pauperes et orbis fragilitatem necessitudo; persuasio de intima omnium in mundo rerum conexione; critica ratio erga novum paradigma novasque potestatis formas quæ a technologia manant; invitatio ad alios quærendos modos intellegendæ œconomiæ et progressionis; uniuscujusque creaturæ bonum proprium; humanus œcologiæ sensus; necessitas sincerarum et honestarum disputationum; gravis politicæ internationalis et localis responsalitas; cultura detractionis atque propositum novæ vitæ rationis. Hæc argumenta nunquam clauduntur vel relinquuntur, immo constanter suscipiuntur et locupletantur. | Although each chapter will have its own subject and specific approach, it will also take up and re-examine important questions previously dealt with. This is particularly the case with a number of themes which will reappear as the Encyclical unfolds. As examples, I will point to the intimate relationship between the poor and the fragility of the planet, the conviction that everything in the world is connected, the critique of new paradigms and forms of power derived from technology, the call to seek other ways of understanding the economy and progress, 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. These questions will not be dealt with once and for all, but reframed and enriched again and again. |
| DE HODIERNO DOMUS NOSTRÆ STATU | CHAPTER ONE WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR COMMON HOME | |
| 17 | Considerationes theologicæ vel philosophicæ de condicione humani generis et mundi haberi possunt sicut nuntium repetitum et vacuum, si non iterantur, initio sumpto a comparatione cum circumstantiis ætatis nostræ, in hoc quod nondum pro historia humani generis editum est. Quam ob rem, antequam agnoscamus quomodo fides novas rationes et postulata coram mundo afferat cujus nos sumus participes, constituimus breviter id considerare quod communi domui nostræ evenit. | Theological and philosophical reflections on the situation of humanity and the world can sound tiresome and abstract, unless they are grounded in a fresh analysis of our present situation, which is in many ways unprecedented in the history of humanity. So, before considering how faith brings new incentives and requirements with regard to the world of which we are a part, I will briefly turn to what is happening to our common home. |
| 18 | Continuata mutationum humani generis orbisque celeritas hodie conjungitur cum augmento modulationum vitæ et laboris, in illa quam in Hispanico sermone quidam “rapidación” appellant. Quamvis mutatio pars sit progressionis rationum multiplicium, velocitas quam actiones humanæ ei hodie imponunt, naturali obsistit evolutionis biologicæ lenitati. Cui additur quod proposita hujus celeris et constantis mutationis non necessario ad commune bonum diriguntur adque humanam progressionem, tolerabilem integramque. Mutatio quiddam est optabile, sed inquietat quum pejorem reddit mundum et vitæ qualitatem majoris partis humani generis. | The continued acceleration of changes affecting humanity and the planet is coupled today with a more intensified pace of life and work which might be called “rapidification.” Although change is part of the working of complex systems, the speed with which human activity has developed contrasts with the naturally slow pace of biological evolution. Moreover, the goals of this rapid and constant change are not necessarily geared to the common good or to integral and sustainable human development. Change is something desirable, yet it becomes a source of anxiety when it causes harm to the world and to the quality of life of much of humanity. |
| 19 | Post tempus irrationalis fiduciæ in progressionem humanasque capacitates, quædam societatis pars in ætatem ingreditur majoris conscientiæ. Crescens animadvertitur ambitus naturæque curandæ sensus, et sincera adulescit dolensque sollicitudo rerum quæ nostro in orbe accidunt. Iter faciamus quod procul dubio imperfectum erit, per illas quæstiones quæ hodie nos inquietant quasque jam non possumus sub tapete, ut ajunt, abscondere. Haud proponitur ut notitiæ colligantur vel nostra satietur curiositas, sed ut dolens conscientia habeatur, in dolorem personalem transformetur id quod in mundo accidit, et ita agnoscatur quale sit opus quod unusquisque conferre possit. | Following a period of irrational confidence in progress and human abilities, some sectors of society are now adopting a more critical approach. We see increasing sensitivity to the environment and the need to protect nature, along with a growing concern, both genuine and distressing, for what is happening to our planet. Let us review, however cursorily, those questions which are troubling us today and which we can no longer sweep under the carpet. Our goal is not to amass information or to satisfy curiosity, but rather to become painfully aware, to dare to turn what is happening to the world into our own personal suffering and thus to discover what each of us can do about it. |
| I. CONTAMINATIO ET CLIMATIS MUTATIO | I. POLLUTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE | |
| Contaminatio, ejectamenta et detractionis cultus | Pollution, waste and the throwaway culture | |
| 20 | Species exstant contaminationum quæ cotidie in personas invadunt. Ad aëris contaminationes expositio multum multisque modis, peculiarem in modum valetudinem pauperrimorum afficit, atque innumerorum hominum immaturum comportat interitum. Ægrotant, exempli gratia, propter nimii fumi aspirationem, qui e rebus combustis editur, quæ coquendi vel calefaciendi causa adhibentur. Ad hoc additur contaminatio quæ omnes afficit, quam afferunt vehicula, industriæ fumi, res abjectæ, quæ solum et aquam acido corrumpunt, materiæ fertilitati augendæ, venena insectis, fungis interneciva, medicamenta herbarum deletilia atque in universum venenata insecticidia. Technologia, rei nummariæ conjuncta, quæ sibi vindicare vult se unam quæstiones solvere posse, reapse sæpe multiplicium consortionum mysterium cum rebus constitutarum conspicere non valet, et hac de causa nonnunquam difficultatem expedit, dum quasdam alias gignit. | Some forms of pollution are part of people’s daily experience. Exposure to atmospheric pollutants produces a broad spectrum of health hazards, especially for the poor, and causes millions of premature deaths. People take sick, for example, from breathing high levels of smoke from fuels used in cooking or heating. There is also pollution that affects everyone, caused by transport, industrial fumes, substances which contribute to the acidification of soil and water, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and agrotoxins in general. Technology, which, linked to business interests, is presented as the only way of solving these problems, in fact proves incapable of seeing the mysterious network of relations between things and so sometimes solves one problem only to create others. |
| 21 | Contaminatio est quoque consideranda quæ ejectamentis efficitur, illis additis periculosis, diversis in locis positis. Sescentæ tonnæ ejectamentorum singulis annis efferuntur, quorum multa biodegradabilia non sunt: ejectamenta domestica et mercatoria, reliquiæ destructionis, ejectamenta clinica, electronica vel industriæ, ejectamenta prorsus venenifera et radiante vi prædita. Terra, domus nostra, in immensum sordium depositum magis magisque demutari videtur. Multis orbis terrarum locis, senes præteriti temporis prospectus desiderio recordantur, qui nunc sordibus mergi conspiciuntur. Quum industriæ ejectamenta, tum chimicæ res, quæ in urbibus agrisque adhibentur, efficere possunt ut in corpora illorum in vicinia incolentium biologicus cumulus inferatur, quod usu venit etiam quum veneniferum elementum, quod quodam in loco adest, exiguum est. Consilia compluries capiuntur solummodo quum quædam de valetudine personarum evenerunt insanabilia. | Account must also be taken of the pollution produced by residue, including dangerous waste present in different areas. Each year hundreds of millions of tons of waste are generated, much of it non-biodegradable, highly toxic and radioactive, from homes and businesses, from construction and demolition sites, from clinical, electronic and industrial sources. The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth. In many parts of the planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful landscapes are now covered with rubbish. Industrial waste and chemical products utilized in cities and agricultural areas can lead to bioaccumulation in the organisms of the local population, even when levels of toxins in those places are low. Frequently no measures are taken until after people’s health has been irreversibly affected. |
| 22 | Quæstiones hæ cum detractionis cultu arte conjunguntur quæ quum homines sejunctos tum res quæ celeriter in sordes immutantur contingunt. Animadvertamus, exempli gratia, chartam confectam majore e parte projici et haud denuo adhiberi. Vix agnoscimus œcosystemata naturalia mirum in modum suo munere fungi: plantæ nutrimenta efficiunt quæ herbilia animalia alunt; quæ vicissim carne vescentes bestias alunt, quæ magnam organicorum ejectamentorum copiam præbent, unde nova virentia generentur. E contrario industriæ ordo, confectionis consumptionisque processu absoluto, ejectamenta et scorias exhauriendi iterumque adhibendi facultatem non reperit. Modus fabricationis orbiculatus, ut ajunt, adhuc non est adhibitus, qui omnibus subsequentibusque generationibus opes præstet, atque postulet ut quam minimum opes non renovabiles adhibeantur, consumptio temperetur, quam maximum efficaciterque opes exhauriantur, iterum adhibeantur et in circulum referantur. Si hæc quæstio agitaretur, modus exstaret detractionis cultum arcendi, qui totum terrarum orbem opprimit; sed hac in parte progressus perexiguos esse conspicimus. | These problems are closely linked to a throwaway culture which affects the excluded just as it quickly reduces things to rubbish. To cite one example, most of the paper we produce is thrown away and not recycled. It is hard for us to accept that the way natural ecosystems work is exemplary: plants synthesize nutrients which feed herbivores; these in turn become food for carnivores, which produce significant quantities of organic waste which give rise to new generations of plants. But our industrial system, at the end of its cycle of production and consumption, has not developed the capacity to absorb and reuse waste and by-products. We have not yet managed to adopt a circular model of production capable of preserving resources for present and future generations, while limiting as much as possible the use of non-renewable resources, moderating their consumption, maximizing their efficient use, reusing and recycling them. A serious consideration of this issue would be one way of counteracting the throwaway culture which affects the entire planet, but it must be said that only limited progress has been made in this regard. |
| Clima veluti commune bonum | Climate as a common good | |
| 23 | Clima commune est bonum omnium et pro omnibus. Illud, universali ratione, implicatum est systema quod cum multis essentialibus vitæ humanæ condicionibus sociatur. Peramplus exstat consensus scientificus qui indicat quandam inesse calefactionem systematis climatici quæ sollicitudinem concitat. Postremis decenniis ejusmodi calefactio constanti ducta est augmento gradus maris, quod præterea facile conjungitur cum augmento eventuum meteorologicorum extremorum, quamvis causa e scientia determinabilis unicuique eventui non sit singillatim ascribenda. Humanitas citatur ut conscia fiat de necessitate mutationum rationum vitæ, productionis et consumptionis ad superandam hanc calefactionem vel, saltem, ad humanas causas depellendas quæ eam inducunt vel eam augent. Verum est, alia etiam astare elementa (vulcanorum rejectiones, variationes orbitæ et axis terrestris, cursum solis); sed multæ inquisitiones scientificæ demonstrant majorem partem calefactionis universalis postremis decennis gasiorum e cumulatione oriri quæ loci clausi gignunt (dioxydum carbonicum, methanum, oxyda nitrogeni et alia) quæ emittuntur potissimum ob humanam industriam. Eorum in aëre cumulatio impedit quominus calor radiorum solis a terra repercussorum in spatium evanescat. Hoc majorem etiam vim obtinet a methodo progressionis quæ in crebro usui innititur combustibilis materiæ fossilis, quæ quidem systematis energetici mundialis præcipuum occupat locum. Ad hanc rem etiam augmentum praxis mutationis usus soli contulit, præsertim vastatio silvarum ob agrorum cultum. | The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all. At the global level, it is a complex system linked to many of the essential conditions for human life. A very solid scientific consensus indicates that we are presently witnessing a disturbing warming of the climatic system. In recent decades this warming has been accompanied by a constant rise in the sea level and, it would appear, by an increase of extreme weather events, even if a scientifically determinable cause cannot be assigned to each particular phenomenon. Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it. It is true that there are other factors (such as volcanic activity, variations in the earth’s orbit and axis, the solar cycle), yet a number of scientific studies indicate that most global warming in recent decades is due to the great concentration of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxides and others) released mainly as a result of human activity. As these gases build up in the atmosphere, they hamper the escape of heat produced by sunlight at the earth’s surface. The problem is aggravated by a model of development based on the intensive use of fossil fuels, which is at the heart of the worldwide energy system. Another determining factor has been an increase in changed uses of the soil, principally deforestation for agricultural purposes. |
| 24 | Calefactio deinde cyclum afficit carbonii. Circulum creat vitiosum qui graviorem etiam reddit condicionem, sicque facultatem afficiet essentialibus opibus utendi veluti aqua potabili, energia, et agrorum fetu regionum calidiorum — atque e parte biodiversitatem orbis terrarum pessumdabit. Glacierum liquatio tam in polis quam in regionibus eximiæ altitudinis gravissimum periculum denuntiat ne gasium methanum exeat atque dissolutio materiæ organicæ congelatæ magis ac magis emissionem dioxydi carbonici amplificare possit. Deperditæ deinde silvæ tropicæ pejores reddunt res, quum illæ mitigationem juvent mutationis climatis. Contaminatio quam dioxydum carbonicum facit, oceanorum aciditatem auget atque seriem lædit alimentariam marinam. Si hodiernus cursus producitur, hoc sæculum inauditas mutationes climatis experiri potest atque destructionem quæ antea nunquam fuit œcosystematum, gravibus additis consecutionibus in omnes recidentibus. Augmentum gradus maris, exempli gratia, condiciones potest creare extremæ gravitatis si pensitatur quartam partem gentium orbis prope mare vivere vel in vicinia maris atque majorem megalopolium partem in regionibus locari litoralibus. | Warming has effects on the carbon cycle. It creates a vicious circle which aggravates the situation even more, affecting the availability of essential resources like drinking water, energy and agricultural production in warmer regions, and leading to the extinction of part of the planet’s biodiversity. The melting in the polar ice caps and in high altitude plains can lead to the dangerous release of methane gas, while the decomposition of frozen organic material can further increase the emission of carbon dioxide. Things are made worse by the loss of tropical forests which would otherwise help to mitigate climate change. Carbon dioxide pollution increases the acidification of the oceans and compromises the marine food chain. If present trends continue, this century may well witness extraordinary climate change and an unprecedented destruction of ecosystems, with serious consequences for all of us. A rise in the sea level, for example, can create extremely serious situations, if we consider that a quarter of the world’s population lives on the coast or nearby, and that the majority of our megacities are situated in coastal areas. |
| 25 | Mutationum climaticarum quæstio ad universam humanitatem attinet, quæ secum fert graves implicationes ambitales, sociales, œconomicas, distributivas et politicas atque præcipuis item provocationibus nostræ ætatis de humano genere annumeratur. Graviores impactiones probabiliter proximis decenniis Nationes ad prosperitatem progredientes contingent. Multi pauperes in locis vivunt peculiariter eventibus tactis qui cum calefactione junguntur atque eorum alimenta acriter e copiis pendent naturæ atque sic dictis elementis œcosystematis veluti agricultura, piscium captura atque abundantia silvarum. Desunt eis alia œconomica subsidia atque alia bona quæ sinant ut climaticis impactionibus sese accommodent vel eventus calamitosos sustineant, atque perexigua sunt eis societatis subsidia tutelaque. Exempli gratia, mutationes climatis animalium satorumque inducunt migrationes quæ non semper se aptare possunt et hoc vicissim facultates afficit productionis pauperrimorum qui se sentiunt etiam obligatos ad migrandum, nescientes futurum vitæ suæ suorumque filiorum. Perniciosum est augmentum migrantium qui miseriam fugiunt graviorem degradatione ambitali redditam, qui non agnoscuntur tanquam profugi in conventionibus internationalibus, et pondus ferunt propriæ desertæ vitæ quam sine ulla legum tutela degunt. Pro dolor hæ tantæ calamitates negligenter conspiciuntur, quæ hodie in compluribus orbis terrarum partibus accidunt. Eo quod coram ejusmodi nostrorum fratrum et sororum pessimis condicionibus nihil agitur, id indicium est deperditi responsalitatis sensus erga nostros proximos, quo omnis civilis societas nititur. | Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day. Its worst impact will probably be felt by developing countries in coming decades. Many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by phenomena related to warming, and their means of subsistence are largely dependent on natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry. They have no other financial activities or resources which can enable them to adapt to climate change or to face natural disasters, and their access to social services and protection is very limited. For example, changes in climate, to which animals and plants cannot adapt, lead them to migrate; this in turn affects the livelihood of the poor, who are then forced to leave their homes, with great uncertainty for their future and that of their children. There has been a tragic rise in the number of migrants seeking to flee from the growing poverty caused by environmental degradation. They are not recognized by international conventions as refugees; they bear the loss of the lives they have left behind, without enjoying any legal protection whatsoever. Sadly, there is widespread indifference to such suffering, which is even now taking place throughout our world. Our lack of response to these tragedies involving our brothers and sisters points to the loss of that sense of responsibility for our fellow men and women upon which all civil society is founded. |
| 26 | Multi eorum quibus plus opum est et potestas œconomica vel politica attente in primis quæstiones contegere videntur vel signa occulere, quasdam negativas impactiones climatis mutationum tantum minuentes. Sed multa signa demonstrant hos effectus pejores usque fieri posse, si uti hodiernis modis productionis et consumptionis pergimus. Quocirca instat idque impellit ut politicæ actiones augeantur, ut proximis annis dioxydi carbonici aliorumque gasiorum perlate inquinantium efficaciter diminuatur, exempli gratia, substituendo usum igniferorum fossilium et fontes augendo energiæ renovabilis. In orbe adest gradus exiguus accessus ad energias expolitas et renovabiles. Provehendæ sunt usque technologiæ cumulationis. Tamen quibusdam in Nationibus progressiones factæ sunt alicujus ponderis, licet longe absint ab assequendo magni momenti gradu. Quædam etiam pecuniæ sunt destinatæ ad genera productionis et vectionis quæ minorem insumunt energiam et minorem postulant quantitatem materiæ primæ, sicut etiam ad rationes constructionis vel restitutionis ædificiorum, aptiore efficacitate energetica præditorum. Sed hæ bonæ consuetudines longe absunt ut generales fiant. | Many of those who possess more resources and economic or political power seem mostly to be concerned with masking the problems or concealing their symptoms, simply making efforts to reduce some of the negative impacts of climate change. However, many of these symptoms indicate that such effects will continue to worsen if we continue with current models of production and consumption. There is an urgent need to develop policies so that, in the next few years, the emission of carbon dioxide and other highly polluting gases can be drastically reduced, for example, substituting for fossil fuels and developing sources of renewable energy. Worldwide there is minimal access to clean and renewable energy. There is still a need to develop adequate storage technologies. Some countries have made considerable progress, although it is far from constituting a significant proportion. Investments have also been made in means of production and transportation which consume less energy and require fewer raw materials, as well as in methods of construction and renovating buildings which improve their energy efficiency. But these good practices are still far from widespread. |
| II. DE AQUA | II. THE ISSUE OF WATER | |
| 27 | Alia hodiernæ condicionis indicia ad deficientes naturales opes attinent. Probe novimus præsentis consumptionis gradum Nationum majore incremento pollentium nec non partium ditiorum societatis sustineri non posse, ubi res profundendi et abjiciendi mos quædam inaudita attigit. Quidam jam limites sunt superati consumptionis terrarum orbis, paupertatis haud soluto negotio. | Other indicators of the present situation have to do with the depletion of natural resources. We all know that it is not possible to sustain the present level of consumption in developed countries and wealthier sectors of society, where the habit of wasting and discarding has reached unprecedented levels. The exploitation of the planet has already exceeded acceptable limits and we still have not solved the problem of poverty. |
| 28 | Potabilis puraque aqua summi ponderis est quæstio, quum ad vitam humanam sit necessaria et ad terrestria et aquatica œcosystemata sustinenda. Aquæ dulcis fontes ordinibus sanitatis, agrorum rerumque pastoriciarum atque industriæ inserviunt. Aquæ copia plus minusve longo temporis tractu eadem fuit, sed nunc multis in locis quod petitur prætergreditur quod offertur et sustineri potest, et id in breve longumque tempus gravia consectaria contrahet. Amplæ urbes, quæ magna copia aquarum fruuntur, imminutam aquæ copiam nonnunquam patiuntur, quæ, discrimine exstante, congruo usu æquoque jure non semper ministratur. Publicæ aquæ penuria potissimum in Africa habetur, ubi magnæ populorum partes potabilibus tutisque aquis frui non possunt, vel siccitates patiuntur, propter quas difficulter alimenta comparantur. Quibusdam in Nationibus sunt regiones ubi aqua abundat, dum aliæ gravem penuriam patiuntur. | Fresh drinking water is an issue of primary importance, since it is indispensable for human life and for supporting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Sources of fresh water are necessary for health care, agriculture and industry. Water supplies used to be relatively constant, but now in many places demand exceeds the sustainable supply, with dramatic consequences in the short and long term. Large cities dependent on significant supplies of water have experienced periods of shortage, and at critical moments these have not always been administered with sufficient oversight and impartiality. Water poverty especially affects Africa where large sectors of the population have no access to safe drinking water or experience droughts which impede agricultural production. Some countries have areas rich in water while others endure drastic scarcity. |
| 29 | Quæstio pergravis est, quæ ad aquæ qualitatem attinet, pauperibus tribuendæ, quæ cotidie multorum interitum comparat. Inter pauperes crebri sunt morbi, qui cum aqua conjunguntur, illis additis qui microorganismis et chimicis rebus inducuntur. Dysenteria et cholera, quæ hygienicis apparatibus aquarumque copia incongruis importantur, multum afferunt doloris mortisque infantium. Subterraneas aquas multis in locis contaminatio minatur, quam quædam extractionis, agrorum, industriæ opera efficiunt, in Nationibus potissimum ubi regulæ inspectionesque sufficientes deficiunt. Ne cogitemus solummodo de fabricarum ejectamentis. Detergentia et chimicæ res confectæ, a gentibus adhibita, multis in mundi locis in flumina, lacus et maria inferri pergunt. | One particularly serious problem is the quality of water available to the poor. Every day, unsafe water results in many deaths and the spread of water-related diseases, including those caused by microorganisms and chemical substances. Dysentery and cholera, linked to inadequate hygiene and water supplies, are a significant cause of suffering and of infant mortality. Underground water sources in many places are threatened by the pollution produced in certain mining, farming and industrial activities, especially in countries lacking adequate regulation or controls. It is not only a question of industrial waste. Detergents and chemical products, commonly used in many places of the world, continue to pour into our rivers, lakes and seas. |
| 30 | Dum aquæ, quæ præsto est, qualitas usque in deterius labitur, quibusdam in locis invalescit mos exiguas has opes ad privatam possessionem redigendi, eaque in mercem immutatur, mercatus legibus temperatam. Reapse potabilis tutæque aquæ facultas adhibendæ essentiale, præcipuum universaleque est hominum jus, quia efficit ut personæ vivant, atque hanc ob rem aliis humanis juribus fruantur. Mundus hic grave debitum sociale in pauperes habet, qui ad potabilem aquam accedere non possunt, quia hoc jus detrahitur vitæ, quod eorum inalienabili dignitati hæret. Hoc debitum e parte majoribus œconomicis subsidiis persolvitur, ut aqua munda et purificationis apparatus pauperioribus gentibus præbeantur. Attamen aqua dissipata habetur non modo in longius progressis Nationibus, verum etiam in illis quæ progredi nituntur quæque magnam ejusdem copiam habent. Hoc planum facit aquæ quæstionem e parte ad institutionem culturamque pertinere, quandoquidem gravitatis talium morum deest conscientia in magnæ inæqualitatis contextu. | Even as the quality of available water is constantly diminishing, in some places there is a growing tendency, despite its scarcity, to privatize this resource, turning it into a commodity subject to the laws of the market. Yet access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights. Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity. This debt can be paid partly by an increase in funding to provide clean water and sanitary services among the poor. But water continues to be wasted, not only in the developed world but also in developing countries which possess it in abundance. This shows that the problem of water is partly an educational and cultural issue, since there is little awareness of the seriousness of such behavior within a context of great inequality. |
| 31 | Major aquæ inopia efficiet ut alimentorum sumptus augeatur æque ac varii proventus, qui ejus ex usu pendent. Quædam inquisitiones monent periculum esse ne aquarum inopia intra pauca decennia laboremus, nisi huic rei sollicite consulatur. Impactiones ambitales innumeras personas attingere poterunt, ceterumque provideri potest aquæ occupationem, quam magnæ mundi societates habent, in præcipuam hoc vertente sæculo transituram pugnam.[23] | Greater scarcity of water will lead to an increase in the cost of food and the various products which depend on its use. Some studies warn that an acute water shortage may occur within a few decades unless urgent action is taken. The environmental repercussions could affect billions of people; it is also conceivable that the control of water by large multinational businesses may become a major source of conflict in this century.[23] |
| III. BIODIVERSITAS AMISSA | III. LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY | |
| 32 | Terræ quoque opes sunt expilatæ propter rationes intellegendi rem œconomicam atque commercium productionemque, quæ nimis proximo fini conjunguntur. Silvæ ac luci deperditi secum important species amissas, quæ futuro tempore maximi ponderis esse poterunt opes, non modo quod ad alimoniam attinet, verum etiam ad morbos curandos et ad multiplicia ministeria gerenda. Variæ species gena habent, quæ opes cardines futuro tempore esse possunt ad quasdam humanas necessitates vel aliquas ambitales quæstiones solvendas. | The earth’s resources are also being plundered because of short-sighted approaches to the economy, commerce and production. The loss of forests and woodlands entails the loss of species which may constitute extremely important resources in the future, not only for food but also for curing disease and other uses. Different species contain genes which could be key resources in years ahead for meeting human needs and regulating environmental problems. |
| 33 | Sed non sufficit ut de diversis speciebus cogitetur, ut “opibus,” quæ adhiberi possint, dum obliviscimur eas in se ipsas valere. Singulis annis sescentæ species plantarum et animalium amittuntur, quas jam cognoscere non poterimus, quas nostri filii conspicere non poterunt, in perpetuum amissas. Permagna pars ob causas exstinguitur, quæ ad quandam hominum operam spectant. Nostra causa sescentæ species sua exsistentia Deum non clarificabunt neque suum nuntium nobiscum communicare poterunt. Nullum hujus rei habemus jus. | It is not enough, however, to think of different species merely as potential “resources” to be exploited, while overlooking the fact that they have value in themselves. Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which we will never know, which our children will never see, because they have been lost for ever. The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us. We have no such right. |
| 34 | Probabiliter angimur, scientes mammiferum vel avem quandam esse exstinctam quia aspectabiliora sunt. Sed ut œcosystema præclare suo fungatur munere, necessarii sunt etiam fungi, algæ, vermes, parva insecta, reptilia et magna microorganismorum varietas. Nonnullæ species raræ, quæ plerumque non notantur, præcipuas decretoriasque agunt partes, ut loci temperamentum firmetur. Verum est, homini esse agendum quum geosystema in discrimine versatur; sed hodie intervenientis hominis gradus in sic implicata realitate naturæ talis est, ut continuata damna ab homine illata novum opus postulent, ita ut humana actio ubique sit, una cum omnibus incumbentibus periculis, quæ id secum fert. Vitiatus circuitus efficitur in quo, interveniente homine cujusdam difficultatis solvendæ causa, compluries gravior fit condicio. Exempli gratia, multæ aves et insecta, quæ propter insecticidia venenata, technologia facta, exstinguuntur, ipsam agri culturam juvant, atque eis sublatis, alia technologica actio sit oportet, quæ probabiliter denuo noxios effectus feret. Laudabile admirabileque opus est quod rerum naturæ inquisitores ac technici studiose faciunt ut difficultates vincant, quas homo ipse attulit. At mundum spectantes, animadvertimus gradum hunc intervenientis hominis, qui sæpenumero rebus nummariis ac immodicæ consumptioni deservit, reapse efficere ut terrarum orbis in quo vivimus, minus locuples fiat et minus venustus, magis magisque coartatus pallensque, dum eodem tempore technologiæ progressus et consumptiones oblatæ sine finibus progrediuntur. Hac ratione decipi videmur, substituentes non iterabilem et non recuperabilem pulchritudinem pro alia quadam a nobis confecta. | It may well disturb us to learn of the extinction of mammals or birds, since they are more visible. But the good functioning of ecosystems also requires fungi, algae, worms, insects, reptiles and an innumerable variety of microorganisms. Some less numerous species, although generally unseen, nonetheless play a critical role in maintaining the equilibrium of a particular place. Human beings must intervene when a geosystem reaches a critical state. But nowadays, such intervention in nature has become more and more frequent. As a consequence, serious problems arise, leading to further interventions; human activity becomes ubiquitous, with all the risks which this entails. Often a vicious circle results, as human intervention to resolve a problem further aggravates the situation. For example, many birds and insects which disappear due to synthetic agrotoxins are helpful for agriculture: their disappearance will have to be compensated for by yet other techniques which may well prove harmful. We must be grateful for the praiseworthy efforts being made by scientists and engineers dedicated to finding solutions to man-made problems. But a sober look at our world shows that the degree of human intervention, often in the service of business interests and consumerism, is actually making our earth less rich and beautiful, ever more limited and grey, even as technological advances and consumer goods continue to abound limitlessly. We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have created ourselves. |
| 35 | Quum ambitalis impactio alicujus œconomici incepti perpenditur, in solum, aquam et aërem considerari effectus solent; sed non semper explorata additur inquisitio de affecta biodiversitate, perinde ac si nonnullæ species vel cœtus deperditi sive animalium sive plantarum aliquid parvi sint momenti. Viæ, novæ culturæ, sæpimenta, aquæ receptacula atque aliæ exstructiones, naturales sedes sunt occupatura atque nonnunquam easdem in fragmenta sic redigunt, ut animalium turmæ neque migrare neque se libere movere possint, ita ut periculum sit, nonnullæ species ne pereant. Aliæ sunt optiones quæ harum industriarum affectionem saltem imminuant, ut biologica curricula facienda, sed in paucis Nationibus huic curæ ac diligentiæ prospicitur. Quum aliquæ species mercatoria ratione adhibentur, non semper earum modus incrementum capiendi affectatur, ut ipsarum nimia imminutio vitetur, quæ exinde œcosystematis æquilibrium conturbet. | In assessing the environmental impact of any project, concern is usually shown for its effects on soil, water and air, yet few careful studies are made of its impact on biodiversity, as if the loss of species or animals and plant groups were of little importance. Highways, new plantations, the fencing-off of certain areas, the damming of water sources, and similar developments, crowd out natural habitats and, at times, break them up in such a way that animal populations can no longer migrate or roam freely. As a result, some species face extinction. Alternatives exist which at least lessen the impact of these projects, like the creation of biological corridors, but few countries demonstrate such concern and foresight. Frequently, when certain species are exploited commercially, little attention is paid to studying their reproductive patterns in order to prevent their depletion and the consequent imbalance of the ecosystem. |
| 36 | Œcosystemata curanda postulant ut ultra proxima progrediatur intuitus, quia, quum œconomicum emolumentum citatum facileque tantum requiritur, nullius interest ea vere servare. At damnorum sumptus, quæ apportat illiberalis incuria, œconomico beneficio, quod obtineri potest, multo est major. Si de amissione vel aliquarum specierum damno agitur, de bonis loquimur, omnem computationem excedentibus. Quam ob rem testes possumus esse silentes gravissimarum inæqualitatum, quum quis magna beneficia obtinere vult, a reliqua hominum generatione, præsenti ac futura, maximam pro ambitus detrimento exigens impensam. | Caring for ecosystems demands far-sightedness, since no one looking for quick and easy profit is truly interested in their preservation. But the cost of the damage caused by such selfish lack of concern is much greater than the economic benefits to be obtained. Where certain species are destroyed or seriously harmed, the values involved are incalculable. We can be silent witnesses to terrible injustices if we think that we can obtain significant benefits by making the rest of humanity, present and future, pay the extremely high costs of environmental deterioration. |
| 37 | Nonnullæ Nationes in quibusdam locis plagisque servandis – quum in terra tum in oceanis – multum sunt progressæ ubi omne hominis opus inhibetur quominus eorum faciem immutet aut eorum primigeniam constitutionem deformet. In biodiversitate curanda, periti de necessitate attendunt peculiarem in modum loca colendi, specierum varietatibus prædita, illius loci specierum quæ sunt raræ vel efficaci tutela minus pollent. Sunt quidem loca quæ propter singulare suum pondus, quod ad mundi œcosystema attinet, peculiarem curam sibi vindicent, vel amplum habeant aquæ receptaculum ac sic alias vitæ formas inducant. | Some countries have made significant progress in establishing sanctuaries on land and in the oceans where any human intervention is prohibited which might modify their features or alter their original structures. In the protection of biodiversity, specialists insist on the need for particular attention to be shown to areas richer both in the number of species and in endemic, rare or less protected species. Certain places need greater protection because of their immense importance for the global ecosystem, or because they represent important water reserves and thus safeguard other forms of life. |
| 38 | Memoramus, exempli gratia, illos terrarum orbis pulmones, biodiversitate repletos, qui sunt Amazonia, nec non fluvialem Congi locum, vel magna aquarum glacierumque receptacula. Omnibus perlate patet horum locorum momentum, quod spectat ad totum orbem et futurum humanitatis tempus. Œcosystemata tropicarum silvarum biodiversitatem habent magna multiplicitate fruentem, quæ plane cognosci fere non potest, sed quum silvæ hæ uruntur aut ad nihilum reducuntur, ut sata easdem occupent, paucis annis innumeræ species amittuntur, aut eæ plagæ in aridas solitudines convertuntur. Attamen æqua ponderatio requiritur, quum his de locis agitur, quoniam ne ignorari quidem possunt prægrandia œconomica emolumenta internationalia quæ, sub ea curandi obtentu, in discrimen nationalem potestatem adducere possunt. Re quidem vera sunt “internationalia Amazoniæ proposita, quæ œconomicis emolumentis societatum transnationalium tantum inserviunt.”[24] Laudabile est studium internationalium institutionum civiliumque societatis institutorum, quæ populos concitant atque scienter cooperantur, etiam coërcitionis legitimis adhibitis instrumentis, ut omne regimen proprium et non transmittendum officium gerat loca servandi æque ac naturales opes propriæ Nationis, illicitis locorum exterarumque Nationum repulsis emolumentis. | Let us mention, for example, those richly biodiverse lungs of our planet which are the Amazon and the Congo basins, or the great aquifers and glaciers. We know how important these are for the entire earth and for the future of humanity. 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. A delicate balance has to be maintained when speaking about these places, for we cannot overlook the huge global economic interests which, under the guise of protecting them, can undermine the sovereignty of individual nations. In fact, there are “proposals to internationalize the Amazon, which only serve the economic interests of transnational corporations.”[24] We cannot fail to praise the commitment of international agencies and civil society organizations which draw public attention to these issues and offer critical cooperation, employing legitimate means of pressure, to ensure that each government carries out its proper and inalienable responsibility to preserve its country’s environment and natural resources, without capitulating to spurious local or international interests. |
| 39 | Ne herbæ quidem silvestres in silvarum locum per arbores suppositæ, quum plerumque de monocultura agatur, congruenter sunt inquisitæ. Revera biodiversitati graviter ipsa nocere potest, quæ novis insertis speciebus non est recepta. Uda quoque loca, quæ in sativa prædia immutantur, magnam biodiversitatem, quam habebant, amittunt. Quibusdam litoralibus locis magnæ sollicitudini est quod œcosystemata, mangroviis constituta, defecerunt. | The replacement of virgin forest with plantations of trees, usually monocultures, is rarely adequately analyzed. Yet this can seriously compromise a biodiversity which the new species being introduced does not accommodate. Similarly, wetlands converted into cultivated land lose the enormous biodiversity which they formerly hosted. In some coastal areas the disappearance of ecosystems sustained by mangrove swamps is a source of serious concern. |
| 40 | Oceani non modo in terrarum orbe majorem aquæ partem obtinent, sed amplæ varietatis viventium majorem partem, quorum multa sunt nobis incognita ac multiplices ob causas in discrimine versantur. Ceterum in fluminibus, lacubus oceanisque vita, quæ plerosque mundi populos alit, piscatus sine legibus captis copiis afficitur, qua de re aliquot species prorsus imminuentur. Adhuc seligendi piscatum mores augentur et continuantur, quam ob rem magna e parte species captæ pessum eunt. Peculiarem in modum viventia maris quæ prætermittimus in discrimen adducuntur, veluti quædam formæ quæ plancton vocantur, quæque in alimentorum maris serie magni momenti partem sustinent, e quibus tandem pendent species quas victus causa adhibet homo. | Oceans not only contain the bulk of our planet’s water supply, but also most of the immense variety of living creatures, many of them still unknown to us and threatened for various reasons. What is more, marine life in rivers, lakes, seas and oceans, which feeds a great part of the world’s population, is affected by uncontrolled fishing, leading to a drastic depletion of certain species. Selective forms of fishing which discard much of what they collect continue unabated. Particularly threatened are marine organisms which we tend to overlook, like some forms of plankton; they represent a significant element in the ocean food chain, and species used for our food ultimately depend on them. |
| 41 | Si quidem tropica subtropicaque maria consideramus, corallica sæpta reperimus, quæ æquantur magnis terrarum silvis, quoniam propemodum decies centena milia specierum in se recipiunt, scilicet pisces, cancros, conchylia, spongias, algas. Multa orbis corallica sæpta hodie sunt sterilia seu continenter imminuuntur: “Quis mira hæc maris loca in cœmeteria subaquanea commutavit, vita coloreque destituta?.”[25] Quod magna e parte inquinatio efficit, quæ ad mare pervenit veluti effectus silvarum exactarum, agri monoculturarum, industriæ ejectamentorum atque rationum damnose piscandi, earum potissimum quæ cyanido atque dynamitide utuntur. Id gravius evenit eo quod oceanorum calor est auctus. Hæc omnia nos juvant ut intellegamus quidquid de natura agatur quædam importare consectaria posse, quæ aspectu primo non animadvertimus, atque aliquæ abusus opum formæ per quædam detrimenta obtinentur quæ ima oceanorum attingunt. | In tropical and subtropical seas, we find coral reefs comparable to the great forests on dry land, for they shelter approximately a million species, including fish, crabs, molluscs, sponges and algae. Many of the world’s coral reefs are already barren or in a state of constant decline. “Who turned the wonderworld of the seas into underwater cemeteries bereft of color and life?”[25] This phenomenon is due largely to pollution which reaches the sea as the result of deforestation, agricultural monocultures, industrial waste and destructive fishing methods, especially those using cyanide and dynamite. It is aggravated by the rise in temperature of the oceans. All of this helps us to see that every intervention in nature can have consequences which are not immediately evident, and that certain ways of exploiting resources prove costly in terms of degradation which ultimately reaches the ocean bed itself. |
| 42 | Necesse quidem est plus opum in inquisitione impendere, quo melius intellegatur quomodo agant œcosystemata utque congruenter diversæ varietates ponderentur quæ afficiant et quomodocunque commutent graviter ambitum. Quoniam creaturæ cognatione quadam inter se continentur, unaquæque affectu admirationeque est ponderanda, et nos omnes, quippe qui creati simus, alii aliis indigemus. Singula loca officio tenentur hanc familiam custodiendi, idcirco diligentem indicem oportet faciant specierum quas habent, ut proposita et rationes tuitionis apparentur, dum cura in interituris speciebus potissimum adhibetur. | Greater investment needs to be made in research aimed at understanding more fully the functioning of ecosystems and adequately analyzing the different variables associated with any significant modification of the environment. Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another. Each area is responsible for the care of this family. This will require undertaking a careful inventory of the species which it hosts, with a view to developing programmes and strategies of protection with particular care for safeguarding species heading towards extinction. |
| IV. HUMANÆ VITÆ QUALITATIS PRAVITAS ET SOCIALE DETRIMENTUM | IV. DECLINE IN THE QUALITY OF HUMAN LIFE AND THE BREAKDOWN OF SOCIETY | |
| 43 | Si consideramus hominem quoque hujus mundi creaturam esse, quæ jus habet vivendi felicitateque fruendi, et præterea peculiari dignitate pollere, facere non possumus quin effectus ambitalis detrimenti, hodierni modi progressionis atque detractionis cultus in personarum vita respiciamus. | Human beings too are creatures of this world, enjoying a right to life and happiness, and endowed with unique dignity. So we cannot fail to consider the effects on people’s lives of environmental deterioration, current models of development and the throwaway culture. |
| 44 | Conspicimus hodie, exempli gratia, immoderate inordinateque crevisse multas urbes, ubi salubriter homines vivere non possunt, non modo propter contaminationem, emissionibus venenatis effectam, verum etiam ob urbanas perturbationes, commeatus difficultates atque visus auditusque inquinationem. Multæ urbes magnæ sunt structuræ quæ suo non funguntur munere, quæque immoderate aquam vimque insumunt. Sunt suburbia quæ, licet sint nuper ædificata, sunt referta et inordinata, sufficientibus locis viridibus carentia. Non est incolarum hujus terrarum orbis vivere, lithocolla, bitumine, vitro et metallis opprimentibus, sine conjunctione physica cum natura. | Nowadays, for example, we are conscious of the disproportionate and unruly growth of many cities, which have become unhealthy to live in, not only because of pollution caused by toxic emissions but also as a result of urban chaos, poor transportation, and visual pollution and noise. Many cities are huge, inefficient structures, excessively wasteful of energy and water. Neighborhoods, even those recently built, are congested, chaotic and lacking in sufficient green space. We were not meant to be inundated by cement, asphalt, glass and metal, and deprived of physical contact with nature. |
| 45 | Quibusdam in agrestibus urbanisque locis, quædam spatia ad privatam administrationem translata effecerunt ut cives difficulter ad regiones singularis pulchritudinis accedere possent; alibi regiones urbis habitabiles creatæ sunt “œcologicæ,” paucis solummodo addictæ, ubi cavetur ne alii intrent facticiam quietem perturbaturi. Sæpe venusta urbs reperitur, viriditate præter modum vestita quibusdam in locis “securis,” at non æquabiliter aliis in locis minus conspicuis, ubi incolunt e societate depulsi. | In some places, rural and urban alike, the privatization of certain spaces has restricted people’s access to places of particular beauty. In others, “ecological” neighborhoods have been created which are closed to outsiders in order to ensure an artificial tranquillity. Frequently, we find beautiful and carefully manicured green spaces in so-called “safer” areas of cities, but not in the more hidden areas where the disposable of society live. |
| 46 | Inter socialia elementa mundi commutationis annumerantur effectus artis agendæ nonnullorum technologicorum inventorum, socialis interdictio, iniqua copia ususque virium aliarumque commoditatum, socialis concisio, aucta violentia et novæ formæ socialis aggressionis, narcoticus mercatus atque creber usus inter juniores medicamentorum stupefactivorum, identitatis amissio. Signa sunt inter cetera quæ ostendunt incrementum in superioribus duobus sæculis verum integrumque progressum melioremque vitæ qualitatem omnibus e partibus minime induxisse. Quædam ex his signis eodem tempore veri socialis detrimenti, silentis fracturæ vinculorum compositionis socialisque communionis sunt indicia. | The social dimensions of global change include the effects of technological innovations on employment, social exclusion, an inequitable distribution and consumption of energy and other services, social breakdown, increased violence and a rise in new forms of social aggression, drug trafficking, growing drug use by young people, and the loss of identity. These are signs that the growth of the past two centuries has not always led to an integral development and an improvement in the quality of life. Some of these signs are also symptomatic of real social decline, the silent rupture of the bonds of integration and social cohesion. |
| 47 | Huic adduntur communicationis socialis instrumentorum digitalis provinciæ vires, quæ quum ubique assunt, progressioni non favent facultatis prudenter vivendi, alte cogitandi, studiose amandi. Insignes pristini sapientes, hac in re, in periculum venirent ne dissipanti e strepitu notitiarum eorum sapientia exstingueretur. Hoc a nobis conatum postulat ut talia instrumenta in novam culturæ humanitatis progressionem et non in detrimentum ejus altiorum divitiarum demutentur. Germana sapientia, cogitationis, dialogi liberalisque personarum conventionis fructus, per meram elementorum acervationem non obtinetur, unde saturatio eveniat et confusio, in quadam mentis contaminatione. Eadem opera realium cum aliis necessitudinum in locum, una cum cunctis additis provocationibus, aliud communicationis genus, per interrete factum, subditur. Hoc sinit ut nostro arbitratu seligantur aut deleantur necessitudines, atque sic animi commotionum facticiarum novum genus sæpenumero gignitur, quæ magis ad apparatus electronicos quam ad personas naturamque attinent. Hodierna instrumenta permittunt ut cognitiones affectusque nos invicem communicemus ac participemus. Attamen interdum etiam impediunt quominus angorem, tremorem, lætitiam alterius, una cum ipsius complicata personæ experientia, directo attingamus. Quapropter minime mirum debet videri, una cum proventibus petulanter præbitis, augeri in necessitudinibus inter personas altam mæstamque displicentiam, aut noxiam solitudinem. | Furthermore, when media and the digital world become omnipresent, their influence can stop people from learning how to live wisely, to think deeply and to love generously. In this context, the great sages of the past run the risk of going unheard amid the noise and distractions of an information overload. Efforts need to be made to help these media become sources of new cultural progress for humanity and not a threat to our deepest riches. True wisdom, as the fruit of self-examination, dialogue and generous encounter between persons, is not acquired by a mere accumulation of data which eventually leads to overload and confusion, a sort of mental pollution. Real relationships with others, with all the challenges they entail, now tend to be replaced by a type of internet communication which enables us to choose or eliminate relationships at whim, thus giving rise to a new type of contrived emotion which has more to do with devices and displays than with other people and with nature. Today’s media do enable us to communicate and to share our knowledge and affections. Yet at times they also shield us from direct contact with the pain, the fears and the joys of others and the complexity of their personal experiences. For this reason, we should be concerned that, alongside the exciting possibilities offered by these media, a deep and melancholic dissatisfaction with interpersonal relations, or a harmful sense of isolation, can also arise. |
| V. MUNDANA INÆQUALITAS | V. GLOBAL INEQUALITY | |
| 48 | Humanus naturalisque ambitus una simul detrimentum patiuntur atque de ambitus detrimento congruenter agere nequimus nisi causas consideraverimus, quæ ad humanum socialeque detrimentum spectant. Re quidem vera ambitus societatisque detrimentum peculiariter debiliores orbis terrarum afficit: "Quum communis ordinariæ vitæ experientia, tum scientifica inquisitio planum faciunt graviores effectus omnium ambitus aggressionum pauperiores gentes afficere.”[26] Exempli gratia, consumpta piscium copia potissimum eos afficit qui propria navicula victum quæritant, qui alio modo obtineri non potest; aquæ pollutio præsertim pauperiores contingit, qui aquam in lagœnis servatam emere non possunt; atque maris aucta aqua peculiarem in modum gentes maritimas afficit pauperes factas, quibus facultas non est alio eundi. Hodiernarum inæqualitatum affectio manifestatur in immaturo quoque interitu multorum pauperum, in contentionibus quæ deficientibus opibus excitantur nec non in compluribus aliis difficultatibus quæ non satis in mundi rebus agendis reperiuntur.[27] | The human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together; we cannot adequately combat environmental degradation unless we attend to causes related to human and social degradation. In fact, the deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people on the planet: “Both everyday experience and scientific research show that the gravest effects of all attacks on the environment are suffered by the poorest.”[26] For example, the depletion of fishing reserves especially hurts small fishing communities without the means to replace those resources; water pollution particularly affects the poor who cannot buy bottled water; and rises in the sea level mainly affect impoverished coastal populations who have nowhere else to go. The impact of present imbalances is also seen in the premature death of many of the poor, in conflicts sparked by the shortage of resources, and in any number of other problems which are insufficiently represented on global agendas.[27] |
| 49 | Considerare volumus sæpe perspicuam abesse conscientiam quæstionum quæ distractos præcipue occupant. Majorem partem ipsi designant terrarum orbis, innumeræ quidem personæ. De quibus hodie in politicis œconomicisque internationalibus disputationibus agitur, sed plerumque eorum difficultates quædam esse appendix videntur, quæstio quidem, quæ fere ex officio aut leviter tractatur, nisi si merum “damnum finitimum” ipsæ considerantur. Enimvero quum re fieri debent, sæpenumero novissimum locum obtinent. Hoc accidit quod artem exercentes, publicæ opinionis relatores, communicationis instrumenta et dicionum sedes procul ab eis reperiuntur, in segregatis urbium locis, eorum quæstionibus haud proxime perspectis. Vivunt et ratiocinantur a commoditate sumentes initium cujusdam progressionis vitæque qualitatis, quæ majori mundi parti populorum præsto non sunt. Eo quod physica contagio et conventio desunt, quibus interdum nostrarum urbium dissolutio favet, id conscientiam inurere ac realitatis partem per fragmentarias inquisitiones neglegere juvat. Id nonnunquam cum “viridi” sermone nectitur. Attamen hodie facere non possumus quin agnoscamus verum œcologicum propositum semper fieri sociale propositum, quod in disputationibus de ambitu justitiam complecti debet, ut tam terræ clamor quam clamor pauperum audiatur. | It needs to be said that, generally speaking, there is little in the way of clear awareness of problems which especially affect the excluded. Yet they are the majority of the planet’s population, billions of people. These days, they are mentioned in international political and economic discussions, but one often has the impression that their problems are brought up as an afterthought, a question which gets added almost out of duty or in a tangential way, if not treated merely as collateral damage. Indeed, when all is said and done, they frequently remain at the bottom of the pile. This is due partly to the fact that many professionals, opinion makers, communications media and centres of power, being located in affluent urban areas, are far removed from the poor, with little direct contact with their problems. They live and reason from the comfortable position of a high level of development and a quality of life well beyond the reach of the majority of the world’s population. This lack of physical contact and encounter, encouraged at times by the disintegration of our cities, can lead to a numbing of conscience and to tendentious analyses which neglect parts of reality. At times this attitude exists side by side with a “green” rhetoric. Today, however, we have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. |
| 50 | Potius quam pauperum negotia agant et de mundo diverso cogitent, nonnulli tantummodo de imminuendo natorum numero sollicitantur. Nec desunt internationales conatus in Nationes ad prosperitatem progredientes, qui œconomica subsidia quibusdam politicis actionibus “procreationis salutis” subdunt. Attamen “si quidem verum est populos opesque quæ præsto sunt inæquabiliter distributa progressioni tolerabilique ambitus usui obstare, agnoscendum est populorum incrementum cum integro solidalique progressu plane conjungi posse.”[28] Si populorum incrementum et non rerum consumendarum extrema selectaque nonnullorum immoderatio arguitur, id agitur ut quæstio non dissolvatur. Sic volunt hodiernam distribuendi rationem ratam habere, qua minor pars sibi jus vindicat quadam e mensura consumendi, quæ ad omnes transferri non potest, quum terrarum orbis talis consumptionis ne ejectamenta quidem continere possit. Præterea novimus tertiam fere alimentorum confectorum partem pessumdari, atque “egestus cibus veluti pauperum e mensa detractus consideratur.”[29] Quidquid est, certum est in populis secundum regiones distribuendis inæqualitatem esse considerandam, sive pro nationibus sive pro toto mundo, quandoquidem aucta consumptio implicatas regionum condiciones fert, propter quæstionum conjunctionem quæ cum ambitali contaminatione, vecturis, ejectamentis elaborandis, opibus amissis, vitæ qualitate nectuntur. | Instead of resolving the problems of the poor and thinking of how the world can be different, some can only propose a reduction in the birth rate. At times, developing countries face forms of international pressure which make economic assistance contingent on certain policies of “reproductive health.” Yet “while it is true that an unequal distribution of the population and of available resources creates obstacles to development and a sustainable use of the environment, it must nonetheless be recognized that demographic growth is fully compatible with an integral and shared development.”[28] 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 is an attempt to legitimize the present model of distribution, where a minority believes that it has the right to consume in a way which can never be universalized, since the planet could not even contain the waste products of such consumption. Besides, we know that approximately a third of all food produced is discarded, and “whenever food is thrown out it is as if it were stolen from the table of the poor.”[29] Still, attention needs to be paid to imbalances in population density, on both national and global levels, since a rise in consumption would lead to complex regional situations, as a result of the interplay between problems linked to environmental pollution, transport, waste treatment, loss of resources and quality of life. |
| 51 | Inæqualitas non modo singulos homines afficit, verum etiam integras Nationes, atque impellit ad ethicam internationalium relationum cogitandam. Adest enim verum “œcologicum debitum,” potissimum inter septentrionalem et meridianam orbis partem, quod cum perturbationibus mercatus œcologicum ambitum deformantibus, nec non cum inæquli naturalium usu opum sociatur, quibus nonnullæ Nationes historice fruuntur. Quædam evectæ naturales materiæ primariæ, quæ dicuntur, ut mercatibus septentrionalium Nationum, industriis pollentium, satisfieret, locis damna apportarunt, sicut contaminationem hydrargyrio auri in fodinis vel in ærariis fodinis dioxido sulphuris. Peculiarem in modum ambitalis spatii usus est ponderandus in toto orbe terrarum, ad ejectamenta gasiosa deponenda, quæ superioribus duobus sæculis sunt acervata atque condiciones quasdam induxerunt, quæ nunc omnes mundi Nationes afficiunt. Calefactio, quam immanis nonnullarum divitum Nationum consumptio concepit, pauperiora terræ loca afficit, in Africa potissimum, ubi calor auctus una cum siccitate valde pernicioseque culturæ proventibus nocet. Huic damna adduntur quæ dant solida fluxaque venenata ejectamenta in Nationes ad prosperitatem progredientes allata nec non polluens industria societatum, quæ in Nationibus minus progredientibus operantur, quod facere non possunt in Nationibus quæ opes capitales præbent: “Animadvertimus societates sic operantes sæpe esse multinationales, quæ hic faciunt quod in Nationibus progressis vel in primo mundo, qui dicitur, agere non sinuntur. Plerumque quum ab opere cessant et de loco decedunt, gravia hominum ambitusque damna relinquunt, ut laboris vacuitatem, vicos sine vita, nonnullas naturales copias exhaustas, silvas excisas, agriculturam locique pastionem ad inopiam redactas, crateres, colles absumptos, flumina polluta et nonnullas sociales operas, quæ sustineri jam non possunt.”[30] | Inequity affects not only individuals but entire countries; it compels us to consider an ethics of international relations. A true “ecological debt” exists, particularly between the global north and south, connected to commercial imbalances with effects on the environment, and the disproportionate use of natural resources by certain countries over long periods of time. The export of raw materials to satisfy markets in the industrialized north has caused harm locally, as for example in mercury pollution in gold mining or sulphur dioxide pollution in copper mining. There is a pressing need to calculate the use of environmental space throughout the world for depositing gas residues which have been accumulating for two centuries and have created a situation which currently affects all the countries of the world. The warming caused by huge consumption on the part of some rich countries has repercussions on the poorest areas of the world, especially Africa, where a rise in temperature, together with drought, has proved devastating for farming. There is also the damage caused by the export of solid waste and toxic liquids to developing countries, and by the pollution produced by companies which operate in less developed countries in ways they could never do at home, in the countries in which they raise their capital: “We note that often the businesses which operate this way are multinationals. They do here what they would never do in developed countries or the so-called first world. Generally, after ceasing their activity and withdrawing, they leave behind great human and environmental liabilities such as unemployment, abandoned towns, the depletion of natural reserves, deforestation, the impoverishment of agriculture and local stock breeding, open pits, riven hills, polluted rivers and a handful of social works which are no longer sustainable.”[30] |
| 52 | Debitum exterum pauperum Nationum instrumentum factum est inspectionis, sed idem de œcologico debito non fit. Multifarie populi ad prosperitatem progredientes, ubi ampliores biosphæræ reperiuntur copiæ, juvare pergunt ditiorum Nationum progressionem, sui præsentis futurique temporis impendio. Terra pauperum meridianæ partis dives est et parum contaminata, sed proprietatis bonorum copiarumque occupatio, ut eorum vitæ necessitatibus subveniatur, propter systema perverse confectum vinculorum commercialium et proprietatis prohibetur. Nationes progressæ oportet partes agant, ut hoc debitum solvatur, magna e parte vim non renovabilem insumptam minuentes et subsidia in indigentiores Nationes conferentes, ad politicas actiones progressionisque tolerabilis incepta sustinenda. Regiones pauperioresque Nationes in novis rationibus de impactione ambitali minuenda suscipiendis minus possunt, quandoquidem institutione carent ad necessarios processus augendos et sumptus suggerere non valent. Quocirca probe conscii esse debemus in demutato climatis statu variatas responsalitates dari atque, quemadmodum Fœderatarum Civitatum Americæ Septentrionalis Episcopi edixerunt, oportere “potissimum de pauperum, debilium, injuriæ obnoxiorum necessitatibus agere, disputatione inducta, in qua potentiora negotia dominantur.”[31] Conscientiam roborare debemus nos unam esse hominum familiam. Fines non sunt neque politica socialiave sæpimenta quæ patiuntur nos segregari, ideoque ne locus quidem est neglegentiæ globalizationis. | The foreign debt of poor countries has become a way of controlling them, yet this is not the case where ecological debt is concerned. In different ways, developing countries, where the most important reserves of the biosphere are found, continue to fuel the development of richer countries at the cost of their own present and future. The land of the southern poor is rich and mostly unpolluted, yet access to ownership of goods and resources for meeting vital needs is inhibited by a system of commercial relations and ownership which is structurally perverse. The developed countries ought to help pay this debt by significantly limiting their consumption of non-renewable energy and by assisting poorer countries to support policies and programmes of sustainable development. The poorest areas and countries are less capable of adopting new models for reducing environmental impact because they lack the wherewithal to develop the necessary processes and to cover their costs. We must continue to be aware that, regarding climate change, there are differentiated responsibilities. As the United States bishops have said, greater attention must be given to “the needs of the poor, the weak and the vulnerable, in a debate often dominated by more powerful interests.”[31] We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family. There are no frontiers or barriers, political or social, behind which we can hide, still less is there room for the globalization of indifference. |
| VI. RESPONSIONUM DEBILITAS | VI. WEAK RESPONSES | |
| 53 | Terræ sororis gemitum hæ exprimunt condiciones, qui cum mundi desertorum gemitibus jungitur, per lamentationem quandam quæ a nobis ut iter mutemus postulat. Nunquam ut superioribus duobus sæculis nostram communem domum vexavimus læsimusque. Instrumentorum autem Dei Patris ad tuendas partes vocamur, ut noster terrarum orbis is sit quem Ipse creando optavit sitque pacis, pulchritudinis plenitudinisque ejus proposito congruus. Hoc nimirum illud est quod nos necessaria cultura caremus ut huic discrimini occurramus atque oportet principatus instituere, qui vias demonstrent, necessitatibus subvenientes hodiernarum generationum, omnibus ascriptis, nullo futuris generationibus importato detrimento. Necessarium prorsus est legum ordinem instituere qui insuperabiles fines complectatur atque œcosystemata tueatur, antequam novæ dominatus formæ, quas exemplar technicum œconomicumque constituat, non modo rem politicam, verum etiam libertatem justitiamque ad nihilum redigant. | These situations have caused sister earth, along with all the abandoned of our world, to cry out, pleading that we take another course. Never have we so hurt and mistreated our common home as we have in the last two hundred years. Yet we are called to be instruments of God our Father, so that our planet might be what he desired when he created it and correspond with his plan for peace, beauty and fullness. The problem is that we still lack the culture needed to confront this crisis. We lack leadership capable of striking out on new paths and meeting the needs of the present with concern for all and without prejudice towards coming generations. The establishment of a legal framework which can set clear boundaries and ensure the protection of ecosystems has become indispensable; otherwise, the new power structures based on the techno-economic paradigm may overwhelm not only our politics but also freedom and justice. |
| 54 | Digna quæ notetur est debilitas politicæ actionis internationalis. Quod res politica in servitutem redigitur technologiæ reique nummariæ, id dissolutæ mundanæ de ambitu Congressiones ostendunt. Immodica sunt peculiaria lucra, atque œconomicum lucrum communi bono facillime antecedit atque nuntios corrumpit, ne sua proposita peti conspiciat. Hoc rerum in contextu Documentum Apparitiopolitanum requirit “ut ne in naturalibus opibus tractandis prævaleant cœtuum œconomicorum emolumenta, quæ irrationabiliter vitæ delent fontes.”[32] Inter œconomiam et technologiam fœdus omnia exterminat quæ ad eorum proxima lucra non pertinent. Sic quædam tantum leves declarationes prospectantur, philanthropici singulares actus, et etiam conatus ad affectionem erga ambitum demonstrandam, dum reapse quodcunque socialium institutionum de rebus mutandis inceptum molestum conspicietur a lepidis somniatoribus susceptum vel impedimentum putatur tollendum. | It is remarkable how weak international political responses have been. The failure of global summits on the environment make it plain that our politics are subject to technology and finance. There are too many special interests, and economic interests easily end up trumping the common good and manipulating information so that their own plans will not be affected. The Aparecida Document urges that “the interests of economic groups which irrationally demolish sources of life should not prevail in dealing with natural resources.”[32] The alliance between the economy and technology ends up sidelining anything unrelated to its immediate interests. Consequently the most one can expect is superficial rhetoric, sporadic acts of philanthropy and perfunctory expressions of concern for the environment, whereas any genuine attempt by groups within society to introduce change is viewed as a nuisance based on romantic illusions or an obstacle to be circumvented. |
| 55 | Nonnullæ Nationes paulatim magni ponderis præ se ferre possunt progressiones, auctas inspectiones efficaciores atque adversus corruptionem apertiorem dimicationem. Apud populos œcologicus sensus major est, etiamsi non sufficit, ut perniciosi mores immodice consumendi mutentur, qui auferri non videntur, sed potius amplificari augerique. Quod accidit, ut unum tantum supponamus exemplum, per crebrum augescentemque usum atque vim instrumentorum aëri temperando: mercatus, quippe qui subitaneum beneficium persequantur, plus plusque quæsita concitant. Si quis extrarius mundi societatem inspiceret, præ tali agendi ratione obstupesceret, quæ nonnunquam sui videtur interemptrix. | Some countries are gradually making significant progress, developing more effective controls and working to combat corruption. People may well have a growing ecological sensitivity but it has not succeeded in changing their harmful habits of consumption which, rather than decreasing, appear to be growing all the more. A simple example is the increasing use and power of air-conditioning. The markets, which immediately benefit from sales, stimulate ever greater demand. An outsider looking at our world would be amazed at such behavior, which at times appears self-destructive. |
| 56 | Interea œconomicæ potestates præsentem mundi ordinem comprobare pergunt, in quo prævalent quæstus studium nec non quæsitum lucrum nummarium, quæ omnia constituta et in humana dignitate ambituque effectus ignorant. Sic manifestatur ambitale detrimentum et humanum moraleque detrimentum artum communeque habere vinculum. Multi dicent eos conscios non esse se immoralia patrare, quia perpetua mentis aberratio animum adimit angusti finitique mundi realitatem considerandi. Hac de causa hodie “quidquid est imbecillum, ut ambitus, immunitum manet, commodis consideratis consecrati mercatus, quæ in absolutam regulam sunt conversa.”[33] | In the meantime, economic powers continue to justify the current global system where priority tends to be given to speculation and the pursuit of financial gain, which fail to take the context into account, let alone the effects on human dignity and the natural environment. Here we see how environmental deterioration and human and ethical degradation are closely linked. Many people will deny doing anything wrong because distractions constantly dull our consciousness of just how limited and finite our world really is. As a result, “whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenceless before the interests of a deified market, which become the only rule.”[33] |
| 57 | Id provideri potest, coram nonnullis interituris opibus, scænam quandam comparari, nova bella prospectantem, quæ nobilibus expostulationibus teguntur. Bellum semper gravia damna ad ambitum culturalesque populorum divitias affert, atque pericula permagna fiunt, quum de atomicis biologicisque armis agitur. Etenim “quamvis internationalia fœdera chemicum, bacteriologicum ac biologicum bellum prohibeant, apertum est in laboratoriis inquisitionem produci ad nova arma, lædendo apta, reperienda, quæ facultate polleant naturales mutandi æquabilitates.”[34] Illud requiritur ut politica actio studiosius in arcendas solvendasque causas convertatur, quæ novas contentiones parere possunt. Sed potestas quæ cum re nummaria sociatur, magis huic conatui renititur, atque politica proposita carent sæpenumero consiliorum amplitudine. Cur hodie potestas servatur, quæ memoria tenebitur propter ejus agendi inhabilitatem, instante illud faciendi properatione necessitateque? | It is foreseeable that, once certain resources have been depleted, the scene will be set for new wars, albeit under the guise of noble claims. War always does grave harm to the environment and to the cultural riches of peoples, risks which are magnified when one considers nuclear arms and biological weapons. “Despite the international agreements which prohibit chemical, bacteriological and biological warfare, the fact is that laboratory research continues to develop new offensive weapons capable of altering the balance of nature.”[34] Politics must pay greater attention to foreseeing new conflicts and addressing the causes which can lead to them. But powerful financial interests prove most resistant to this effort, and political planning tends to lack breadth of vision. What would induce anyone, at this stage, to hold on to power only to be remembered for their inability to take action when it was urgent and necessary to do so? |
| 58 | Quibusdam in Nationibus probanda exstant exempla, quæ ad progressus in ambitu restituendo spectant, quæ sunt nonnulla flumina mundata, tot per decennia corrupta, silvæ autochthonæ recuperatæ, vel prospectus ambitalis restitutionis operibus exculti, vel ædificiorum incepta magnæ pulchritudinis, progressus in munda energia comparanda, publicus commeatus melior factus. Hæc quæ aguntur universales quæstiones non solvunt, sed confirmant hominem suam posse probabiliter præstare operam. Ut amet quum creatus sit, intra ejus limites necessario liberalitatis, solidarietatis curæque florent actus. | In some countries, there are positive examples of environmental improvement: rivers, polluted for decades, have been cleaned up; native woodlands have been restored; landscapes have been beautified thanks to environmental renewal projects; beautiful buildings have been erected; advances have been made in the production of non-polluting energy and in the improvement of public transportation. These achievements do not solve global problems, but they do show that men and women are still capable of intervening positively. For all our limitations, gestures of generosity, solidarity and care cannot but well up within us, since we were made for love. |
| 59 | Eodem tempore levis vanave quædam adolescit œcologia, quæ torporem quendam et temerariam responsalitatem roborat. Ut crebro temporibus magno distinctis discrimine accidit, quæ audacia requirunt consilia, arbitramur accidentia certa non esse. Si leviter respicimus, præter quædam conspicua contaminationis detrimentique indicia, res haud tam graves esse videntur terrarumque orbis perdiu in hodiernis condicionibus manere posse. Dubius hic mos nobis commodo est, ut vivendi, faciendi consumendique consuetudines servemus. Ratio quidem hæc est qua homo sese accommodat ad omnia vitia sui ipsius eversionis pascenda, eadem dissimulans, non agnoscens, gravia consilia procrastinans eaque pro nihilo reputans. | At the same time we can note the rise of a false or superficial ecology which bolsters complacency and a cheerful recklessness. As often occurs in periods of deep crisis which require bold decisions, we are tempted to think that what is happening is not entirely clear. Superficially, apart from a few obvious signs of pollution and deterioration, things do not look that serious, and the planet could continue as it is for some time. Such evasiveness serves as a licence to carrying on with our present lifestyles and models of production and consumption. This is the way human beings contrive to feed their self-destructive vices: trying not to see them, trying not to acknowledge them, delaying the important decisions and pretending that nothing will happen. |
| VII. OPINIONUM DIVERSITAS | VII. A VARIETY OF OPINIONS | |
| 60 | Agnoscimus tandem varias opiniones et cogitationis genera de condicione deque inceptis suscipiendis exstitisse. Hinc progressus fabellam nonnulli quacunque ratione tuentur, atque autumant œcologicas quæstiones per nova technica tantum expediri instrumenta, sublatis ethicis considerationibus necessariisque omnino mutationibus. Illinc quidam arbitrantur hominem, quovis suo opere, unum minari et œcosystema mundanum in periculum adducere posse, convenit ideo ut ejus in terrarum orbe præsentia minuatur ejusdemque opus cujuscunque generis impediatur. Intra utrumque finem futuri prospectus, qui fieri possunt, sunt considerandi, quia non una tantum datur solutionis ratio. Hoc ipsum complura adjumenta præberet, quæ cum integris inceptis conjungi possent. | Finally, we need to acknowledge that different approaches and lines of thought have emerged regarding this situation and its possible solutions. At one extreme, we find those who doggedly uphold the myth of progress and tell us that ecological problems will solve themselves simply with the application of new technology and without any need for ethical considerations or deep change. At the other extreme are those who view men and women and all their interventions as no more than a threat, jeopardizing the global ecosystem, and consequently the presence of human beings on the planet should be reduced and all forms of intervention prohibited. Viable future scenarios will have to be generated between these extremes, since there is no one path to a solution. This makes a variety of proposals possible, all capable of entering into dialogue with a view to developing comprehensive solutions. |
| 61 | Multis de finitis quæstionibus Ecclesia nihil habet definiti quod suadeat atque intellegit meditatam disputationem esse auscultandam promovendamque inter scientiæ cultores, variis opinationibus observatis. Sufficit autem sincere realitatem conspicere ut cernamus magnum nostræ domus communis detrimentum. Spes nobis suadet ut agnoscamus semper aliquod esse effugium, cursum semper nos mutare posse, ad negotia expedienda aliquid nos efficere posse. Procul dubio extremi discriminis conspici videntur indicia, propter magnam mutationum detrimentique celeritatem, quæ tum in naturæ ruinis apud quasdam regiones, tum in socialibus vel etiam nummariis discriminibus manifestantur, quum mundi quæstiones neque ponderari neque explicari sejunctim possint. Sunt regiones quæ singulariter in discrimine versentur et, præter magnam quamlibet provisam perniciem, certum est præsentem mundi ordinem multis e partibus sustineri non posse, quia de finibus humanorum actuum cogitare desiimus: “Si intuitus regiones decurrit nostri orbis, statim animadvertitur humanum genus decepisse divinas exspectationes.”[35] | On many concrete questions, the Church has no reason to offer a definitive opinion; she knows that honest debate must be encouraged among experts, while respecting divergent views. But we need only take a frank look at the facts to see that our common home is falling into serious disrepair. Hope would have us recognize that there is always a way out, that we can always redirect our steps, that we can always do something to solve our problems. Still, we can see signs that things are now reaching a breaking point, due to the rapid pace of change and degradation; these are evident in large-scale natural disasters as well as social and even financial crises, for the world’s problems cannot be analyzed or explained in isolation. There are regions now at high risk and, aside from all doomsday predictions, the present world system is certainly unsustainable from a number of points of view, for we have stopped thinking about the goals of human activity. “If we scan the regions of our planet, we immediately see that humanity has disappointed God’s expectations.”[35] |
| CREATIONIS EVANGELIUM | CHAPTER TWO THE GOSPEL OF CREATION | |
| 62 | Quid, quod huic documento, bonæ voluntatis hominibus converso, capitulum de fidei persuasionibus additur? Conscii sumus in rei politicæ opinionumque provincia quosdam Creatoris cogitationem prorsus respuere, aut eam nullius momenti putare, ita ut ad irrationalia divitias referant, quas religiones præbere possint integræ œcologiæ plenoque profectui humani generis. Alias ipsæ ad secundæ notæ culturam pertinere putantur, quæ tantum tolerari debet. Attamen scientia ac religio, quæ varia ratione realitatem attingunt, crebrum et utrique frugiferum dialogum instituere possunt. | Why should this document, addressed to all people of good will, include a chapter dealing with the convictions of believers? I am well aware that in the areas of politics and philosophy there are those who firmly reject the idea of a Creator, or consider it irrelevant, and consequently dismiss as irrational the rich contribution which religions can make towards an integral ecology and the full development of humanity. Others view religions simply as a subculture to be tolerated. Nonetheless, science and religion, with their distinctive approaches to understanding reality, can enter into an intense dialogue fruitful for both. |
| I. LUX FIDE OBLATA | I. THE LIGHT OFFERED BY FAITH | |
| 63 | Si œcologici discriminis ejusque multiplicium causarum implicationem perpendimus, agnoscere debemus una ratione interpretandi realitatemque transformandi eam solvi non posse. Oportet præterea variæ culturales populorum divitiæ, artes ac poësis, interior vita ac spiritalitas adhibeantur. Si utique œcologiam vere ædificare volumus, quæ omnia deleta restituere sinat, tum nullum scientiarum genus nullaque prudentiæ forma est neglegenda, ne religiosa quidem per propriam indolem. Catholica præterea Ecclesia philosophicæ provinciæ dialogo patet, atque id sinit ut inter fidem et rationem varia compendia comparentur. Quod ad sociales quæstiones attinet, id in progredienti doctrina sociali Ecclesiæ reperiri potest, quæ novis concertationibus magis magisque ad se locupletandam vocatur. | Given the complexity of the ecological crisis and its multiple causes, we need to realize that the solutions will not emerge from just one way of interpreting and transforming reality. Respect must also be shown for the various cultural riches of different peoples, their art and poetry, their interior life and spirituality. If we are truly concerned to develop an ecology capable of remedying the damage we have done, no branch of the sciences and no form of wisdom can be left out, and that includes religion and the language particular to it. The Catholic Church is open to dialogue with philosophical thought; this has enabled her to produce various syntheses between faith and reason. The development of the Church’s social teaching represents such a synthesis with regard to social issues; this teaching is called to be enriched by taking up new challenges. |
| 64 | Ceterum, etiamsi hæ Litteræ encyclicæ cum omnibus dialogum instituunt, ut liberationis viæ una simul inveniantur, inde a principio ostendere volumus quomodo fidei certitudines gravia argumenta christianis præbeant, et partim etiam aliarum religionum sectatoribus, ut natura debilioresque fratres sororesque curentur. Si, quod homines tantummodo sumus, personæ ad ambitum colendum inducuntur, cujus sunt participes, “christiani peculiarem in modum sentiunt sua intra creatum munera, sua officia pro natura et Creatore fidei esse partem.”[36] Itaque pro hominibus mundoque bonum est nos credentes melius œcologica munera agnoscere, quæ nostris de mentibus manant. | Furthermore, although this Encyclical welcomes dialogue with everyone so that together we can seek paths of liberation, I would like from the outset to show how faith convictions can offer Christians, and some other believers as well, ample motivation to care for nature and for the most vulnerable of their brothers and sisters. If the simple fact of being human moves people to care for the environment of which they are a part, Christians in their turn “realize that their responsibility within creation, and their duty towards nature and the Creator, are an essential part of their faith.”[36] It is good for humanity and the world at large when we believers better recognize the ecological commitments which stem from our convictions. |
| II. BIBLICARUM NARRATIONUM SAPIENTIA | II. THE WISDOM OF THE BIBLICAL ACCOUNTS | |
| 65 | Integra creationis posthabita theologia, quærimus quid magnæ biblicæ narrationes de hominis cum mundo necessitudine dicant. In prima operæ creatricis narratione, apud Genesis librum, Dei consilium hominis creationem complectitur. Post hominem creatum dicitur: “Viditque Deus cuncta, quæ fecit, et ecce erant valde bona" (Gn 1,31). Biblia docent quemque hominem amore creari, ad Dei imaginem et similitudinem factum (cfr Gn 1,26). Quod dictum est permagnam cujusque humanæ personæ ostendit dignitatem, quæ “non est solum res aliqua, sed aliquis. Capax est se cognoscendi, se possidendi et se libere donandi atque in communionem ingrediendi cum aliis personis.”[37] Sanctus Joannes Paulus II commemoravit quomodo amor prorsus peculiaris, quo Creator unumquemque hominem complectitur, “infinitam dignitatem ei tribuat.”[38] Ii qui dignitati personarum defendendæ operam dant e fide christiana altiora argumenta pro hoc officio haurire possunt. Quæ mira est certitudo scire cujusque personæ vitam in desperata quadam perturbatione non dissipari, in mundo quodam quem merus casus aut rerum vicissitudines sine sensu iteratæ moderantur! Unicuique nostrum Creator dicere potest: “Priusquam te formarem in utero, novi te” (Jer 1,5). In Dei corde concepti sumus ideoque “unusquisque nostrum fructus est Dei cogitationis. Unumquemque nostrum optavit Deus, unumquemquem amavit; unusquisque est necessarius.”[39] | Without repeating the entire theology of creation, we can ask what the great biblical narratives say about the relationship of human beings with the world. In the first creation account in the Book of Genesis, God’s plan includes creating humanity. After the creation of man and woman, “God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good” (Gen 1:31). The Bible teaches that every man and woman is created out of love and made in God’s image and likeness (cf. Gen 1:26). This shows us the immense dignity of each person, “who is not just something, but someone. He is capable of self-knowledge, of self-possession and of freely giving himself and entering into communion with other persons.”[37] Saint John Paul II stated that the special love of the Creator for each human being “confers upon him or her an infinite dignity.”[38] Those who are committed to defending human dignity can find in the Christian faith the deepest reasons for this commitment. How wonderful is the certainty that each human life is not adrift in the midst of hopeless chaos, in a world ruled by pure chance or endlessly recurring cycles! The Creator can say to each one of us: “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” (Jer 1:5). We were conceived in the heart of God, and for this reason “each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.”[39] |
| 66 | In Genesis libro creationis narrationes, suum per figuræ ac narrationis sermonem, altam de humana exsistentia et historica realitate doctrinam complectuntur. Narrationes hæ secum ferunt humanam exsistentiam tribus præcipuis vinculis niti, quæ inter se arte conjunguntur, nempe cum Deo, cum proximo et cum terra. Juxta Biblia, tres hæ vitales necessitudines pessumdatæ sunt, non modo extra, verum etiam intra nos. Hæc fractio peccatum est. Convenientia inter Creatorem, humanitatem omnemque creationem est deleta, quum Dei locum nos sumere voluissemus, haud agnoscentes nos finitas esse creaturas. Quod etiam naturam decepit mandati “subjiciendi” terram (cfr Gn 1,28) et “operandi et custodiendi” eam (cfr Gn 2,15). Sic effectum est ut bene composita inter hominem et naturam necessitudo in contentionem conversa est (cfr Gn 3,17-19). Quapropter præstat ut congruentia, quam sanctus Franciscus Assisiensis una cum omnibus creaturis coluit, hujus fracturæ sanatio quædam habita sit. Sanctus Bonaventura ait: Franciscus quodammodo “per universalem conciliationem ad singula refigurabat ad innocentiæ statum.”[40] Longe aliter hodie res se habet: in bellis, in diversis violentiæ injuriarumque speciebus, in debilioribus relictis, in adversus naturam incursibus peccatum omni sua delendi vi manifestatur. | The creation accounts in the book of Genesis contain, in their own symbolic and narrative language, profound teachings about human existence and its historical reality. They suggest that human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbor and with the earth itself. According to the Bible, these three vital relationships have been broken, both outwardly and within us. This rupture is sin. The harmony between the Creator, humanity and creation as a whole was disrupted by our presuming to take the place of God and refusing to acknowledge our creaturely limitations. This in turn distorted our mandate to “have dominion” over the earth (cf. Gen 1:28), to “till it and keep it” (Gen 2:15). As a result, the originally harmonious relationship between human beings and nature became conflictual (cf. Gen 3:17-19). It is significant that the harmony which Saint Francis of Assisi experienced with all creatures was seen as a healing of that rupture. Saint Bonaventure held that, through universal reconciliation with every creature, Saint Francis in some way returned to the state of original innocence.[40] This is a far cry from our situation today, where sin is manifest in all its destructive power in wars, the various forms of violence and abuse, the abandonment of the most vulnerable, and attacks on nature. |
| 67 | Deus non sumus nos. Terra nos præcedit nobisque data est. Id nobis dat copiam insimulationi respondendi, in doctrinam Hebraicam et christianam illatæ: dictum est, a Genesis narratione sumpto initio, ubi ad “subjiciendam” terram invitatur (cfr Gn 1,28), immoderato naturæ usui sine lege obsecundari, quum ostendatur hominis dominatoris eversorisque effigies. Hæc non est Bibliorum recta interpretatio ad Ecclesiæ mentem. Quamvis sit verum nonnunquam christianos Scripturas haud recte esse interpretatos, hodie strenue abjicere debemus, eo quod ad imaginem Dei creati simus et nobis munus sit commissum terram subjiciendi, concludi posse nobis absolutum aliarum creaturarum dominatum tributum esse. Magni refert biblica scripta eorum in contextu legere, recta interpretatione, et recordari hominem ipsa invitare ut operetur et custodiat (cfr Gn 2, 15) mundi paradisum. Quum “operari” significet terram confodere, arare vel agros colere, “custodire” autem significat protegere, tueri, præservare, servare, vigilare. Id inter hominem et naturam mutua requirit responsalia officia. Quæque communitas e terræ bonitate omnia depromit ad victum necessaria, sed tueri etiam debet et studere ut ejus fertilitas in futuras generationes producatur. Utique “Domini est terra” (Ps 24,1), ad Eum pertinent “terra et omnia, quæ in ea sunt” (Dt 10,14). Idcirco Deus prohibet quominus absoluta proprietas vindicetur: “Terra quoque non veniet in perpetuum, quia mea est, et vos advenæ et coloni mei estis” (Lv 25,23). | 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. This is not a correct interpretation of the Bible as understood by the Church. Although it is true that we Christians have at times incorrectly interpreted the Scriptures, 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. The biblical texts are to be read in their context, with an appropriate hermeneutic, recognizing that they tell us to “till and keep” the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15). “Tilling” refers to cultivating, ploughing or working, while “keeping” means caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving. This implies a relationship of mutual responsibility between human beings and nature. Each community can take from the bounty of the earth whatever it needs for subsistence, but it also has the duty to protect the earth and to ensure its fruitfulness for coming generations. “The earth is the Lord’s” (Ps 24:1); to him belongs “the earth with all that is within it” (Dt 10:14). Thus God rejects every claim to absolute ownership: “The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with me” (Lev 25:23). |
| 68 | Coram terra, quæ Dei est, responsalitas postulat ut homo, intellectu præditus, observet naturæ leges nec non subtiles inter hujus mundi res æquabilitates, “quia ipse mandavit, et creata sunt; statuit ea in æternum et in sæculum sæculi; præceptum posuit, et non præteribit” (Ps 148,5b-6). Inde fit ut biblicæ leges varias normas homini ferant, non modo quod ad alios homines spectat, verum etiam ad alia viventia: “Si videris asinum fratris tui aut bovem cecidisse in via, non subtrahes te […]. Si ambulans per viam, in arbore vel in terra nidum avis inveneris et matrem pullis vel ovis desuper incubantem, non sumes eam de filiis” (Dt 22,4.6). In hoc ordine, septimi diei requies non modo hominibus præbetur, verum etiam datur “ut requiescat bos et asinus” (Ex 23,12). Sic intellegimus non ansam habere Biblia imperiosi anthropocentrismi, quippe qui ceteras creaturas neglegat. | This responsibility for God’s earth means that human beings, endowed with intelligence, must respect the laws of nature and the delicate equilibria existing between the creatures of this world, for “he commanded and they were created; and he established them for ever and ever; he fixed their bounds and he set a law which cannot pass away” (Ps 148:5b-6). The laws found in the Bible dwell on relationships, not only among individuals but also with other living beings. “You shall not see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and withhold your help…. If you chance to come upon a bird’s nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting upon the young or upon the eggs; you shall not take the mother with the young” (Dt 22:4, 6). Along these same lines, rest on the seventh day is meant not only for human beings, but also so “that your ox and your donkey may have rest” (Ex 23:12). Clearly, the Bible has no place for a tyrannical anthropocentrism unconcerned for other creatures. |
| 69 | Dum recte rebus uti possumus, ad agnoscendum vocamur cetera viventia coram Deo sua e natura valere atque “ea, sua mera exsistentia, Illi benedicunt Illumque glorificant,”[41] quum “lætetur Dominus in operibus suis” (Ps 104,31). Suam propter unicam dignitatem atque quippe qui intellectu polleat homo ad creatum una cum æternis ejus legibus tuendum vocatur, quia “Dominus sapientia fundavit terram” (Prv 3,19). Hodie leviter non asserit Ecclesia reliquas creaturas hominis bono prorsus subjici proinde ac si in se ipsæ non valeant ac nos eas nostro arbitratu adhibere possimus. Sic Germaniæ Episcopi declaraverunt aliis de creaturis “dici posse eas prius esse quam esse utiles.”[42] Catechismus directe prorsus instanterque de aberranti anthropocentrismo disputat: “Unaquæque natura suam bonitatem et suam perfectionem possidet proprias […]. Diversæ creaturæ, in suo esse proprio volitæ, radium reverberant, unaquæque suo modo, infinitæ sapientiæ et infinitæ bonitatis Dei. Hac de causa, homo bonitatem propriam uniuscujusque creaturæ revereri debet, ut usus rerum vitetur inordinatus.”[43] | Together with our obligation to use the earth’s goods responsibly, we are called to recognize that other living beings have a value of their own in God’s eyes: “by their mere existence they bless him and give him glory,”[41] and indeed, “the Lord rejoices in all his works” (Ps 104:31). By virtue of our unique dignity and our gift of intelligence, we are called to respect creation and its inherent laws, for “the Lord by wisdom founded the earth” (Prov 3:19). In our time, the Church does not simply state that other creatures are completely subordinated to the good of human beings, as if they have no worth in themselves and can be treated as we wish. The German bishops have taught that, where other creatures are concerned, “we can speak of the priority of being over that of being useful.”[42] The Catechism clearly and forcefully criticizes a distorted anthropocentrism: “Each creature possesses its own particular goodness and perfection…. Each of the various creatures, willed in its own being, reflects in its own way a ray of God’s infinite wisdom and goodness. Man must therefore respect the particular goodness of every creature, to avoid any disordered use of things.”[43] |
| 70 | In Cain et Abel narratione animadvertimus æmulationem ad summam injuriam patrandam adversus fratrem Cain compulisse. Quod vero necessitudinem violavit quæ Deo erat cum Cain et Cain cum terra, e qua ejectus est. Hic eventus per turbidum inter Deum et Cain colloquium summatim est narratus. Deus ait: “Ubi est Abel frater tuus?.” Cain dicit se id nescire et Deus rursus: “Quid fecisti? Vox sanguinis fratris tui clamat ad me de agro. Nunc igitur maledictus eris procul ab agro” (Gn 4, 9-11). Si colendi studium atque æquam necessitudinem servandi cum proximo neglegitur, quem curare et custodire debeo, interior consortio mecum, cum aliis, cum Deo et terra deletur. Quum omnes hæ necessitudines negleguntur, quum justitia jam terram non habitat, Biblia dicunt vitam in discrimine versari. Hoc nos docet Noë narratio, quum minatus est Deus homines delere propter continuatam eorum inhabilitatem ad vivendum secundum justitiam ac pacem: “Finis universæ carnis venit coram me; repleta est enim terra iniquitate a facie eorum” (Gn 6,13). In his tam vetustis narrationibus, præclaro symbolismo refertis, præsens mens jam continebatur: omnia implicari, atque certam curam nostræ sane vitæ nostræque necessitudinis cum natura, a fraternitate, justitia et erga alios probitate separari non posse. | In the story of Cain and Abel, we see how envy led Cain to commit the ultimate injustice against his brother, which in turn ruptured the relationship between Cain and God, and between Cain and the earth from which he was banished. This is seen clearly in the dramatic exchange between God and Cain. God asks: “Where is Abel your brother?” Cain answers that he does not know, and God persists: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground” (Gen 4:9-11). Disregard for the duty to cultivate and maintain a proper relationship with my neighbor, for whose care and custody I am responsible, ruins my relationship with my own self, with others, with God and with the earth. When all these relationships are neglected, when justice no longer dwells in the land, the Bible tells us that life itself is endangered. We see this in the story of Noah, where God threatens to do away with humanity because of its constant failure to fulfil the requirements of justice and peace: “I have determined to make an end of all flesh; for the earth is filled with violence through them” (Gen 6:13). These ancient stories, full of symbolism, bear witness to a conviction which we today share, that everything is interconnected, and that genuine care for our own lives and our relationships with nature is inseparable from fraternity, justice and faithfulness to others. |
| 71 | Tametsi “multa malitia hominum esset in terra” (Gn 6,5) et “pænituit Dominum quod hominem fecisset” (Gn 6,6), tamen per Noë, qui integer justusque manebat, decrevit Deus salutis viam facere. Tali modo hominibus facultatem dedit novum sumendi initium. Unus probus sufficit homo ut spes assit! Biblica traditio palam statuit hanc restitutionem secum ferre ordines iterum detectos ac servatos, qui Creatoris manu in natura sunt insculpti. Id, exempli gratia, in Shabbath lege conspicitur. Deus “requievit die septimo ab universo opere” (Gn 2,2). Israël præcepit Deus ut octavo quoque die, Shabbath, requietis dies haberetur (cfr Gn 2,2-3; Ex 16,23; 20,10). Ceterum sabbaticus etiam annus Israël ejusque terræ est statutus, octavo quoque anno (cfr Lv 25,1-4), quo tempore terra prorsus quiescebat, neque serebatur et colligebantur solummodo ad victum et hospites alendos necessaria (cfr Lv 25,4-6). Tandem septem hebdomadis annorum, id est undequinquaginta annis, exactis, Jubilæum celebrabatur, annus universalem ad veniam et “remissionem in terra cunctis habitatoribus ejus” (Lv 25,10). Hæ progredientes leges æquabilitatem et æquitatem in necessitudinibus præstabant quæ erant homini cum ceteris hominibus et terra, ubi vivebat et operabatur. Sed eodem tempore agnoscebatur terræ donum una cum fructibus ad omnem populum pertinere. Qui terram colebant ac tuebantur, ejus fructus communicare debebant, peculiarem in modum cum pauperibus, viduis, pupillis et advenis: "Quum messueris segetes terræ tuæ, non tondebis usque ad marginem agri tui nec remanentes spicas colliges. Neque in vinea tua racemos et grana decidentia congregabis, sed pauperibus et peregrinis carpenda dimittes” (Lv 19,9-10). | Although “the wickedness of man was great in the earth” (Gen 6:5) and the Lord “was sorry that he had made man on the earth” (Gen 6:6), nonetheless, through Noah, who remained innocent and just, God decided to open a path of salvation. In this way he gave humanity the chance of a new beginning. All it takes is one good person to restore hope! The biblical tradition clearly shows that this renewal entails recovering and respecting the rhythms inscribed in nature by the hand of the Creator. We see this, for example, in the law of the Sabbath. On the seventh day, God rested from all his work. He commanded Israël to set aside each seventh day as a day of rest, a Sabbath, (cf. Gen 2:2-3; Ex 16:23; 20:10). Similarly, every seven years, a sabbatical year was set aside for Israël, a complete rest for the land (cf. Lev 25:1-4), when sowing was forbidden and one reaped only what was necessary to live on and to feed one’s household (cf. Lev 25:4-6). Finally, after seven weeks of years, which is to say forty-nine years, the Jubilee was celebrated as a year of general forgiveness and “liberty throughout the land for all its inhabitants” (cf. Lev 25:10). This law came about as an attempt to ensure balance and fairness in their relationships with others and with the land on which they lived and worked. At the same time, it was an acknowledgment that the gift of the earth with its fruits belongs to everyone. Those who tilled and kept the land were obliged to share its fruits, especially with the poor, with widows, orphans and foreigners in their midst: “When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field to its very border, neither shall you gather the gleanings after the harvest. And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner” (Lev 19:9-10). |
| 72 | Psalmi hominem subinde concitant ad Deum creatorem laudandum: “Qui expandit terram super aquas, quoniam in æternum misericordia ejus” (Ps 136,6). Sed alias quoque creaturas ad laudem invitant: “Laudate eum, sol et luna, laudate eum, omnes stellæ lucentes. Laudate eum, cæli cælorum et aquæ omnes, quæ super cælos sunt. Laudent nomen Domini, quia ipse mandavit, et creata sunt” (Ps 148,3-5). Non modo per Dei potentiam sumus, verum etiam coram Eo et cum Eo. Idcirco nos eum adoramus. | The Psalms frequently exhort us to praise God the Creator, “who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures for ever” (Ps 136:6). They also invite other creatures to join us in this praise: “Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created” (Ps 148:3-5). We do not only exist by God’s mighty power; we also live with him and beside him. This is why we adore him. |
| 73 | Prophetarum scripta in difficilioribus condicionibus ad vim inveniendam invitant per omnipotentis Dei contemplationem, qui universum creavit. Infinita Dei potentia non efficit ut ejus paterna lenitas devitetur, quia in Eo affectio et vis junguntur. Re quidem vera omnis sana spiritalitas vult eadem opera divinum amorem recipere et fiducialiter Dominum adorare infinitam ejus ob potentiam. Apud Biblia in liberando et salvando idem Deus est qui in universo creando, atque hæ duæ divine agendi rationes arte et indissolubili modo nectuntur: “Heu, Domine Deus, ecce tu fecisti cælum et terram in fortitudine tua magna et in brachio tuo extento; non erit tibi difficile omne verbum […]. Et eduxisti populum tuum Israël de terra Ægypti in signis et in portentis” (Jer 32,17.21). “Deus sempiternus Dominus, qui creavit terminos terræ; non deficiet neque laborabit, nec est investigatio sapientiæ ejus, qui dat lasso virtutem et invalido robur multiplicat” (Is 40,28b-29). | The writings of the prophets invite us to find renewed strength in times of trial by contemplating the all-powerful God who created the universe. Yet God’s infinite power does not lead us to flee his fatherly tenderness, because in him affection and strength are joined. Indeed, all sound spirituality entails both welcoming divine love and adoration, confident in the Lord because of his infinite power. In the Bible, the God who liberates and saves is the same God who created the universe, and these two divine ways of acting are intimately and inseparably connected: “Ah Lord God! It is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you…. You brought your people Israël out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders” (Jer 32:17, 21). “The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless” (Is 40:28b-29). |
| 74 | Experta Babiloniæ servitus spiritale discrimen attulit quod effecit ut altior fides in Deo fieret, quum suam creatricem omnipotentiam liquidius manifestaret, populum hortaturus ut spem in sua infelici condicione denuo inveniret. Sæculis post, aliis exstantibus probationibus persecutionibusque, quum Romanum Imperium suum absolutum dominatum intulisset, solacium spemque reppererunt fideles, suam fiduciam in Deo omnipotenti augentes, atque canebant: “Magna et mirabilia opera tua; justæ et veræ viæ tuæ!” (Apc 15,3). Si Deus e nihilo creare universum potuit, in hoc mundo agere quoque potest, atque omnes mali species vincere. Quocirca injustitia invicta non est. | The experience of the Babylonian captivity provoked a spiritual crisis which led to deeper faith in God. Now his creative omnipotence was given pride of place in order to exhort the people to regain their hope in the midst of their wretched predicament. Centuries later, in another age of trial and persecution, when the Roman Empire was seeking to impose absolute dominion, the faithful would once again find consolation and hope in a growing trust in the all-powerful God: “Great and wonderful are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways!” (Rev 15:3). The God who created the universe out of nothing can also intervene in this world and overcome every form of evil. Injustice is not invincible. |
| 75 | Spiritalitatem tueri non possumus quæ omnipotentem Deum creatoremque obliviscitur. Hoc modo alias mundi potestates adoraremus aut Domini locum occuparemus, vel studentes realitatem ab eo creatam proculcare, haud fines agnoscentes. Rectior ratio hominem in proprio loco collocandi et finem imponendi ejus postulationi, ad quam absolute terram vult dominari, tum datur, quum Patris creatoris unicuique mundi domini effigies rursus ob oculos habetur, quia aliter, realitati proprias leges propriaque commoda imponere usque homo contendet. | A spirituality which forgets God as all-powerful and Creator is not acceptable. That is how we end up worshipping earthly powers, or ourselves usurping the place of God, even to the point of claiming an unlimited right to trample his creation underfoot. The best way to restore men and women to their rightful place, putting an end to their claim to absolute dominion over the earth, is to speak once more of the figure of a Father who creates and who alone owns the world. Otherwise, human beings will always try to impose their own laws and interests on reality. |
| III. UNIVERSI MYSTERIUM | III. THE MYSTERY OF THE UNIVERSE | |
| 76 | Ad Judaicam christianam traditionem “creatio” plus est quam naturam dicere, quandoquidem Dei amoris consilium complectitur, ubi singulæ creaturæ valent et significantur. Natura sæpenumero complexio habetur quædam, quæ pensatur, comprehenditur agiturque; at creatio ut donum tantum intellegi potest, quod de patenti omnium Patris manu manat, sicut illuminata amore realitas quæ ad universalem communionem nos congregat. | In the Judaeo-Christian tradition, the word “creation” has a broader meaning than “nature,” for it has to do with God’s loving plan in which every creature has its own value and significance. Nature is usually seen as a system which can be studied, understood and controlled, whereas creation can only be understood as a gift from the outstretched hand of the Father of all, and as a reality illuminated by the love which calls us together into universal communion. |
| 77 | “Verbo Domini cæli facti sunt” (Ps 33,6). Sic nobis ostenditur mundum a quadam deliberatione proficisci, haud chao casuve, et id magis eum elevat. Libera est electio in creatrice voce significata. Universum non ortum est per quandam omnipotentiam ad arbitrium agentem, per vim demonstratam vel per sui affirmandi studium. Creatio ad amoris genus spectat. Dei amor præcipua est totius creati ratio: “Diligis enim omnia, quæ sunt, et nihil odisti eorum, quæ fecisti; nec enim, si odisses, aliquid constituisses” (Sap 11,24). Sic Patris affectio in unamquamque creaturam recidit, cui in mundo tribuit locum. Quin immo caduca vita illius qui inanior est amatur, atque paucis illis exsistentiæ momentis eum suo affectu Ipse complectitur. Sanctus Basilius Magnus ait esse Creatorem etiam “sine invidia bonitatem,”[44] et Dantes Aligherii de amore “qui solem ceteras et stellas movet”[45] est locutus. Quapropter a creatis operibus ascenditur “ad ejus amabilem misericordiam.”[46] | “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made” (Ps 33:6). This tells us that the world came about as the result of a decision, not from chaos or chance, and this exalts it all the more. The creating word expresses a free choice. The universe did not emerge as the result of arbitrary omnipotence, a show of force or a desire for self-assertion. Creation is of the order of love. God’s love is the fundamental moving force in all created things: “For you love all things that exist, and detest none of the things that you have made; for you would not have made anything if you had hated it” (Wis 11:24). Every creature is thus the object of the Father’s tenderness, who gives it its place in the world. Even the fleeting life of the least of beings is the object of his love, and in its few seconds of existence, God enfolds it with his affection. Saint Basil the Great described the Creator as “goodness without measure,”[44] while Dante Alighieri spoke of “the love which moves the sun and the stars.”[45] Consequently, we can ascend from created things “to the greatness of God and to his loving mercy.”[46] |
| 78 | Eodem tempore mythicam rationem de natura detraxit Judaica christiana schola. Licet suum ob splendorem suamque immensitatem haud desita sit admiratione affici, nota divina ei jam non tributa est. Hac ratione nostrum officium pro ea ultra confirmatur. Ad naturam regressus incommodo hominis libertatis ac responsalitatis accidere non potest, qui pars est mundi quique proprias facultates colere debet ad eum tuendum ejusque vires explicandas. Si præstantiam et naturæ debilitatem, et eadem opera facultates agnoscimus, quas tribuit nobis Creator, id hodie nobis dat copiam finem recenti opinationi imponendi de infinito rerum progressu. Debilis mundus, perinde ac homo, cui curam ejus commisit Deus, nostrum intellectum percontatur, ut agnoscamus quomodo dirigere, colere et continere nostram potestatem debeamus. | At the same time, Judaeo-Christian thought demythologized nature. While continuing to admire its grandeur and immensity, it no longer saw nature as divine. In doing so, it emphasizes all the more our human responsibility for nature. This rediscovery of nature can never be at the cost of the freedom and responsibility of human beings who, as part of the world, have the duty to cultivate their abilities in order to protect it and develop its potential. If we acknowledge the value and the fragility of nature and, at the same time, our God-given abilities, we can finally leave behind the modern myth of unlimited material progress. A fragile world, entrusted by God to human care, challenges us to devise intelligent ways of directing, developing and limiting our power. |
| 79 | Hoc in universo, qui patentibus systematibus, inter se communicantibus, componitur, innumera necessitudinis participationisque genera reperire possumus. Quod efficit ut cogitemus universitatem ad Dei transcendentiam patere, intra quam evolvitur. Fides sinit ut sensum arcanamque pulchritudinem illius accidentis rei interpretemur. Hominis libertas aliquid ad certam progressionem prudenter conferre potest, attamen nova quoque damna, novas ægritudinis causas et veræ regressionis momenta addere potest. Id commoventem gravemque humanam historiam efficit, quæ parere valet aut florentem liberationem, incrementum, salutem amoremque aut procedentem occasum et mutuam dissolutionem. Itaque Ecclesia, quum operam dat ut in memoria teneatur curandæ naturæ officium, tum simul “ante omnia hominem servare debet contra ipsius exstinctionem.”[47] | In this universe, shaped by open and intercommunicating systems, we can discern countless forms of relationship and participation. This leads us to think of the whole as open to God’s transcendence, within which it develops. Faith allows us to interpret the meaning and the mysterious beauty of what is unfolding. We are free to apply our intelligence towards things evolving positively, or towards adding new ills, new causes of suffering and real setbacks. This is what makes for the excitement and drama of human history, in which freedom, growth, salvation and love can blossom, or lead towards decadence and mutual destruction. The work of the Church seeks not only to remind everyone of the duty to care for nature, but at the same time “she must above all protect mankind from self-destruction.”[47] |
| 80 | Nihilominus, Deus, qui nobiscum agere nostraque opera uti cupit, aliquid boni e malis a nobis patratis depromere potest, quoniam “Spiritus Sanctus infinitam excogitandi habet vim, divinæ mentis propriam, quæ humanas vicissitudines vel complexiores et impenetrabiliores expedire valet.”[48] Quodammodo se Ipse finire voluit, quum mundum progressione indigentem crearet, ubi complura, quæ nos mala, pericula vel doloris originem putamus, ad parturientis reapse dolores attinent, qui nos cum Creatore ad cooperandum incitant.[49] Ipse in intimis omnium rerum præsens est, haud suæ creaturæ auferens autonomiam, et etiam istud terrestribus realitatibus legitimam autonomiam præstat.[50] Dei hæc præsentia, quæ efficit ut quidquid est maneat et augeatur, est continuatio “actionis qua dat esse.”[51] Dei Spiritus universum virtutibus replevit, quæ sinunt ut ex ipso rerum gremio semper aliquid novi germinare possit: “Unde patet quod natura nihil est aliud quam ratio cujusdam artis, scilicet divinæ, indita rebus, qua ipsæ res moventur ad finem determinatum: sicut si artifex factor navis posset lignis tribuere, quod e se ipsis moverentur ad navis formam inducendam.”[52] | Yet God, who wishes to work with us and who counts on our cooperation, can also bring good out of the evil we have done. “The Holy Spirit can be said to possess an infinite creativity, proper to the divine mind, which knows how to loosen the knots of human affairs, including the most complex and inscrutable.”[48] Creating a world in need of development, God in some way sought to limit himself in such a way that many of the things we think of as evils, dangers or sources of suffering, are in reality part of the pains of childbirth which he uses to draw us into the act of cooperation with the Creator.[49] God is intimately present to each being, without impinging on the autonomy of his creature, and this gives rise to the rightful autonomy of earthly affairs.[50] His divine presence, which ensures the subsistence and growth of each being, “continues the work of creation.”[51] The Spirit of God has filled the universe with possibilities and therefore, from the very heart of things, something new can always emerge: “Nature is nothing other than a certain kind of art, namely God’s art, impressed upon things, whereby those things are moved to a determinate end. It is as if a shipbuilder were able to give timbers the wherewithal to move themselves to take the form of a ship.”[52] |
| 81 | Homo, quamvis progressionis processus secum ferat, novitate quadam fruitur, quæ aliorum systematum patentium evolutione plane explicari non potest. Unusquisque nostrum in se personali identitate pollet, ut dialogum instituere cum ceteris et cum Deo ipso valeat. Cogitandi facultas, ratiocinatio, vis creatrix, interpretatio, artis opus et ceteræ primigeniæ facultates quandam demonstrant singularitatem, quæ physicam biologicamque provinciam prætergreditur. Qualitatis novitas quæ cujusdam rei personalis ortum intra materialem universum complectitur, directam Dei actionem, vocationem peculiarem ad vitam nec non ad necessitudinem cujusdam “Tu” cum altero “tu” requirit. A biblicis scriptis sumpto initio, hominem consideramus velut subjectum, qui ad objecti genus haudquaquam redigi potest. | Human beings, even if we postulate a process of evolution, also possess a uniqueness which cannot be fully explained by the evolution of other open systems. Each of us has his or her own personal identity and is capable of entering into dialogue with others and with God himself. Our capacity to reason, to develop arguments, to be inventive, to interpret reality and to create art, along with other not yet discovered capacities, are signs of a uniqueness which transcends the spheres of physics and biology. The sheer novelty involved in the emergence of a personal being within a material universe presupposes a direct action of God and a particular call to life and to relationship on the part of a “Thou” who addresses himself to another “thou.” The biblical accounts of creation invite us to see each human being as a subject who can never be reduced to the status of an object. |
| 82 | Error tamen quoque esset si arbitraremur cetera viventia mera objecta esse consideranda, quæ suo nutu arbitratuque homo moderaretur. Quum natura proponitur et consideratur solummodo lucri emolumentique objectum, inde oriuntur gravia societati consectaria. Cogitatio quæ fortioris arbitrium roborat, infinitas inæqualitates, injustitias et violentiam apud majorem hominum partem juvit, quum opes qui primus advenerit arripiat, aut is qui plus polleat: omnia capit victor. Concordiæ, justitiæ, fraternitatis pacisque effigies quam Jesus proponit ab hoc exemplari prorsus abhorret, quod ipse sic significabat, illius temporis consideratis potestatibus: “Scitis quia principes gentium dominantur eorum et, qui magni sunt, potestatem exercent in eos. Non ita inter vos, sed quicunque voluerit inter vos magnus fieri, erit vester minister” (Mt 20,25-26). | Yet it would also be mistaken to view other living beings as mere objects subjected to arbitrary human domination. When nature is viewed solely as a source of profit and gain, this has serious consequences for society. This vision of “might is right” has engendered immense inequality, injustice and acts of violence against the majority of humanity, since resources end up in the hands of the first comer or the most powerful: the winner takes all. Completely at odds with this model are the ideals of harmony, justice, fraternity and peace as proposed by Jesus. As he said of the powers of his own age: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Mt 20:25-26). |
| 83 | Universi itineris meta in plenitudine est Dei, quam jam attigit Christus resuscitatus, universalis maturitatis cardo.[53] Hoc modo aliud addimus argumentum ad tyrannicum arbitrariumque dominatum hominis in alias creaturas repellendum. Novissimus finis aliarum creaturarum nos non sumus. At omnes una nobiscum procedunt ac per nos, ad communem metam, quæ est Deus, in transcendenti plenitudine, ubi Christus resuscitatus cuncta complectitur et collustrat. Homini namque, intellectu et amore fruenti atque Christi plenitudine pellecto, munus imponitur omnes creaturas ad Creatorem perducendi. | The ultimate destiny of the universe is in the fullness of God, which has already been attained by the risen Christ, the measure of the maturity of all things.[53] Here we can add yet another argument for rejecting every tyrannical and irresponsible domination of human beings over other creatures. The ultimate purpose of other creatures is not to be found in us. Rather, all creatures are moving forward with us and through us towards a common point of arrival, which is God, in that transcendent fullness where the risen Christ embraces and illumines all things. Human beings, endowed with intelligence and love, and drawn by the fullness of Christ, are called to lead all creatures back to their Creator. |
| IV. OMNIUM CREATURARUM NUNTIUS IN TOTIUS CREATI CONGRUENTIA | IV. THE MESSAGE OF EACH CREATURE IN THE HARMONY OF CREATION | |
| 84 | Quum instamus dicentes imaginem Dei esse hominem, hoc non patitur ut obliviscamur unamquamque creaturam suas agere partes ac nullam supervacaneam esse. Omnis materialis universus de Dei amore deque ejus immensa erga nos affectione loquitur. Solum, aqua, montes, omnia sunt Dei blanditia. Propriæ amicitiæ cum Deo historia in quodam geographico loco usque succrescit, qui perquam personale fit signum, atque in unoquoque nostrum memoria residet locorum, permultum juvantium. Qui in montibus adolevit, vel puer prope rivum sedebat potaturus, vel in sui suburbii platea ludebat, quum ad ea loca redit, animadvertit ad propriam recuperandam identitatem se vocari. | Our insistence that each human being is an image of God should not make us overlook the fact that each creature has its own purpose. None is superfluous. The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us. Soil, water, mountains: everything is, as it were, a caress of God. The history of our friendship with God is always linked to particular places which take on an intensely personal meaning; we all remember places, and revisiting those memories does us much good. Anyone who has grown up in the hills or used to sit by the spring to drink, or played outdoors in the neighborhood square; going back to these places is a chance to recover something of their true selves. |
| 85 | Pulcherrimum librum scripsit Deus, “cujus litteras exarat multitudo creaturarum in universo præsentium.”[54] Episcopi Canadienses probe edixerunt nullam creaturam extra hanc Dei manifestationem esse: “Ex amplissimis prospectibus ad minimam vitæ formam, natura mirationem reverentiamque indesinenter concitat. Ipsa est proinde continuata rerum divinarum revelatio.”[55] Japonienses Episcopi sua pro parte, quædam permoventia pronuntiaverunt: “Omnem creaturam percipere, suæ exsistentiæ canentem hymnum, lætanter est vivere in Dei amore ac spe.”[56] Hæc creati contemplatio efficit ut omnium rerum ope quandam doctrinam detegamus, quam nobiscum communicare Deus vult, quia “credenti creatum contemplari est etiam nuntium auscultare, vocem inopinatam silentemque audire.”[57] Dicere possumus “juxta ipsam revelationem, quam Sacra Scriptura continet, datur utique divina manifestatio in fulgenti sole nec non vesperascente cælo.”[58]Huic manifestationi animum intendens, homo se ipsum agnoscere discit, ad ceteras creaturas relatum: “Ego me ostendo mundum ostendens: meam vestigo sacram indolem, quum eandem mundanam scrutor.”[59] | God has written a precious book, “whose letters are the multitude of created things present in the universe.”[54] The Canadian bishops rightly pointed out that no creature is excluded from this manifestation of God: “From panoramic vistas to the tiniest living form, nature is a constant source of wonder and awe. It is also a continuing revelation of the divine.”[55] The bishops of Japan, for their part, made a thought-provoking observation: “To sense each creature singing the hymn of its existence is to live joyfully in God’s love and hope.”[56] This contemplation of creation allows us to discover in each thing a teaching which God wishes to hand on to us, since “for the believer, to contemplate creation is to hear a message, to listen to a paradoxical and silent voice.”[57] We can say that “alongside revelation properly so-called, contained in sacred Scripture, there is a divine manifestation in the blaze of the sun and the fall of night.”[58] Paying attention to this manifestation, we learn to see ourselves in relation to all other creatures: “I express myself in expressing the world; in my effort to decipher the sacredness of the world, I explore my own.”[59] |
| 86 | Universum totum, suis multiplicibus vinculis, clarius inexhaustas Dei divitias exhibet. Sanctus Thomas Aquinas sapienter significavit “ex intentione primi agentis” multiplicitatem varietatemque manare, Qui voluit “ut quod deest uni ad repræsentandam divinam bonitatem, suppleatur ex alia,”[60]quia ejus bonitas “per unam creaturam sufficienter repræsentari non potest.”[61] Quapropter rerum varietatem ipsarum in multiplicibus implicationibus percipere debemus.[62]Itaque liquidius intelleguntur pondus ac sensus cujusque creaturæ, si intra totum Dei consilium ea consideratur. Id docet Catechismus: “Creaturarum interdependentia a Deo est voluta. Sol et luna, cedrus et flosculus, aquila et passer: spectaculum earum diversitatum et inæqualitatum innumerarum significat, nullam e creaturis sibi ipsi sufficere. Illæ non exsistunt nisi in dependentia aliarum ab aliis, ut se mutuo compleant in servitio aliarum ad alias.”[63] | The universe as a whole, in all its manifold relationships, shows forth the inexhaustible riches of God. Saint Thomas Aquinas wisely noted that multiplicity and variety “come from the intention of the first agent” who willed that “what was wanting to one in the representation of the divine goodness might be supplied by another,”[60] inasmuch as God’s goodness “could not be represented fittingly by any one creature.”[61] Hence we need to grasp the variety of things in their multiple relationships.[62] We understand better the importance and meaning of each creature if we contemplate it within the entirety of God’s plan. As the Catechism teaches: “God wills the interdependence of creatures. The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow: the spectacle of their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other.”[63] |
| 87 | Quum illud cognitum est, Deum ex omnibus quæ sunt referri, desiderium experitur cor per omnes creaturas et una cum eis Dominum adorandi, ut in pulcherrimo sancti Francisci Assisiensis hymno manifestatur: | When we can see God reflected in all that exists, our hearts are moved to praise the Lord for all his creatures and to worship him in union with them. This sentiment finds magnificent expression in the hymn of Saint Francis of Assisi: |
|
“Laudatus sis, mi Domine, cum universa creatura tua, principaliter cum domino fratre sole, Et ipse est pulcher et irradians magno splendore; Laudatus sis, mi Domine, propter sororem lunam et stellas, Laudatus sis, mi Domine, propter fratrem ventum Laudatus sis, mi Domine, propter sororem aquam, Laudatus sis, mi Domine, propter fratrem ignem, |
Praised be you, my Lord, with all your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor; Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Wind, Praised be you, my Lord, through Sister Water, Praised be you, my Lord, through Brother Fire, | |
| 88 | Brasilienses Episcopi planius exposuerunt omnem naturam, præter quam quod Deum manifestat, locum esse ejus præsentiæ. In cunctis creaturis ejus vivificans Spiritus habitat, qui ad necessitudinem cum Eo instaurandam nos vocat.[65] Præsentia hæc reperta in nos “virtutum œcologicarum”[66] progressionem concitat. Sed quum hæc asserimus, non est obliviscendum infinitam esse longinquitatem, hujus mundi res Dei plenitudinem non habere. E contrario, neque creaturis prodessemus, quum earum proprium verumque locum non agnosceremus, ac injuria ex eis id quæreremus, quod earum tenuitas præstare non posset. | The bishops of Brazil have pointed out that nature as a whole not only manifests God but is also a locus of his presence. The Spirit of life dwells in every living creature and calls us to enter into relationship with him.[65] Discovering this presence leads us to cultivate the “ecological virtues.”[66] This is not to forget that there is an infinite distance between God and the things of this world, which do not possess his fullness. Otherwise, we would not be doing the creatures themselves any good either, for we would be failing to acknowledge their right and proper place. We would end up unduly demanding of them something which they, in their smallness, cannot give us. |
| V. UNIVERSALIS COMMUNIO | V. A UNIVERSAL COMMUNION | |
| 89 | Hujus mundi creaturæ bonum sine domino considerari non possunt: “Tua sunt, Domine, qui amas animas” (Sap 11,26). Hoc posito, nobis persuaderi debet, quum ab eodem Patre creati simus, nos omnes universi partes invisibilibus vinculis vinciri et quandam efficere universalem familiam, præstabilem quandam communionem, quæ ad sacram observantiam, amabilem humilemque nos compellit. Memorare cupimus “tam arte Deum circumjacienti mundo nos sociare, ut solum, in solitudinem conversum, morbus unicuique habeatur, atque quampiam amissam speciem veluti quandam amputationem conqueri possimus.”[67] | The created things of this world are not free of ownership: “For they are yours, O Lord, who love the living” (Wis 11:26). This is the basis of our conviction that, as part of the universe, called into being by one Father, all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect. Here I would reiterate that “God has joined us so closely to the world around us that we can feel the desertification of the soil almost as a physical ailment, and the extinction of a species as a painful disfigurement.”[67] |
| 90 | Hoc non sibi vult omnia viventia inter se æquari et homini peculiare illud bonum demere, quod eadem opera formidandam responsalitatem complectitur. Ne consecrationem quidem terræ sibi vult, quæ nos officio cooperationis cum ea et tutelæ item ipsius debilitatis exuit. Hæc cogitata novas inæqualitates efficient ad realitatem vitandam, quæ nos interrogat.[68] Animadvertitur nonnunquam ardor personæ humanæ quodvis privilegium negandi, atque pro aliis speciebus decertatur, quod non efficimus tuendæ inter homines paris dignitatis gratia. Verum quidem est, dandam esse operam ne alia viventia inconsulto tractentur. At potissimum permovere nos debent permagnæ iniquitates quæ inter nos sunt, quandoquidem toleramus nonnullos digniores considerari quam alios. Non jam animadvertimus quosdam in ignobilem miseriam delabi, nulla reali data progrediendi facultate, dum alii nesciunt quidem suis de bonis quid faciant; sua conjecta de præstantia gloriantur atque talis est eorum bonorum profusio, quæ sine orbis eversione dilatari non possit. Admittere re pergimus, nonnullos se ceteris putare humaniores, proinde quasi ortu majoribus juribus fruantur. | This is not to put all living beings on the same level nor to deprive human beings of their unique worth and the tremendous responsibility it entails. Nor does it imply a divinization of the earth which would prevent us from working on it and protecting it in its fragility. Such notions would end up creating new imbalances which would deflect us from the reality which challenges us.[68] At times we see an obsession with denying any pre-eminence to the human person; more zeal is shown in protecting other species than in defending the dignity which all human beings share in equal measure. Certainly, we should be concerned lest other living beings be treated irresponsibly. But we should be particularly indignant at the enormous inequalities in our midst, whereby we continue to tolerate some considering themselves more worthy than others. We fail to see that some are mired in desperate and degrading poverty, with no way out, while others have not the faintest idea of what to do with their possessions, vainly showing off their supposed superiority and leaving behind them so much waste which, if it were the case everywhere, would destroy the planet. In practice, we continue to tolerate that some consider themselves more human than others, as if they had been born with greater rights. |
| 91 | Sensus intimæ conjunctionis cum reliquis naturæ rebus germanus esse non potest, si eodem tempore in corde desunt lenitas, miseratio atque in homines sollicitudo. Patet incongruentia illius qui adversus animalium periturorum commercium pugnat, sed pro personarum commercio indifferens est, pauperes neglegit, vel est promptus ad alium hominem, sibi ingratum, delendum. Quod sensum pro ambitu decertandi in discrimen adducit. Haud casu in hymno quo per creaturas Deum laudat, sanctus Franciscus hanc sententiam addit: “Laudatus sis, mi Domine, propter illos, qui dimittunt propter tuum amorem.” Omnia conjunguntur. Idcirco de ambitu sollicitudo requiritur, quæ cum sincero in homines amore nectitur atque cum continuato studio erga societatis quæstiones. | A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings. It is clearly inconsistent to combat trafficking in endangered species while remaining completely indifferent to human trafficking, unconcerned about the poor, or undertaking to destroy another human being deemed unwanted. This compromises the very meaning of our struggle for the sake of the environment. It is no coincidence that, in the canticle in which Saint Francis praises God for his creatures, he goes on to say: “Praised be you my Lord, through those who give pardon for your love.” Everything is connected. Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society. |
| 92 | Ceterum, quum ad universalem communionem patet cor, nihil ac nemo a tali fraternitate distrahitur. Quocirca verum quoque est neglegentiam vel immanitatem adversus alias hujus mundi creaturas quodammodo in homines tractandos semper recidere. Cor unum est atque eadem miseria, quæ ad animal vexandum inducit, mox in aliis convenientibus personis manifestabitur. Quodvis cujuslibet creaturæ tormentum “humanæ dignitati est contrarium.”[69] Personæ putari non possumus quæ vere amant, si e nostris studiis realitatis partem detrahimus: “Pax, justitia et creati tutela tres sunt res inter se prorsus cohærentes, quæ separari non possunt, ita ut sejunctim considerentur, nisi ad extenuatam rationem cogitandi denuo perveniatur.”[70] Omnia inter se conexa et apta sunt, atque nos omnes homines ut fratres sororesque in mira quadam peregrinatione conjungimur, amore devincti, quem in unamquemque creaturam Deus infundit, et qui nos in vicem conjungit, blando affectu, fratri soli, sorori lunæ, fratri flumini ac matri terræ. | Moreover, when our hearts are authentically open to universal communion, this sense of fraternity excludes nothing and no one. It follows that our indifference or cruelty towards fellow creatures of this world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to other human beings. We have only one heart, and the same wretchedness which leads us to mistreat an animal will not be long in showing itself in our relationships with other people. Every act of cruelty towards any creature is “contrary to human dignity.”[69] We can hardly consider ourselves to be fully loving if we disregard any aspect of reality: “Peace, justice and the preservation of creation are three absolutely interconnected themes, which cannot be separated and treated individually without once again falling into reductionism.”[70] Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river and mother earth. |
| VI. BONA CUNCTIS COMMUNICANTUR | VI. THE COMMON DESTINATION OF GOODS | |
| 93 | Hodie inter credentes ac non credentes convenit terram potissimum commune esse patrimonium, cujus fructus omnium commoditati destinari debent. Credentibus est id fidelitatis aliquid erga Creatorem, quoniam pro omnibus creavit mundum Deus. Quapropter cuncta œcologica tractatio propositum sociale complecti debet, quod præcipua debiliorum servet jura. Quod privata proprietas postferatur bonis cunctis destinatis, ideoque jus universale habetur eis fruendi, exstat “aurea regula” socialis actionis atque “primum principium rei ethicæ socialis.”[71] Christiana traditio nunquam absolutum inviolabileque agnovit jus privatæ proprietatis, atque sociale munus extulit cujusvis privatæ proprietatis generis. Sanctus Joannes Paulus II hanc doctrinam graviter in memoriam revocavit: “Deus terram dedit universo humano generi ut ea omnia hujus membra sustentaret, nullo excluso nullo anteposito.”[72] Densa graviaque sunt verba. Idem liquidius addidit: “Nec vere dignum homine esset genus progressionis, quod hominis jura, personam, societatem, œconomiam et artem rei publicæ administrandæ, simulque Nationum et populorum jura non coleret nec proveheret.”[73] Perlucide explanavit “Ecclesiam utique legitimum privatæ proprietatis jus tueri, at nec minore perspicuitate docere in omni privata proprietate inesse sociale officium, quoniam bona generali proposito inserviunt, quam eis dedit Deus.”[74] Idcirco ait “non ad Dei consilium pertinere hoc donum ministrare ita ut ejus beneficia tantummodo in utilitatem paucorum recidant.”[75] Hoc iniquas consuetudines alicujus humanitatis partis in grave discrimen adducit.[76] | Whether believers or not, we are agreed today that the earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone. For believers, this becomes a question of fidelity to the Creator, since God created the world for everyone. Hence every ecological approach needs to incorporate a social perspective which takes into account the fundamental rights of the poor and the underprivileged. The principle of the subordination of private property to the universal destination of goods, and thus the right of everyone to their use, is a golden rule of social conduct and “the first principle of the whole ethical and social order.”[71] The Christian tradition has never recognized the right to private property as absolute or inviolable, and has stressed the social purpose of all forms of private property. Saint John Paul II forcefully reaffirmed this teaching, stating that “God gave the earth to the whole human race for the sustenance of all its members, without excluding or favoring anyone.”[72] These are strong words. He noted that “a type of development which did not respect and promote human rights – personal and social, economic and political, including the rights of nations and of peoples – would not be really worthy of man.”[73] He clearly explained that “the Church does indeed defend the legitimate right to private property, but she also teaches no less clearly that there is always a social mortgage on all private property, in order that goods may serve the general purpose that God gave them.”[74] Consequently, he maintained, “it is not in accord with God’s plan that this gift be used in such a way that its benefits favor only a few.”[75] This calls into serious question the unjust habits of a part of humanity.[76] |
| 94 | Dives ac pauper eadem dignitate fruuntur, quia “utriusque operator est Dominus” (Prv 22,2), “pusillum et magnum ipse fecit” (Sap 6,7), et “solem suum oriri facit super malos et bonos” (Mt 5,45). E quo id re similiter consequitur quod Paraguaiani Episcopi edixerunt: “Quisque agricola naturali fruitur jure congruam agri partem possidendi, ubi suam domum exstruere, se operando suamque familiam sustentare atque suam ætatem tuto agere possit. Tale jus præstari oportet ut ejus usus non sit vanus sed realis. Quod, præter proprietatis titulum, secum fert agricolam instrumentis frui debere technicæ educationis, pecuniarum commoditatibus, cautionibus et mercandi facultate.”[77] | The rich and the poor have equal dignity, for “the Lord is the maker of them all” (Prov 22:2). “He himself made both small and great” (Wis 6:7), and “he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good” (Mt 5:45). This has practical consequences, such as those pointed out by the bishops of Paraguay: “Every campesino has a natural right to possess a reasonable allotment of land where he can establish his home, work for subsistence of his family and a secure life. This right must be guaranteed so that its exercise is not illusory but real. That means that apart from the ownership of property, rural people must have access to means of technical education, credit, insurance, and markets.”[77] |
| 95 | Ambitus bonum est commune, totius humanitatis patrimonium, cujus omnes sunt responsales. Qui illius habet partem, administrator est tantum in cunctorum beneficium. Si id non facimus, conscientiam pondere oneramus aliorum exsistentiam negandi. Idcirco Novæ Zelandiæ Episcopi quæsiverunt quid significaret mandatum “non occides,” quum “vicenæ centesimæ orbis populorum ita absumerent opes, ut pauperibus Nationibus futurisque generationibus victui necessaria abriperent.”[78] | The natural environment is a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility of everyone. If we make something our own, it is only to administer it for the good of all. If we do not, we burden our consciences with the weight of having denied the existence of others. That is why the New Zealand bishops asked what the commandment “Thou shall not kill” means when “twenty percent of the world’s population consumes resources at a rate that robs the poor nations and future generations of what they need to survive.”[78] |
| VII. JESU CONTUITUS | VII. THE GAZE OF JESUS | |
| 96 | Biblicam fidem in Deum creatorem sibi sumit Jesus et præcipuum quiddam extollit: Deus est Pater (cfr Mt 11,25). Cum suis colloquens discipulis, eosdem ad paternam necessitudinem agnoscendam invitabat, quam Deus omnibus cum suis creaturis habet, atque ipsis moventi blandimento memorabat quomodo suos ob oculos unaquæque earum magnum habeat pondus: “Nonne quinque passeres veneunt dipundio? Et unus ex illis non est in oblivione coram Deo” (Lc 12,6). “Respicite volatilia cæli, quoniam non serunt neque metunt neque congregant in horrea, et Pater vester cælestis pascit illa” (Mt 6,26). | Jesus took up the biblical faith in God the Creator, emphasizing a fundamental truth: God is Father (cf. Mt 11:25). In talking with his disciples, Jesus would invite them to recognize the paternal relationship God has with all his creatures. With moving tenderness he would remind them that each one of them is important in God’s eyes: “Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God” (Lk 12:6). “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them” (Mt 6:26). |
| 97 | Alios invitare ad pulchritudinem, in mundo præsentem, spectandam poterat Dominus, quandoquidem ipse subinde naturæ proximus erat, quam magno affectu obstupefactus respiciebat. Quum quæque terræ suæ loca lustraret, pulchritudinem a Patre suo satam contemplabatur, et discipulos invitabat in rebus ad divinum nuntium agnoscendum: “Levate oculos vestros et videte regiones quia albæ sunt ad messem” (Jo 4,35). “Simile est regnum cælorum grano sinapis, quod accipiens homo seminavit in agro suo. Quod minimum quidem est omnibus seminibus; quum autem creverit, majus est holeribus et fit arbor” (Mt 13,31-32). | The Lord was able to invite others to be attentive to the beauty that there is in the world because he himself was in constant touch with nature, lending it an attention full of fondness and wonder. As he made his way throughout the land, he often stopped to contemplate the beauty sown by his Father, and invited his disciples to perceive a divine message in things: “Lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest” (Jn 4:35). “The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but once it has grown, it is the greatest of plants” (Mt 13:31-32). |
| 98 | Jesus plena cum creaturis concordia vivebat, et alii mirabantur: “Qualis est hic, quia et venti et mare obœdiunt ei?” (Mt 8,27). Non conspiciebatur asceta a mundo sejunctus aut gratarum terræ rerum inimicus. De se ipse ajebat: “Venit Filius hominis manducans et bibens, et dicunt: « Ecce homo vorax et potator vini »” (Mt 11,19). Alienus erat a doctrinis philosophicis quæ corpus, materiam et hujus mundi res spernebant. Attamen insani hi dualismi apud nonnullos christianos doctos annorum decursu magnum habuerunt pondus, atque Evangelium depravarunt. Jesus suis manibus operabatur, cottidie materiam a Deo creatam tangens, ut eam gnarus artifex informaret. Nota est dignum majorem ejus vitæ partem hoc munere esse peractam, in modica quadam exsistentia, nulla admiratione affecta: “Nonne iste est faber, filius Mariæ?” (Mc 6,3). Opus sic sanctificavit eique ad nostrum provectum peculiare tribuit bonum. Sanctus Joannes Paulus II docuit: “Homo igitur, laboris fatigationem una cum Christo pro nobis cruci affixo perferens, operatur quodam modo simul cum Dei Filio ad generis humani redemptionem.”[79] | Jesus lived in full harmony with creation, and others were amazed: “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” (Mt 8:27). His appearance was not that of an ascetic set apart from the world, nor of an enemy to the pleasant things of life. Of himself he said: “The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard!’” (Mt 11:19). He was far removed from philosophies which despised the body, matter and the things of the world. Such unhealthy dualisms, nonetheless, left a mark on certain Christian thinkers in the course of history and disfigured the Gospel. Jesus worked with his hands, in daily contact with the matter created by God, to which he gave form by his craftsmanship. It is striking that most of his life was dedicated to this task in a simple life which awakened no admiration at all: “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?” (Mk 6:3). In this way he sanctified human labor and endowed it with a special significance for our development. As Saint John Paul II taught, “by enduring the toil of work in union with Christ crucified for us, man in a way collaborates with the Son of God for the redemption of humanity.”[79] |
| 99 | Ad christiano more realitatem intellegendam, totius creationis sors e Christi mysterio pendet, qui inde ab omnium rerum ortu astat: “Omnia per ipsum et in ipsum creata sunt” (Col 1,16).[80] Evangelii Joannis prologus (1,1-18) creatricem Christi operositatem ostendit, quippe qui sit divinum Verbum (Logos). At prologus hic admirationem movet eo quod asserit: “Verbum caro factum est” (Jo 1,14). Trinitatis Persona in universum creatum se immisit, suam sortem participans usque ad crucem. Inde a mundi origine, at peculiari modo ab incarnatione, Christi mysterium intra naturæ realitatem tecte operatur, servans tamen ejus autonomiam. | In the Christian understanding of the world, the destiny of all creation is bound up with the mystery of Christ, present from the beginning: “All things have been created though him and for him” (Col 1:16).[80] The prologue of the Gospel of John (1:1-18) reveals Christ’s creative work as the Divine Word (Logos). But then, unexpectedly, the prologue goes on to say that this same Word “became flesh” (Jn 1:14). One Person of the Trinity entered into the created cosmos, throwing in his lot with it, even to the cross. From the beginning of the world, but particularly through the incarnation, the mystery of Christ is at work in a hidden manner in the natural world as a whole, without thereby impinging on its autonomy. |
| 100 | Novum Testamentum non modo de terrestri Jesu ejusque prorsus certa amabilique cum rebus necessitudine loquitur. Ipsum etiam resuscitatum gloriosumque ostendit, in toto creato Ejus per universalem dominatum præsentem: “in ipso complacuit omnem plenitudinem habitare et per eum reconciliare omnia in ipsum, pacificans per sanguinem crucis ejus, sive quæ in terris sive quæ in cælis sunt” (Col 1,19-20). Quod ad novissima tempora nos projicit, quum Filius omnia Patri tradet, “ut sit Deus omnia in omnibus” (1Cor 15,28). Tali modo, hujus mundi creaturæ non jam ostenduntur sicut mera naturæ realitas, quia Resuscitatus arcane eas involvit easque ad plenitudinis statum dirigit. Ipsi campi flores et aves quæ stupens suos per oculos est contemplatus, nunc Ejus lucida præsentia replentur. | The New Testament does not only tell us of the earthly Jesus and his tangible and loving relationship with the world. It also shows him risen and glorious, present throughout creation by his universal Lordship: “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross” (Col 1:19-20). This leads us to direct our gaze to the end of time, when the Son will deliver all things to the Father, so that “God may be everything to every one” (1 Cor 15:28). Thus, the creatures of this world no longer appear to us under merely natural guise because the risen One is mysteriously holding them to himself and directing them towards fullness as their end. The very flowers of the field and the birds which his human eyes contemplated and admired are now imbued with his radiant presence. |
| HUMANA ŒCOLOGICI DISCRIMINIS RADIX | CHAPTER THREE THE HUMAN ROOTS OF THE ECOLOGICAL CRISIS | |
| 101 | Nihil nos juvabit indicia describere, si œcologici discriminis humanam radicem haud agnoverimus. Adest modus hominis vitam actionemque intellegendi qui aberravit atque rebus contradicit usque ad eas corrumpendas. Cur non possumus sistere ut de hoc cogitemus? Hac in consideratione proponimus ut præcipuum paradigma technocraticum inspiciamus atque locum quem in eo habet homo ejusque actio in mundo. | It would hardly be helpful to describe symptoms without acknowledging the human origins of the ecological crisis. A certain way of understanding human life and activity has gone awry, to the serious detriment of the world around us. Should we not pause and consider this? At this stage, I propose that we focus on the dominant technocratic paradigm and the place of human beings and of human action in the world. |
| I. TECHNOLOGIA: CREATIVITAS ET POTESTAS | I. TECHNOLOGY: CREATIVITY AND POWER | |
| 102 | Genus humanum novum ævum ingressum est ubi technologiæ dominium nobis binam optionem præbet. Heredes sumus duorum sæculorum in quibus ingentes series habentur mutationum in re technica: machinamentum motorium vapore actum, ferrivia, telegraphum, electrica vis, autocinetum, aëroplanum, industriæ chimicæ, medicina hodierna, disciplina informatica ac recentiore tempore digitalis rerum commutatio, ars robotica, biotechnologiæ et nanotechnologiæ. Justum est gaudere his progressibus et in animo excitari propter amplas facultates quas nobis important hæ constantes novitates, quia “scientia et technologia sunt fructus mirabilis humanæ operæ creatricis a Deo datæ.”[81] Naturam transformare utilitatis causa proprium est humani generis ejus ab ortu, et hoc modo technica ars “hominis animum, qui ad quasdam materiales condiciones gradatim superandas tendit, patefacit.”[82] Technologia finem imposuit plurimis malis qui hominem affligebant et coërcebant. Magni æstimare debemus gratiasque agere pro technica progressione, præsertim in medicina, disciplina machinali et in nuntiis vulgandis. Quidni agnoscamus conatus multorum scientiæ ac technicæ cultorum qui reppererunt optiones pro tolerabili progressione? | Humanity has entered a new era in which our technical prowess has brought us to a crossroads. We are the beneficiaries of two centuries of enormous waves of change: steam engines, railways, the telegraph, electricity, automobiles, airplanes, chemical industries, modern medicine, information technology and, more recently, the digital revolution, robotics, biotechnologies and nanotechnologies. It is right to rejoice in these advances and to be excited by the immense possibilities which they continue to open up before us, for “science and technology are wonderful products of a God-given human creativity.”[81] The modification of nature for useful purposes has distinguished the human family from the beginning; technology itself “expresses the inner tension that impels man gradually to overcome material limitations.”[82] Technology has remedied countless evils which used to harm and limit human beings. How can we not feel gratitude and appreciation for this progress, especially in the fields of medicine, engineering and communications? How could we not acknowledge the work of many scientists and engineers who have provided alternatives to make development sustainable? |
| 103 | Bene ordinata technoscientia non solum res magni pretii revera efficere potest ut melior reddatur humanæ vitæ qualitas, incipiendo a domesticis rebus usque ad magna vehicula, pontes, ædificia, publicos locos. Pulchrum etiam gignere valet atque hominem materiali mundo involutum ad pulchritudinis ambitum projicere. Num negari potest aëroplani aut quorundam cæliscalpiorum species? Sunt quædam picturæ et musicæ pretiosa opera per usum novorum technicorum instrumentorum effecta. Hoc modo a pulchritudinis artificis desiderio nec non ab illo qui eam contemplatur pulchritudinem ad quandam vere humanam plenitudinem pervenitur. | Technoscience, when well directed, can produce important means of improving the quality of human life, from useful domestic appliances to great transportation systems, bridges, buildings and public spaces. It can also produce art and enable men and women immersed in the material world to “leap” into the world of beauty. Who can deny the beauty of an aircraft or a skyscraper? Valuable works of art and music now make use of new technologies. So, in the beauty intended by the one who uses new technical instruments and in the contemplation of such beauty, a quantum leap occurs, resulting in a fulfilment which is uniquely human. |
| 104 | Attamen ignorare non possumus atomicam vim, biotechnologiam, disciplinam informaticam, ipsius nostri DNA, compendiariis litteris sic appellati, cognitionem aliasque facultates quas acquisivimus, nobis formidandum imperium præbere. Quin immo, eis qui cognitionem detinent ac præsertim ea utendi dominatum œconomicum, eæ permagnum dominationem præbent super totum humanum genus superque mundum universum. Homines nunquam tale imperium super se ipsi habuerunt, atque nulla cautio datur eos bene illud adhibituros, in primis si consideratur quomodo illo utantur. Satis est recordari pyrobolos atomicos vicesimo ipso sæculo dejectos tanquam magnam technologiæ ostentationem a Nazistis, Communistis, ceterisque tyrannicis regiminibus effectam ad innumeros homines necandos, nec obliviscendum est hodie ad bellum præsto esse instrumenta magis magisque mortifera. Cujus est cujusque in manus potest incidere tantum imperium? Perniciosum est periculum ne illud ad parvam humani generis partem pertinere possit. | Yet it must also be recognized that nuclear energy, biotechnology, information technology, knowledge of our DNA, and many other abilities which we have acquired, have given us tremendous power. More precisely, they have given those with the knowledge, and especially the economic resources to use them, an impressive dominance over the whole of humanity and the entire world. Never has humanity had such power over itself, yet nothing ensures that it will be used wisely, particularly when we consider how it is currently being used. We need but think of the nuclear bombs dropped in the middle of the twentieth century, or the array of technology which Nazism, Communism and other totalitarian regimes have employed to kill millions of people, to say nothing of the increasingly deadly arsenal of weapons available for modern warfare. In whose hands does all this power lie, or will it eventually end up? It is extremely risky for a small part of humanity to have it. |
| 105 | Facile creditur “quodlibet potestatis incrementum utique progressum constituere, securitatis augmentum, utilitatis, beneficii, vitalis vigoris, bonorum plenitudinis,”[83] proinde ac si realitas, bonum et veritas sponte emanent ipsa e technologiæ et œconomiæ potentia. Attamen “homo hodiernus haud est paratus ad potentiam prudenter utendam,”[84] quoniam immensum technologiæ incrementum non comitabatur humanæ personæ progressio, quod ad responsalitatem, bona et conscientiam attinet. Quæque ætas excolere studet quandam exiguam sui conscientiam suos agnoscendi limites. Hanc ob rationem fieri potest ut hodie genus humanum provocationum quæ assunt gravitatem haud percipiat, atque “facultas hominis imperium male adhibendi constanter augescit,” quum “libertatis normæ desunt, sed solum opinatæ utilitatis securitatisque sunt necessitates.”[85] Homo non est plane liber. Libertas ejus infirmatur quum ad cæcas vires rationis expertes, proximas necessitates, immodicum sui amorem, feritatem se tradit. Hoc sensu nudus est et expositus coram sua ipsa potestate quæ usque crescit, nulla habens elementa ad eam continendam. Ei præsto esse possunt quædam leves machinationes, tamen asserere possumus eum non habere prorsus solidam ethicam, culturam ac spiritalitatem quæ revera ei præbeant limitem eumque intra clarum sui ipsius dominatum contineant. | There is a tendency to believe that every increase in power means “an increase of ‘progress’ itself,” an advance in “security, usefulness, welfare and vigor; …an assimilation of new values into the stream of culture,”[83] as if reality, goodness and truth automatically flow from technological and economic power as such. The fact is that “contemporary man has not been trained to use power well,”[84] because our immense technological development has not been accompanied by a development in human responsibility, values and conscience. Each age tends to have only a meagre awareness of its own limitations. It is possible that we do not grasp the gravity of the challenges now before us. “The risk is growing day by day that man will not use his power as he should”; in effect, “power is never considered in terms of the responsibility of choice which is inherent in freedom” since its “only norms are taken from alleged necessity, from either utility or security.”[85] But human beings are not completely autonomous. Our freedom fades when it is handed over to the blind forces of the unconscious, of immediate needs, of self-interest, and of violence. In this sense, we stand naked and exposed in the face of our ever-increasing power, lacking the wherewithal to control it. We have certain superficial mechanisms, but we cannot claim to have a sound ethics, a culture and spirituality genuinely capable of setting limits and teaching clear-minded self-restraint. |
| II. GLOBALIZATIO TECHNOCRATICI PARADIGMATIS | II. THE GLOBALIZATION OF THE TECHNOCRATIC PARADIGM | |
| 106 | Primaria quæstio alia est, adhuc altior: nempe modus quo re genus humanum technologiam suscepit ejusque progressionem una cum quodam paradigmate unius formæ dimensionisque. Quo in paradigmate effertur conceptio subjecti quod progressive, in processu logico et rationali, comprehendit et sic possidet objectum extrarium. Hujusmodi subjectum explicatur per methodum scientificam, cum conexa experimentatione, quæ jam manifesta est quædam possidendi, dominandi et transformandi technica. Est æque ac si subjectum sit coram rebus informibus quod omnino præsto est ut ejus commodis aptentur. Semper homo naturam tractavit, sed longo tempore facultatibus ipsis rebus oblatis subvenit seseque accommodavit. De eis accipiendis agebatur quæ natura ipsa offerebat veluti manum porrigendo. E contra, nunc interest ut e rebus, quantum fieri potest, omnia extrahantur per hominis manus impositionem, qui ignorare aut oblivisci videtur res ipsas quas ante oculos habet. Quapropter homo et res cessaverunt sibi in amicitia auxiliari, et cœperunt vicissim inter se pugnare. Ab hoc facile transitur ad notionem incrementi sine finibus aut limitibus, quæ tam excitavit peritos doctrinæ œconomicæ, rei nummariæ et technologiæ. Hoc autem mendacium supponit bona terræ sine finibus præsto esse, quod ducit ad “eam exhauriendam” usque ad finem et ultra. Agitur de falsa conjectura, “exstare quantitatem sine limitibus energiæ rerumque adhibendarum, earum continuam regenerationem fieri posse atque perniciosos effectus pravi naturæ usus facile superari posse.”[86] | The basic problem goes even deeper: it is the way that humanity has taken up technology and its development according to an undifferentiated and one-dimensional paradigm. This paradigm exalts the concept of a subject who, using logical and rational procedures, progressively approaches and gains control over an external object. This subject makes every effort to establish the scientific and experimental method, which in itself is already a technique of possession, mastery and transformation. It is as if the subject were to find itself in the presence of something formless, completely open to manipulation. Men and women have constantly intervened in nature, but for a long time this meant being in tune with and respecting the possibilities offered by the things themselves. It was a matter of receiving what nature itself allowed, as if from its own hand. Now, by contrast, we are the ones to lay our hands on things, attempting to extract everything possible from them while frequently ignoring or forgetting the reality in front of us. Human beings and material objects no longer extend a friendly hand to one another; the relationship has become confrontational. This has made it easy to accept the idea of infinite or unlimited growth, which proves so attractive to economists, financiers and experts in technology. It is based on the lie that there is an infinite supply of the earth’s goods, and this leads to the planet being squeezed dry beyond every limit. It is the false notion that “an infinite quantity of energy and resources are available, that it is possible to renew them quickly, and that the negative effects of the exploitation of the natural order can be easily absorbed.”[86] |
| 107 | Affirmare igitur possumus plurimas hodierni mundi difficultates oriri præsertim e propensione, cujus haud semper conscii sumus, ad quam methodologia et technoscientiæ incepta disponuntur secundum comprehensionis paradigma quod personarum vitam ac societatis agendi rationem afficit. Hujus exemplaris adhibiti effectus, ad omnem realitatem, humanam socialemque pertinentes, in ambitus degradatione reperiuntur, quæ tamen signum est tantum reductionis motus qui humanam vitam societatemque afficit omnibus earum in rationibus. Agnoscere oportet res a technica factas indifferentes non esse, quoniam rete efficiunt quod demum vitæ formas inducit et sociales possibilitates in commoda dirigunt certorum dominatus cœtuum. Quædam selectiones, quæ mere instrumentales videntur, revera sunt selectiones quæ ad socialis vitæ genus attinent, quæ e voluntate explicatur. | It can be said that many problems of today’s world stem from the tendency, at times unconscious, to make the method and aims of science and technology an epistemological paradigm which shapes the lives of individuals and the workings of society. The effects of imposing this model on reality as a whole, human and social, are seen in the deterioration of the environment, but this is just one sign of a reductionism which affects every aspect of human and social life. We have to accept that technological products are not neutral, for they create a framework which ends up conditioning lifestyles and shaping social possibilities along the lines dictated by the interests of certain powerful groups. Decisions which may seem purely instrumental are in reality decisions about the kind of society we want to build. |
| 108 | Cogitari nequit ut aliud paradigma culturale teneatur atque technica ars adhibeatur uti tanquam merum instrumentum, quia hodie paradigma technocraticum sic dominatur, ut perdifficile sit ejus opes neglegere, et adhuc multo difficilius ejus opibus uti, quin ejus ratio nos non dominetur. Contra culturam agit qui vitæ formam seligit, sibi statuens quædam incepta suscipere, quæ saltem e parte esse possint sejuncta a technica, ab ejus impensis ejusque imperio quod omnia complectitur et ad gregem redigit. Re quidem vera technica sibi proponere solet ut ne aliquid extra ejus strictissimam logicam maneat, et “homo qui ejus primas sustinet partes scit eam ad extremum minime dirigi ad utilitatem nec beneficium, sed ad dominationem — dominationem quidem strictissimo verbi adhibito sensu.”[87] Quapropter ille “conatur tam naturæ quam humanæ vitæ elementa complecti.”[88] Extenuantur sic facultas decernendi, verior libertas et optivæ hominum creatricis operæ locus. | The idea of promoting a different cultural paradigm and employing technology as a mere instrument is nowadays inconceivable. The technological paradigm has become so dominant that it would be difficult to do without its resources and even more difficult to utilize them without being dominated by their internal logic. It has become countercultural to choose a lifestyle whose goals are even partly independent of technology, of its costs and its power to globalize and make us all the same. Technology tends to absorb everything into its ironclad logic, and those who are surrounded with technology “know full well that it moves forward in the final analysis neither for profit nor for the well-being of the human race,” that “in the most radical sense of the term power is its motive — a lordship over all.”[87] As a result, “man seizes hold of the naked elements of both nature and human nature.”[88] Our capacity to make decisions, a more genuine freedom and the space for each one’s alternative creativity are diminished. |
| 109 | Paradigma technocraticum tendit ad suum imperium etiam super œconomiam et rem politicam exercendum. Œconomia omnem technologicam progressionem recipit, ut lucrum consequatur, nulla habita attentione ad negativa consectaria hominibus quæ evenire possunt. Res nummaria realem œconomiam demergit. Nihil a discrimine pecuniario mundiali homines didicerunt ac perquam lente ab ambitali detrimento. In quibusdam cœtibus asseritur hodiernam œconomiam atque technologiam soluturas esse omnes ambitus quæstiones, eodem modo ac asseritur, per sermonem haud academicum, famis inopiæque in mundo quæstiones solutum iri utique per mercati augmentum. Non agitur de quadam re theoriarum œconomicarum, quas fortasse hodie nemo defendere audet, sed de earum collocatione in activa œconomiæ progressione. Qui illud verbis non affirmant, sustinent hoc factis, quum haud solliciti videntur de æqua productionis extensione, divitiarum meliore distributione, responsali ambitus cura vel futurarum generationum juribus tuendis. Suis quidem moribus confirmant sibi maxima lucra consequenda sufficere. Solus tamen mercatus integram humanam progressionem socialemque inclusionem non præstat.[89] Interea homines “fruuntur quadam specie sumptuosi et immoderati superprogressus qui improbanda ratione adversatur permanenti infrahumanæ egestatis condicioni,”[90] dum non satis celeriter apparantur institutiones œconomicæ et normæ sociales quæ pauperioribus subinde ad fundamentales opes accedere sinant. Denique non satis intellegitur quæ sint altiores hodiernarum inæqualitatum radices, quæ cum directione conjunguntur, finibus, sensu socialique contextu technologici et œconomici incrementi. | The technocratic paradigm also tends to dominate economic and political life. The economy accepts every advance in technology with a view to profit, without concern for its potentially negative impact on human beings. Finance overwhelms the real economy. The lessons of the global financial crisis have not been assimilated, and we are learning all too slowly the lessons of environmental deterioration. Some circles maintain that current economics and technology will solve all environmental problems, and argue, in popular and non-technical terms, that the problems of global hunger and poverty will be resolved simply by market growth. They are less concerned with certain economic theories which today scarcely anybody dares defend, than with their actual operation in the functioning of the economy. They may not affirm such theories with words, but nonetheless support them with their deeds by showing no interest in more balanced levels of production, a better distribution of wealth, concern for the environment and the rights of future generations. Their behavior shows that for them maximizing profits is enough. Yet by itself the market cannot guarantee integral human development and social inclusion.[89] At the same time, we have “a sort of ‘superdevelopment’ of a wasteful and consumerist kind which forms an unacceptable contrast with the ongoing situations of dehumanizing deprivation,”[90] while we are all too slow in developing economic institutions and social initiatives which can give the poor regular access to basic resources. We fail to see the deepest roots of our present failures, which have to do with the direction, goals, meaning and social implications of technological and economic growth. |
| 110 | Singulare technologiæ studium secum fert magnam difficultatem cernendi totam rem. Scientiarum fragmentatio tum suum explet munus quum certas consequitur applicationes, sed sæpius sensum universalitatis amittit, vinculorum quæ inter res intercedunt, ampli campi, qui inanis fit. Hoc ipsum obstat quominus inveniantur congruæ viæ ad magis implicatas nostri temporis mundi quæstiones expediendas, potissimum ad ambitum ac pauperes pertinentes, quæ geri nequeunt ab uno tantum conspiciendi loco vel commodo. Scientia quæ præsumit magnas quæstiones solvere, necesse est comprehendat omnia quæ generavit cognitio aliis in scientiæ partibus, inclusa philosophia et ethica sociali. Attamen hodie hic mentis habitus difficulter explicari potest. Qua de causa ne agnosci quidem possunt veri ethici fines ad quos referri necesse est. Vita fit se tradere circumstantiis pendentibus a technica, quæ consideratur veluti primum subsidium ad exsistentiam interpretandam. In realitate certa quæ nos provocat, varia signa exstant errorem monstrantia, sicut ambitus detrimentum, anxietas, vitæ et consortii sensus amissio. Sic iterum demonstratur “realitatem superiorem esse notione.”[91] | The specialization which belongs to technology makes it difficult to see the larger picture. The fragmentation of knowledge proves helpful for concrete applications, and yet it often leads to a loss of appreciation for the whole, for the relationships between things, and for the broader horizon, which then becomes irrelevant. This very fact makes it hard to find adequate ways of solving the more complex problems of today’s world, particularly those regarding the environment and the poor; these problems cannot be dealt with from a single perspective or from a single set of interests. A science which would offer solutions to the great issues would necessarily have to take into account the data generated by other fields of knowledge, including philosophy and social ethics; but this is a difficult habit to acquire today. Nor are there genuine ethical horizons to which one can appeal. Life gradually becomes a surrender to situations conditioned by technology, itself viewed as the principal key to the meaning of existence. In the concrete situation confronting us, there are a number of symptoms which point to what is wrong, such as environmental degradation, anxiety, a loss of the purpose of life and of community living. Once more we see that “realities are more important than ideas.”[91] |
| 111 | Œcologica cultura redigi nequit ad seriem urgentium partialiumque responsionum ad quæstiones quæ oriuntur de ambitus degradatione, naturalium opum absumptione atque contaminatione. Diversa fieri debet visio, mens quædam, ratio politica, inceptum educativum, vitæ habitus et spiritalitas quæ impedimento sint progredienti paradigmati technocratico. Aliter etiam meliora œcologica incepta demum concludi possunt eadem logica globalizata. Quærere solummodo remedium technicum omni ambitus negotio quod apparet, significat res in realitate conjunctas segregare et veras altioresque systematis mundialis quæstiones occultare. | Ecological culture cannot be reduced to a series of urgent and partial responses to the immediate problems of pollution, environmental decay and the depletion of natural resources. There needs to be a distinctive way of looking at things, a way of thinking, policies, an educational programme, a lifestyle and a spirituality which together generate resistance to the assault of the technocratic paradigm. Otherwise, even the best ecological initiatives can find themselves caught up in the same globalized logic. To seek only a technical remedy to each environmental problem which comes up is to separate what is in reality interconnected and to mask the true and deepest problems of the global system. |
| 112 | Procul dubio fieri potest ut conspectus rursus amplificetur, et humana libertas technicam artem continere valeat, eam dirigere atque disponere ut inserviat alterius generis progressioni, saniori, magis humanæ, sociali integræque. Liberatio a dominanti technocratico paradigmate re accidit quibusdam in occasionibus. Exempli gratia, quum parvorum fabricatorum societates systemata productionis minus inquinantia suscipiunt, sustinentes vitæ, gaudii necnon vitæ communis genus, a nimia consumptione aversum. Vel quum technica ars dirigitur ante omnia ad aliorum realia negotia solvenda, addito proposito adjuvandi alios ut majore cum dignitate et minore ægritudine vivant. Vel etiam quum intentio creatrix pulchritudinis ejusque contemplatio re superare valent potestatem hominem in objectum redigentem in quandam salutis speciem quæ efficitur in pulchritudine et in persona illud contemplante. Humanitas authentica, quæ ad novam synthesim invitat, videtur in media technologica civilitate clam sistere, tanquam nebula quæ per clausam januam transit. Eritne permanens promissio, quæ nihilominus oritur tanquam obstinata resistentia illius quod est authenticum? | Yet we can once more broaden our vision. We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology; we can put it at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral. Liberation from the dominant technocratic paradigm does in fact happen sometimes, for example, when cooperatives of small producers adopt less polluting means of production, and opt for a non-consumerist model of life, recreation and community. Or when technology is directed primarily to resolving people’s concrete problems, truly helping them live with more dignity and less suffering. Or indeed when the desire to create and contemplate beauty manages to overcome reductionism through a kind of salvation which occurs in beauty and in those who behold it. An authentic humanity, calling for a new synthesis, seems to dwell in the midst of our technological culture, almost unnoticed, like a mist seeping gently beneath a closed door. Will the promise last, in spite of everything, with all that is authentic rising up in stubborn resistance? |
| 113 | Ceterum, homines haud credere amplius videntur in felix futurum tempus, non confidunt cæce crastinum diem futurum meliorem, initium sumendo ab hodiernis mundi condicionibus præsentibusque technicæ facultatibus. Conscii sunt scientiæ artisque technicæ progressum idem non esse ac humani generis historiæque progressum, et perspiciunt alias esse vias fundamentales ad futurum felix ævum. Attamen homines minime putant se abjicere velle quæ technologia offert. Genus humanum penitus mutatum est, et novarum rerum cumulus fugacitatem consecrat quæ superficiali modo in unam directionem nos trahit. Sistere difficile fit ut vitæ altitudo recuperetur. Si architectura animum cujusdam ætatis reddit, ingentes structuræ et domus ordinatim dispositæ spiritum artis technicæ globalizatæ exprimunt, in qua permanens rerum confectarum novitas cum gravi tædio conjungitur. Ne feramus hoc æquo animo neve recusemus quæstiones nobis ponere de cujusque rei finibus et sensu. Aliter tantummodo vigentem condicionem comprobaremus et rerum succedanearum plus ad vacuum ferendum opus esset. | There is also the fact that people no longer seem to believe in a happy future; they no longer have blind trust in a better tomorrow based on the present state of the world and our technical abilities. There is a growing awareness that scientific and technological progress cannot be equated with the progress of humanity and history, a growing sense that the way to a better future lies elsewhere. This is not to reject the possibilities which technology continues to offer us. But humanity has changed profoundly, and the accumulation of constant novelties exalts a superficiality which pulls us in one direction. It becomes difficult to pause and recover depth in life. If architecture reflects the spirit of an age, our megastructures and drab apartment blocks express the spirit of globalized technology, where a constant flood of new products coexists with a tedious monotony. Let us refuse to resign ourselves to this, and continue to wonder about the purpose and meaning of everything. Otherwise we would simply legitimate the present situation and need new forms of escapism to help us endure the emptiness. |
| 114 | Quæ eveniunt nos in urgenti necessitate ponunt ut in animosam culturalem commutationem procedamus. Scientia et technologia non sunt indifferentes, sed implicare possunt, ab initio usque ad finem processus, varias intentiones ac possibilitates, et diversimode se conformare possunt. Nemo requirit ut ad ætatem cavernarum revertamus, tamen omnino necessarium est iter morari ut realitatem alio modo conspiciamus, certos et probabiles progressus colligamus simulque bona magnosque fines qui ob effrenationem gloriæ insane cupidam ad nihilum redacti sunt recuperemus. | All of this shows the urgent need for us to move forward in a bold cultural revolution. Science and technology are not neutral; from the beginning to the end of a process, various intentions and possibilities are in play and can take on distinct shapes. Nobody is suggesting a return to the Stone Age, but we do need to slow down and look at reality in a different way, to appropriate the positive and sustainable progress which has been made, but also to recover the values and the great goals swept away by our unrestrained delusions of grandeur. |
| III. DISCRIMEN ET CONSECTARIA MODERNI ANTHROPOCENTRISMI | III. THE CRISIS AND EFFECTS OF MODERN ANTHROPOCENTRISM | |
| 115. Anthropocentrismus modernus, præter opinationem, technicam rationem collocavit denique supra realitatem, quoniam hic homo “naturam jam non percipit tanquam validam normam, nec tanquam vivens refugium. Respicit eam haud hypothesin objective, veluti spatium et materiam ubi opera perficiatur in quam se immittat, eis neglectis quæ sint eventura.”[92] Hoc modo orbis intrinsecum infirmatur bonum. Si tamen homo suum verum locum non detegit, congruenti modo se ipsum non intellegit ac denique ipsi suæ naturæ adversatur. “Non solum terra a Deo homini data est, qui ea uti debet primigenium propositum observans pro quo ei tanquam bonum est data; sed etiam homo sibi ipsi a Deo datus est eique est ideo observanda structura naturalis et moralis qua est donatus.”[93] | Modern anthropocentrism has paradoxically ended up prizing technical thought over reality, since “the technological mind sees nature as an insensate order, as a cold body of facts, as a mere ‘given’, as an object of utility, as raw material to be hammered into useful shape; it views the cosmos similarly as a mere ‘space’ into which objects can be thrown with complete indifference.”[92] The intrinsic dignity of the world is thus compromised. When human beings fail to find their true place in this world, they misunderstand themselves and end up acting against themselves: “Not only has God given the earth to man, who must use it with respect for the original good purpose for which it was given, but, man too is God’s gift to man. He must therefore respect the natural and moral structure with which he has been endowed.”[93] | |
| 116 | Ætate moderna præstabilis anthropocentrica accessio facta est, quæ alio sub nomine hodie minari pergit omnem communem relatum omnemque conatum socialia vincula roborandi. Quapropter tempus advenit ut denuo attendamus realitati una cum limitibus quos ipsa imponit, qui vicissim juvare possunt progressum humanum et socialem salubriorem quidem fecundioremque. Christianæ anthropologiæ incongruens expositio effecit ut de hominis cum mundo consuetudine errata conceptio sustineretur. Pluries somnium Prometheicum super mundum dominatus translatum est propter quod naturæ curatio ad homines debiliores pertinere videbatur. E contrario hominis, universi quidem domini, conceptio recte retenta, ea est quæ ipsum officii conscium vult administratorem.[94] | Modernity has been marked by an excessive anthropocentrism which today, under another guise, continues to stand in the way of shared understanding and of any effort to strengthen social bonds. The time has come to pay renewed attention to reality and the limits it imposes; this in turn is the condition for a more sound and fruitful development of individuals and society. An inadequate presentation of Christian anthropology gave rise to a wrong understanding of the relationship between human beings and the world. Often, what was handed on was a Promethean vision of mastery over the world, which gave the impression that the protection of nature was something that only the faint-hearted cared about. Instead, our “dominion” over the universe should be understood more properly in the sense of responsible stewardship.[94] |
| 117 | Quod sollicitudo deest ut damna naturæ illata et impactio ambitalis consiliorum existimentur, tantum visibile signum est nullius voluntatis nuntium agnoscendi quem natura in ipsis suis structuris inscriptum fert. Quum in realitate ipsa non agnoscitur quod pondus habeant pauper, humanus embryo, persona inhabilis – ut quædam tantum exempla supponamus – difficulter clamores ipsius naturæ audientur. Omnia conectuntur. Si homo declarat se autonomum esse a realitate et se absolutum dominatorem constituit, ipsum fundamentum ejus exsistentiæ atteritur, quoniam “potius quam suo fungatur munere cooperatoris Dei in mundo creando, homo in Dei locum succedit, sicque naturæ concitat seditionem.”[95] | Neglecting to monitor the harm done to nature and the environmental impact of our decisions is only the most striking sign of a disregard for the message contained in the structures of nature itself. When we fail to acknowledge as part of reality the worth of a poor person, a human embryo, a person with disabilities – to offer just a few examples – it becomes difficult to hear the cry of nature itself; everything is connected. Once the human being declares independence from reality and behaves with absolute dominion, the very foundations of our life begin to crumble, for “instead of carrying out his role as a cooperator with God in the work of creation, man sets himself up in place of God and thus ends up provoking a rebellion on the part of nature.”[95] |
| 118 | Hæc condicio ducit nos ad constantem schizophreniam, quæ tum exaltationem technocraticam, in aliis creaturis eorum bonum haud agnoscentem, complectitur, tum utique reactionem hominis omne peculiare bonum negantem. Attamen humana natura præteriri nequit. Nova necessitudo cum natura non habebitur sine novo homine. Non datur œcologia sine congrua anthropologia. Quum humana persona tantum additum quiddam in alia consideratur, quæ casu oritur vel e quodam physico determinismo, “periculum est ne in personis responsalitatis conscientia extenuetur.”[96] Anthropocentrismus deviatus non debet necessario in quendam “biocentrismum” recidere, quum hoc importet novam inferendam æquilibrii deturbationem quæ non solum difficultates haud expediet, sed eis alias addet. Ab homine exigi non potest studium in mundum, nisi eodem tempore ejus cognitionis, voluntatis, libertatis et responsalitatis peculiares facultates agnoscuntur et extolluntur. | This situation has led to a constant schizophrenia, wherein a technocracy which sees no intrinsic value in lesser beings coexists with the other extreme, which sees no special value in human beings. But one cannot prescind from humanity. There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature without a renewal of humanity itself. There can be no ecology without an adequate anthropology. When the human person is considered as simply one being among others, the product of chance or physical determinism, then “our overall sense of responsibility wanes.”[96] A misguided anthropocentrism need not necessarily yield to “biocentrism,” for that would entail adding yet another imbalance, failing to solve present problems and adding new ones. Human beings cannot be expected to feel responsibility for the world unless, at the same time, their unique capacities of knowledge, will, freedom and responsibility are recognized and valued. |
| 119 | Deviati anthropocentrismi reprobatio necessitudinum inter personas momentum ne postponere quidem debet. Si œcologicum discrimen est patefactio vel extraria manifestatio ethici, culturalis et spiritalis ætatis modernæ discriminis, nostram relationem cum natura et ambitu sanare nequimus, nisi cunctæ necessitudines fundamentales hominis sanantur. Quum christiana mens vindicat in hominem peculiare bonum supra ceteras creaturas, locum præbet æstimationi cujusque personæ humanæ et hoc modo efficit ut alius agnoscatur. Ex eo quod ad “tu” patet, quum cognoscere, amare et colloqui possit, id maximam præstat personæ humanæ nobilitatem. Hac de causa ad congruam necessitudinem cum creato non est infirmanda socialis ratio hominis nec ejus ratio transcendens, ejus aperitio ad “Tu” divinum. Nam vinculum ambitus segregatum a necessitudinibus cum aliis personis et cum Deo proponi nequit. Hoc quidam individualismus romanticus esset, œcologica specie indutus, et artissima in immanentia interclusio. | Nor must the critique of a misguided anthropocentrism underestimate the importance of interpersonal relations. If the present ecological crisis is one small sign of the ethical, cultural and spiritual crisis of modernity, we cannot presume to heal our relationship with nature and the environment without healing all fundamental human relationships. Christian thought sees human beings as possessing a particular dignity above other creatures; it thus inculcates esteem for each person and respect for others. Our openness to others, each of whom is a “thou” capable of knowing, loving and entering into dialogue, remains the source of our nobility as human persons. A correct relationship with the created world demands that we not weaken this social dimension of openness to others, much less the transcendent dimension of our openness to the “Thou” of God. Our relationship with the environment can never be isolated from our relationship with others and with God. Otherwise, it would be nothing more than romantic individualism dressed up in ecological garb, locking us into a stifling immanence. |
| 120 | Quoniam omnia vinculis obstringuntur, ne conjungi quidem potest naturæ defensio cum abortus justificatione. Acceptabile non videtur iter educativum ad personas infirmas accipiendas quæ inter nos sunt, quæque nonnunquam molestæ vel importunæ sunt, quum embryo humanus non custoditur, etiamsi ejus adventus causa sit incommodorum et difficultatum: “Si amittitur personalis et socialis sensus novam vitam admittendi, aliæ etiam formæ admissionis ad vitam socialem idoneæ exarescunt.”[97] | Since everything is interrelated, concern for the protection of nature is also incompatible with the justification of abortion. How can we genuinely teach the importance of concern for other vulnerable beings, however troublesome or inconvenient they may be, if we fail to protect a human embryo, even when its presence is uncomfortable and creates difficulties? “If personal and social sensitivity towards the acceptance of the new life is lost, then other forms of acceptance that are valuable for society also wither away.”[97] |
| 121 | Adhuc novæ synthesis progressio exspectatur quæ superiorum sæculorum falsas dialecticas superet. Christiana ipsa religio, suæ identitati ac veritatis thesauro a Jesu Christo suscepto fidelis, usque noviter se considerat seque exprimit in dialogo cum novis historicis rerum adjunctis, sic efficiens, ut sua floreat æterna novitas.[98] | We need to develop a new synthesis capable of overcoming the false arguments of recent centuries. Christianity, in fidelity to its own identity and the rich deposit of truth which it has received from Jesus Christ, continues to reflect on these issues in fruitful dialogue with changing historical situations. In doing so, it reveals its eternal newness.[98] |
| Relativismus practicus | Practical relativism | |
| 122 | Anthropocentrismus depravatus dat locum vitæ generi depravato. In Adhortatione apostolica Evangelii gaudium de relativismo practico locuti sumus, qui nostram designat ætatem quique est “multo periculosior relativismo doctrinali.”[99] Quum homo in præcipuo loco se ipse collocet, absolutam præcedentiam nimirum dat suis proximis commoditatibus, omniaque reliqua relativa fiunt. Quapropter mirandum non est, quum ubique assit paradigma technocraticum et humanum imperium sine limitibus adoretur, simul progredi in personis hunc relativismum in quo omnia sint nullius momenti nisi proximis inserviunt propriis utilitatibus. In hoc quædam ratio invenitur quæ sinit intellegere quomodo aliæ alias alant variæ consuetudines eodem tempore facientes ambitus et societatis detrimentum. | A misguided anthropocentrism leads to a misguided lifestyle. In the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, I noted that the practical relativism typical of our age is “even more dangerous than doctrinal relativism.”[99] When human beings place themselves at the centre, they give absolute priority to immediate convenience and all else becomes relative. Hence we should not be surprised to find, in conjunction with the omnipresent technocratic paradigm and the cult of unlimited human power, the rise of a relativism which sees everything as irrelevant unless it serves one’s own immediate interests. There is a logic in all this whereby different attitudes can feed on one another, leading to environmental degradation and social decay. |
| 123 | Relativismi cultura eadem est pathologia quæ alterum compellit ut altero utatur eumque uti merum objectum tractet, eundem ad opera coacta obstringendo aut ob debitum ei servitutem imponendo. Eadem est logica quæ sexu ad parvulos abutendos inducit, vel ad seniores derelinquendos quippe qui utilitatibus propriis inutiles sint. Logica est etiam interior eorum qui affirmant: “Sinamus ut invisibiles mercatus vires œconomiam regant, quia eorum impulsus in societatem et naturam sunt damna quæ vitari nequeunt.” Si objectivæ veritates non dantur neque solida principia, præter voluntatem propriis optatibus ac proximis necessitatibus satisfaciendi, quosnam limites habere possunt homines venumdati, criminum factio, narcoticorum mercatus, comercium adamantium cruentatorum vel pellium periturorum animalium? Nonne eadem logica est relativismi quæ justificat organorum pauperum acquisitionem ut venumdentur aut experimenti causa adhibeantur, vel parvulos rejectos quoniam desideriis suorum parentum haud respondent? Eadem est sane logica illius “adhibe et projice,” quæ generat tot ejectamenta ob unum desiderium inordinatum consumendi plus quam re quispiam indiget. Ideo non possumus opinari politica incepta vel legis vim sufficere ut habitus vitentur qui ambitum contingunt, quia quum cultura corrumpitur nec amplius ulla agnoscitur objectiva veritas vel principia universaliter valida, leges tantum intellegentur tanquam arbitrariæ impositiones et obstacula vitanda. | The culture of relativism is the same disorder which drives one person to take advantage of another, to treat others as mere objects, imposing forced labor on them or enslaving them to pay their debts. The same kind of thinking leads to the sexual exploitation of children and abandonment of the elderly who no longer serve our interests. It is also the mindset of those who say: Let us allow the invisible forces of the market to regulate the economy, and consider their impact on society and nature as collateral damage. In the absence of objective truths or sound principles other than the satisfaction of our own desires and immediate needs, what limits can be placed on human trafficking, organized crime, the drug trade, commerce in blood diamonds and the fur of endangered species? Is it not the same relativistic logic which justifies buying the organs of the poor for resale or use in experimentation, or eliminating children because they are not what their parents wanted? This same “use and throw away” logic generates so much waste, because of the disordered desire to consume more than what is really necessary. We should not think that political efforts or the force of law will be sufficient to prevent actions which affect the environment because, when the culture itself is corrupt and objective truth and universally valid principles are no longer upheld, then laws can only be seen as arbitrary impositions or obstacles to be avoided. |
| Necessitas tuendi laboris | The need to protect employment | |
| 124 | In qualibet perscrutatione de œcologia integra quæ hominem non excludat, oportet pondus laboris addatur, tam sapienter a sancto Joanne Paulo II ejus in Litteris encyclicis Laborem exercens explanatum. Recordamur, secundum narrationem biblicam de creatione, Deum hominem in paradisum collocavisse modo creatum (cfr Gn 2,15) non solum ut ea quæ exsisterent curaret (custodiret), sed ut ibi operaretur (coleret) ad fructus gignendos. Hoc modo operarii et artifices « creaturam laboris confirmabunt » (Eccli 38,39). Re vera, humanum opus quod prudentem adjuvat progressionem creati, formam aptissimam constituit ad curam adhibendam de eo ipso, quia se ponit Dei instrumentum, ut virtutes manifestentur quas Ipse in res inseruit: “Altissimus creavit de terra medicamenta, et vir prudens non abhorrebit illa” (Eccli 18,4). | Any approach to an integral ecology, which by definition does not exclude human beings, needs to take account of the value of labor, as Saint John Paul II wisely noted in his Encyclical Laborem Exercens. According to the biblical account of creation, God placed man and woman in the garden he had created (cf. Gen 2:15) not only to preserve it (“keep”) but also to make it fruitful (“till”). Laborers and craftsmen thus “maintain the fabric of the world” (Sir 38:34). Developing the created world in a prudent way is the best way of caring for it, as this means that we ourselves become the instrument used by God to bring out the potential which he himself inscribed in things: “The Lord created medicines out of the earth, and a sensible man will not despise them” (Sir 38:4). |
| 125 | Si cogitamus quæ aptæ sint necessitudines hominis cum mundo qui eum circumdat, necessitas congruæ notionis laboris exstat, quia, si loquimur de necessitudine inter hominem et res, interrogatio proponitur de significatione et proposito actionis humanæ super realitate. Non loquimur solum de manuum opere vel de agro colendo, sed de qualibet industria quæ aliquam comportet transformationem rerum, ab elaboratione inquisitionis socialis usque ad inceptum cujusdam progressionis technologicæ. Quælibet forma operis notionem præsumit de necessitudine quam homo potest aut debet cum alio constituere. Spiritalitas christiana, simul cum admiratione contemplativa creaturarum quam apud sanctum Franciscum Assisiensem invenimus, copiosam etiam et sanam operis conceptionem explanavit, quam, exempli gratia, in vita beati Caroli de Foucauld ejusque discipulorum agnoscere possumus. | If we reflect on the proper relationship between human beings and the world around us, we see the need for a correct understanding of work; if we talk about the relationship between human beings and things, the question arises as to the meaning and purpose of all human activity. This has to do not only with manual or agricultural labor but with any activity involving a modification of existing reality, from producing a social report to the design of a technological development. Underlying every form of work is a concept of the relationship which we can and must have with what is other than ourselves. Together with the awe-filled contemplation of creation which we find in Saint Francis of Assisi, the Christian spiritual tradition has also developed a rich and balanced understanding of the meaning of work, as, for example, in the life of Blessed Charles de Foucauld and his followers. |
| 126 | Colligamus etiam quædam e diuturna traditione monastica, quæ initio fugam a mundo quodammodo affectavit, se subducens ab urbana corruptela. Hanc ob rem monachi solitudinem quærebant, sibi conscii aptum inibi se inventuros locum ad præsentiam Dei agnoscendam. Postea, sanctus Benedictus de Nursia voluit ut sui monachi in communitate viverent, orationem et studium conjungentes cum manuum opere (ora et labora). Ejusmodi introductio manuum operis, spiritali sensu imbuti, nova omnino apparuit. Maturitas et sanctificatio quærebantur in consociata opera inter meditationem et laborem. Ejusmodi laboris tractatio nos attentiores et observantiores reddit in ambitum et nostrum nexum cum mundo sana implet sobrietate. | We can also look to the great tradition of monasticism. Originally, it was a kind of flight from the world, an escape from the decadence of the cities. The monks sought the desert, convinced that it was the best place for encountering the presence of God. Later, Saint Benedict of Norcia proposed that his monks live in community, combining prayer and spiritual reading with manual labor (ora et labora). Seeing manual labor as spiritually meaningful proved revolutionary. Personal growth and sanctification came to be sought in the interplay of recollection and work. This way of experiencing work makes us more protective and respectful of the environment; it imbues our relationship to the world with a healthy sobriety. |
| 127 | Hoc confirmamus: “Homo enim totius vitæ œconomicæ-socialis auctor, centrum et finis est.”[100] Nihilominus, quum in homine capacitas contemplationis et obsequii amittitur, condiciones inducuntur ut operis notio deformetur.[101] Semper memorandum est hominem eodem tempore valere “in rerum temporalium regione, condicionem suam mutare in melius, profectum moralem suum persequi, spirituales dotes explicare.”[102] Oportet opus locus sit hujus multiplicis progressionis personalis, in qua multæ vitæ rationes agitantur: creandi ingenium, futuri prospectus, explicatio facultatum, bonorum exercitatio, cum aliis communicatio, adorationis consuetudo. Hanc ob rem, hodierni mundi realitas socialis, præter definitas utilitates societatum bonis gignendis atque controversæ rationis œconomicæ, postulat ut “pro omnibus promoveatur in primis propositum accedendi ad laborem eumque servandi.”[103] | We are convinced that “man is the source, the focus and the aim of all economic and social life.”[100] Nonetheless, once our human capacity for contemplation and reverence is impaired, it becomes easy for the meaning of work to be misunderstood.[101] We need to remember that men and women have “the capacity to improve their lot, to further their moral growth and to develop their spiritual endowments.”[102] Work should be the setting for this rich personal growth, where many aspects of life enter into play: creativity, planning for the future, developing our talents, living out our values, relating to others, giving glory to God. It follows that, in the reality of today’s global society, it is essential that “we continue to prioritize the goal of access to steady employment for everyone,”[103] no matter the limited interests of business and dubious economic reasoning. |
| 128 | Jam inde a nostra creatione ad opus vocamur. Non est nitendum ut progressio technologica plus plusque humanum substituat opus: si id ageret, genus humanum se ipsum læderet. Opus necessitas est, pars sensus vitæ hac in terra, iter maturitatis, progressionis hominis atque personalis perfectionis. Hoc posito, pauperes pecunia juvare semper debet solutio esse temporaria ad impellentibus necessitatibus subveniendum. Illud vero propositum semper est persequendum ut illi operantes dignam vitam exigant. Attamen œconomiæ directio progressionem technologicam conciliavit, quæ pretium productionis minuat, operariorum numero imminuto, quorum locum occupant machinamenta. Postremus hic modus demonstrat qua ratione navitas humana contra hominem ipsum se vertere possit. Locorum imminutio operandi “negativum infert incursum in ordinem œconomicum, per gradualem erosionem « patrimonii socialis », hoc est illius summæ necessitudinum fiduciæ, credibilitatis et observantiæ legum, quæ necessaria habentur ad quamlibet civilem consortionem.”[104] Denique “Humani sumptus sunt jugiter sumptus œconomici, et œconomicæ disfunctiones semper præ se ferunt insumptus quoque humanos.”[105] Desinere studere personis deferre ad majorem directum proventum accipiendum, pessimum est pro societate negotium. | We were created with a vocation to work. The goal should not be that technological progress increasingly replace human work, for this would be detrimental to humanity. Work is a necessity, part of the meaning of life on this earth, a path to growth, human development and personal fulfilment. Helping the poor financially must always be a provisional solution in the face of pressing needs. The broader objective should always be to allow them a dignified life through work. Yet the orientation of the economy has favored a kind of technological progress in which the costs of production are reduced by laying off workers and replacing them with machines. This is yet another way in which we can end up working against ourselves. The loss of jobs also has a negative impact on the economy “through the progressive erosion of social capital: the network of relationships of trust, dependability, and respect for rules, all of which are indispensable for any form of civil coexistence.”[104] In other words, “human costs always include economic costs, and economic dysfunctions always involve human costs.”[105] To stop investing in people, in order to gain greater short-term financial gain, is bad business for society. |
| 129 | Ut offerri usque possit opus, oportet œconomia promoveatur quæ foveat productionis diversitatem atque negotiorum creationis fecunditatem. Exempli gratia, magna exstat varietas rationis alimentariæ agricolarum et parvi gradus quæ majorem partem populorum mundi nutrire pergit, parvam adhibendo partem territorii et aquæ atque afferendo minora residua, sive in parvis agris, hortis, sive in venatione et fructuum silvarum collectione, sive in modicæ piscationis artificio. Œconomiæ scalarum, quæ dicuntur, potissimum in provincia agriculturæ, parvos student cogere agricolas ad eorum terras vendendas vel eorum translaticias culturas relinquendas. Aliquorum ex eis conatus alias productionis formas creandi, majore varietate definitas, in vanum irritumque recidunt propter difficultates ad mercatus regionales et globales accedendi vel ob substructionem venditionis et rei vectoriæ magnis societatibus inservientem. Auctoritatibus jus est atque responsalitas modos adhibendi manifesti et firmi adjumenti erga parvos productores atque varietatem productionis. Ut œconomica sit libertas a qua omnes realiter beneficium accipiant, nonnunquam necessarium est fines illis ponere quibus maximæ sunt copiæ et pecuniæ potestas. Œconomica libertas tantummodo declamata, in qua tamen veræ condiciones multis impediunt realem accessum, atque in qua deterior ad laborem accessus redditur, sermo fit contradictorius qui politicam contaminat. Operositas societatis quæ nobilem constituit vocationem ad productionem directam copiarum adque meliorem mundum pro omnibus reddendum, modus potest fieri valde fecundus ad regionem illam promovendam in qua operositates societatis collocantur, potissimum si intellegitur auctos operandi locorum numeros necessariam esse partem ad communi bono inserviendum. | In order to continue providing employment, it is imperative to promote an economy which favors productive diversity and business creativity. For example, there is a great variety of small-scale food production systems which feed the greater part of the world’s peoples, using a modest amount of land and producing less waste, be it in small agricultural parcels, in orchards and gardens, hunting and wild harvesting or local fishing. Economies of scale, especially in the agricultural sector, end up forcing smallholders to sell their land or to abandon their traditional crops. Their attempts to move to other, more diversified, means of production prove fruitless because of the difficulty of linkage with regional and global markets, or because the infrastructure for sales and transport is geared to larger businesses. Civil authorities have the right and duty to adopt clear and firm measures in support of small producers and differentiated production. To ensure economic freedom from which all can effectively benefit, restraints occasionally have to be imposed on those possessing greater resources and financial power. To claim economic freedom while real conditions bar many people from actual access to it, and while possibilities for employment continue to shrink, is to practice a doublespeak which brings politics into disrepute. Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving our world. It can be a fruitful source of prosperity for the areas in which it operates, especially if it sees the creation of jobs as an essential part of its service to the common good. |
| Innovatio biologica ab ipsa inquisitione incohanda | New biological technologies | |
| 130 | In cogitatione philosophica et theologica creationis, quam demonstrare studuimus, clare animadvertitur personam humanam, sua cum peculiari ratione suaque scientia, non esse elementum externum qui e toto excludi debeat. Attamen etiamsi homo in plantarum animaliumque provincia agere eaque, quum necessarium sit, ad suam vitam, adhibere potest, Catechismus docet experimenta in animalia exercita esse tantum legitima “si intra rationabiles permaneant limites et ad vitas humanas curandas conferant vel salvandas.”[106] Firmiter enuntiat: humana potestas limitibus coërcetur atque “humanæ dignitati est contrarium animalibus inutiliter dolores inferre et eorum dilapidare vitas.”[107] Quivis usus et experimentum “integritatis creationis religiosam postulat observantiam.”[108] | In the philosophical and theological vision of the human being and of creation which I have presented, it is clear that the human person, endowed with reason and knowledge, is not an external factor to be excluded. While human intervention on plants and animals is permissible when it pertains to the necessities of human life, the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that experimentation on animals is morally acceptable only “if it remains within reasonable limits [and] contributes to caring for or saving human lives.”[106] The Catechism firmly states that human power has limits and that “it is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly.”[107] All such use and experimentation “requires a religious respect for the integrity of creation.”[108] |
| 131 | Recolere hic volumus æquam sententiam sancti Joannis Pauli II qui in lucem evocavit beneficia progressionum scientiæ et technologiæ, quæ “manifestant quam sit nobilis vocatio hominis ad responsaliter participandam actionem creatricem Dei,” sed eodem tempore idem memoravit “omnem actionem intra œcosystemata neglegere non posse consecutionum considerationes in aliis provinciis.”[109] Affirmavit Ecclesiam magnopere subsidia æstimare “inquisitionis et usuum biologiæ molecularis, aliis disciplinis veluti genetica ejusque technologicis usibus in agricultura et industria completæ.”[110] Quanquam etiam dixit hanc rem non esse causam compellentem ad “indiscriminatum usum geneticum”[111] qui negativos ignoret effectus harum actionum. Creatricis hominum actionis fecunditas reprimi non potest. Si artis cultor prohiberi non potest quominus vim suam effingendi exprimat, ne ii quidem impediri possunt quibus peculiares sunt facultates scientias promovendi et technologias, quorum facultates a Deo datæ sunt aliorum juvandorum gratia. Eodem tempore fieri non potest quin denuo considerentur incepta, effectus, circumstantiæ et limites ethici hujus humanæ operæ, quæ formam constituit potestatis, cui gravia pericula adduntur. | Here I would recall the balanced position of Saint John Paul II, who stressed the benefits of scientific and technological progress as evidence of “the nobility of the human vocation to participate responsibly in God’s creative action,” while also noting that “we cannot interfere in one area of the ecosystem without paying due attention to the consequences of such interference in other areas.”[109] He made it clear that the Church values the benefits which result “from the study and applications of molecular biology, supplemented by other disciplines such as genetics, and its technological application in agriculture and industry.”[110] But he also pointed out that this should not lead to “indiscriminate genetic manipulation”[111] which ignores the negative effects of such interventions. Human creativity cannot be suppressed. If an artist cannot be stopped from using his or her creativity, neither should those who possess particular gifts for the advancement of science and technology be prevented from using their God-given talents for the service of others. We need constantly to rethink the goals, effects, overall context and ethical limits of this human activity, which is a form of power involving considerable risks. |
| 132 | Hoc in rerum contextu oportet quævis consideratio collocetur actionis hominis in plantarum animaliumque provincia, quæ hodie mutationes geneticas implicat, biotechnologia effectas, ut possibilitates adhibeantur rebus materialibus insitæ. Fidei erga rationem observantia postulat ut ad illud intendatur animus, quod ipsa scientia biologica, quæ est evoluta sejuncta ab œconomicis lucris, de structuris biologicis edocere potest deque earum facultatibus et mutationibus. Utcunque res se habet, legitima est actio quæ ad naturam spectat “ut ea adjuvetur secundum suam essentiam ad sese explicandam, quam est creationis, quam Deus voluit.”[112] | This, then, is the correct framework for any reflection concerning human intervention on plants and animals, which at present includes genetic manipulation by biotechnology for the sake of exploiting the potential present in material reality. The respect owed by faith to reason calls for close attention to what the biological sciences, through research uninfluenced by economic interests, can teach us about biological structures, their possibilities and their mutations. Any legitimate intervention will act on nature only in order “to favor its development in its own line, that of creation, as intended by God.”[112] |
| 133 | Difficulter generale datur judicium de progressionibus animantium transgeneticorum (quæ OGM compendiariis litteris appellantur), plantarum animaliumve ad proposita medica vel agriculturam attinentium, quia inter se variæ omnino esse possunt atque singulares postulare considerationes. Ceterum, pericula non semper ad ipsam technicam sunt referenda, sed ad ejus incongruentem aut immoderatam applicationem. Re quidem vera, geneticæ mutationes sæpe ab ipsa natura effectæ sunt et efficiuntur. Ne illæ quidem ab homine inductæ novum constituunt eventum. Animalia condocefacta, alienorum generum conjugium nec non alii pristini usus atque universaliter probati his in considerationibus includi possunt. Opportunum est memorare progressiones scientificas in cerealibus transgeneticis ab observatione sumpsisse initium bacteriorum quæ naturaliter et sponte mutationem in genomate fecerunt alicujus plantæ. Attamen apud naturam horum processuum modus est lentus, qui cum celeritate conferri non potest, imposita hodiernis technologicis progressionibus, etiam quum ejusmodi progressus scientifica provectione nituntur sæculorum. | It is difficult to make a general judgement about genetic modification (GM), whether vegetable or animal, medical or agricultural, since these vary greatly among themselves and call for specific considerations. The risks involved are not always due to the techniques used, but rather to their improper or excessive application. Genetic mutations, in fact, have often been, and continue to be, caused by nature itself. Nor are mutations caused by human intervention a modern phenomenon. The domestication of animals, the crossbreeding of species and other older and universally accepted practices can be mentioned as examples. We need but recall that scientific developments in GM cereals began with the observation of natural bacteria which spontaneously modified plant genomes. In nature, however, this process is slow and cannot be compared to the fast pace induced by contemporary technological advances, even when the latter build upon several centuries of scientific progress. |
| 134 | Quamvis nobis haud præsto sint certa argumenta damnum comprobantia quod cerealia transgenetica hominibus dare possint, atque quibusdam in regionibus eorum usus œconomicam juverit progressionem, quasdam quæstiones expedituram, graves animadvertuntur difficultates quæ non sunt extenuandæ. Multis in regionibus, ob has illatas culturas, cumulatio notatur terrarum cultus in paucorum manibus, quæ secum fert “progredientem deminutionem parvorum operatorum, qui ob amissas terras cultas coacti sunt ut a productione directa decederent.”[113] Debiliores operarii fiunt incerti et multi mercenarii rurales in misera urbium loca se conferunt. Hæ amplificatæ culturæ delent rationem multiplicem œcosystematum, diversitatem diminuunt in productione atque præsens futurumve tempus œconomiarum regionalium afficiunt. Variæ Nationes in augendum paucorum dominium inclinantur super productione seminum aliorumque proventuum qui necessarii sunt ad culturam, et subjectio gravior fit si productio consideratur granorum sterilium quæ agricolas cogat, ut ea a societatibus productionis emant. | Although no conclusive proof exists that GM cereals may be harmful to human beings, and in some regions their use has brought about economic growth which has helped to resolve problems, there remain a number of significant difficulties which should not be underestimated. In many places, following the introduction of these crops, productive land is concentrated in the hands of a few owners due to “the progressive disappearance of small producers, who, as a consequence of the loss of the exploited lands, are obliged to withdraw from direct production.”[113] The most vulnerable of these become temporary laborers, and many rural workers end up moving to poverty-stricken urban areas. The expansion of these crops has the effect of destroying the complex network of ecosystems, diminishing the diversity of production and affecting regional economies, now and in the future. In various countries, we see an expansion of oligopolies for the production of cereals and other products needed for their cultivation. This dependency would be aggravated were the production of infertile seeds to be considered; the effect would be to force farmers to purchase them from larger producers. |
| 135 | Sine dubio assidua oportet sit attentio quæ sinat omnes ethicos inhærentes considerare aspectus. Ad ejusmodi propositum assequendum opus est disputatione scientifica socialique quæ responsalis sit et ampla, quæque consideret omnes notitias quæ præsto sint et res earum nomine appellare valeat. Cognitio completa quandoque non consideratur, sed ea eligitur secundum propriam utilitatem, politicam, œconomicam vel ideologicam. Hoc difficile reddit opus adimplendi judicii æqui et prudentis de diversis quæstionibus, respiciendo omnia variabilia cum eis conjuncta. Necessariæ sunt sedes disputationis in quibus omnes illi qui quodammodo directe vel indirecte se sentiunt implicatos (agricultores, consumptores, auctoritates, docti viri mulieresque, vivaria, gentes infectis agris proximæ et alii) suas exponere possint quæstiones vel ad latam cognitionem et fide dignam accedere ut deliberationes adhibeantur ad commune bonum assequendum præsens futurumque. Quæstio quæ OGM respicit est prorsus implicata, quæ postulat ut ipsa omnibus e partibus pensitetur. Quod saltem majorem poscit conatum, ut pecunia in varias autonomas interdisciplinaresque inquisitiones dispertiatur quæ novam lucem afferre possint. | Certainly, these issues require constant attention and a concern for their ethical implications. A broad, responsible scientific and social debate needs to take place, one capable of considering all the available information and of calling things by their name. It sometimes happens that complete information is not put on the table; a selection is made on the basis of particular interests, be they politico-economic or ideological. This makes it difficult to reach a balanced and prudent judgement on different questions, one which takes into account all the pertinent variables. Discussions are needed in which all those directly or indirectly affected (farmers, consumers, civil authorities, scientists, seed producers, people living near fumigated fields, and others) can make known their problems and concerns, and have access to adequate and reliable information in order to make decisions for the common good, present and future. This is a complex environmental issue; it calls for a comprehensive approach which would require, at the very least, greater efforts to finance various lines of independent, interdisciplinary research capable of shedding new light on the problem. |
| 136 | Ceterum sollicitudinis profecto est causa quod quidam motus œcologici integritatem ambitus defendunt et merito jureque definitos limites postulant scientificæ inquisitionis, dum nonnunquam eadem principia vitæ humanæ non adhibent. Sæpe æquum videtur omnes limites superari, quum experimenta vivorum embryonum humanorum aguntur. Memoria non tenetur bonum hominis, quod abalienari non potest valde prætergredi suam progressionem. Æquabiliter, quum technica non agnoscit magna principia ethica, quamvis legitimam considerat actionem. Sicut hoc in capite animadvertimus, technica ab ethica separata propriam sui ipsius continere potestatem difficulter poterit. | On the other hand, it is troubling that, when some ecological movements defend the integrity of the environment, rightly demanding that certain limits be imposed on scientific research, they sometimes fail to apply those same principles to human life. There is a tendency to justify transgressing all boundaries when experimentation is carried out on living human embryos. We forget that the inalienable worth of a human being transcends his or her degree of development. In the same way, when technology disregards the great ethical principles, it ends up considering any practice whatsoever as licit. As we have seen in this chapter, a technology severed from ethics will not easily be able to limit its own power. |
| INTEGRA ŒCOLOGIA | CHAPTER FOUR INTEGRAL ECOLOGY | |
| 137 | Eo quod omnia inter se arte conjunguntur nec non quæstiones nostræ ætatis visionem postulant quæ omnes aspectus mundani discriminis consideret, quasdam nunc proponimus de diversis aspectibus œcologiæ integræ sententias quæ liquido rationes humanas socialesque amplectatur. | Since everything is closely interrelated, and today’s problems call for a vision capable of taking into account every aspect of the global crisis, I suggest that we now consider some elements of an integral ecology, one which clearly respects its human and social dimensions. |
| I. ŒCOLOGIA AMBITALIS, ŒCONOMICA ET SOCIALIS | I. ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ECOLOGY | |
| 138 | Œcologia vincula inter animantia perscrutatur et ambitum in quo crescunt. Ipsa cogitationem quoque postulat disputationemque de condicionibus vitæ et de societate an sit futura, addita honestate vocandi in dubium exemplaria progressionis, productionis et consumptionis. Non est supervacaneum rursus affirmare omnia inter se complicari. Tempus et spatium non sunt inter se separata, neque atomi vel particulæ subatomicæ separate considerari possunt. Sicut diversa orbis elementa — physica, chimica et biologica — alia aliis sociantur, ita species viventes rete quoddam formant quod nunquam penitus agnoscimus et intellegimus. Magna nostræ geneticæ condicionis pars cum multis animantibus communicatur. Ob ejusmodi rationem, cognitiones fragmentariæ singularesque in quandam ignorantiam recidere possunt, si integrationi obsistunt in ampliore quadam realitatis visione. | Ecology studies the relationship between living organisms and the environment in which they develop. This necessarily entails reflection and debate about the conditions required for the life and survival of society, and the honesty needed to question certain models of development, production and consumption. It cannot be emphasized enough how everything is interconnected. Time and space are not independent of one another, and not even atoms or subatomic particles can be considered in isolation. Just as the different aspects of the planet – physical, chemical and biological – are interrelated, so too living species are part of a network which we will never fully explore and understand. A good part of our genetic code is shared by many living beings. It follows that the fragmentation of knowledge and the isolation of bits of information can actually become a form of ignorance, unless they are integrated into a broader vision of reality. |
| 139 | Dum de “ambitu” loquimur, peculiari modo necessitudinem quandam significamus: necessitudinem nempe quæ inter naturam intercedit et societatem quæ in ea incolit. Hoc impedit quominus consideremus naturam veluti sejunctum a nobis quiddam aut veluti merum nostræ vitæ marginem. Includimur in ea, participamus eam atque ea imbuimur. Rationes ob quas locus quidam inquinatur analysim postulant agendæ societatis, ejus œconomiæ, ejus agendi rationis, ejus modorum quibus realitatem intellegit. Propter mutationum amplitudinem, non jam possumus propriam liberamque invenire responsionem ad unamquamque quæstionis partem. Magni momenti est integras quærere solutiones, quæ mutuas considerent actiones naturalium systematum inter se et cum systematibus socialibus. Non dantur duo sejuncta discrimina, alterum videlicet ambitale et alterum sociale, sed unum solum et multiplex discrimen sociale ambitale. Lineamenta solutionis postulant ut conjunctim paupertati bellum inferatur, dignitas desertorum restituatur et eodem tempore natura curetur. | When we speak of the “environment,” what we really mean is a relationship existing between nature and the society which lives in it. Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live. We are part of nature, included in it and thus in constant interaction with it. Recognizing the reasons why a given area is polluted requires a study of the workings of society, its economy, its behavior patterns, and the ways it grasps reality. Given the scale of change, it is no longer possible to find a specific, discrete answer for each part of the problem. It is essential to seek comprehensive solutions which consider the interactions within natural systems themselves and with social systems. We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature. |
| 140 | Ob quantitatem varietatemque elementorum considerandorum, quum ambitalis impactio definitur alicujus certi negotii, necessarium fit ut inquisitoribus præcipua missio tribuatur eorumque mutua actio facilior reddatur, ampla præstita libertate academica. Hæc constans inquisitio sinere debet agnoscere etiam quomodo diversæ creaturæ inter se nexus habeant, illas unitates majores formantes quæ hodie “œcosystemata” appellantur. Non consideramus ea solummodo ut determinemus qualis sit eorum usus rationalis, sed quod intrinsecum bonum habent ab ejusmodi usu sejunctum. Quemadmodum quivis animans est bonus et in se ipso admirabilis quia creatura est Dei, idem evenit toti animantium congruenti universitati in loco quodam definito, quod ut systema operatur. Etiamsi haud conscii hujus rei sumus, ex hac congrua structura pendemus ipsa pro nostra exsistentia. Memorandum est œcosystemata operari in dioxydo carbonico captando, aqua purificanda, morbis infectionibusque arcendis, solo componendo, ejectamentis dissolvendis compluribusque aliis servitiis quæ obliviscimur vel ignoramus. Quod quum multi rem istam animadvertunt, iterum conscii fiunt nos vivere agereque a realitate initium sumentes, quæ in antecessum nobis data est, quæque nostras capacitates et exsistentiam præcedit. Dum igitur loquimur de “usu tolerabili,” oportet semper introducatur consideratio quædam de capacitate regenerationis uniuscujusque systematis in diversis ejus sectionibus et aspectibus. | Due to the number and variety of factors to be taken into account when determining the environmental impact of a concrete undertaking, it is essential to give researchers their due role, to facilitate their interaction, and to ensure broad academic freedom. Ongoing research should also give us a better understanding of how different creatures relate to one another in making up the larger units which today we term “ecosystems.” We take these systems into account not only to determine how best to use them, but also because they have an intrinsic value independent of their usefulness. Each organism, as a creature of God, is good and admirable in itself; the same is true of the harmonious ensemble of organisms existing in a defined space and functioning as a system. Although we are often not aware of it, we depend on these larger systems for our own existence. We need only recall how ecosystems interact in dispersing carbon dioxide, purifying water, controlling illnesses and epidemics, forming soil, breaking down waste, and in many other ways which we overlook or simply do not know about. Once they become conscious of this, many people realize that we live and act on the basis of a reality which has previously been given to us, which precedes our existence and our abilities. So, when we speak of “sustainable use,” consideration must always be given to each ecosystem’s regenerative ability in its different areas and aspects. |
| 141 | Ceterum, œconomica progressio efficit ut automatismi et homogeneæ rationes inducantur, ut processus simpliciores fiant atque sumptus minuantur. Hanc ob rem necessaria est œcologia œconomica, apta ad realitatem ampliore modo considerandam. Revera “tuendus ambitus constituere debebit partem necessariam processus progressionis, et considerari non poterit segregato modo.”[114] Eodem tamen tempore hodierna fit impellens necessitas humanismi qui varias vocat scientias, etiam illas œconomicas, ad visionem magis integram magisque completivam. Hodie inquisitio quæstionum ambitalium separari non potest a perscrutatione circumstantiarum humanarum, familiarium, operis, urbanarum nec non a relatione uniuscujusque personæ secum, quæ definitum generat modum relationum cum aliis et cum ambitu. Adest mutua actio inter œcosystemata et inter diversos mundos rationis socialis, et hoc modo iterum demonstratur “totum prætergredi partem.”[115] | Economic growth, for its part, tends to produce predictable reactions and a certain standardization with the aim of simplifying procedures and reducing costs. This suggests the need for an “economic ecology” capable of appealing to a broader vision of reality. The protection of the environment is in fact “an integral part of the development process and cannot be considered in isolation from it.”[114] We urgently need a humanism capable of bringing together the different fields of knowledge, including economics, in the service of a more integral and integrating vision. Today, the analysis of environmental problems cannot be separated from the analysis of human, family, work-related and urban contexts, nor from how individuals relate to themselves, which leads in turn to how they relate to others and to the environment. There is an interrelation between ecosystems and between the various spheres of social interaction, demonstrating yet again that “the whole is greater than the part.”[115] |
| 142 | Si omnia societatis vinculo continentur, etiam status salutis institutionum alicujus societatis secum importat pro ambitu et qualitate vitæ humanæ consecutiones: “Omnis læsio solidarietatis et amicitiæ civium damna in naturam inferunt.”[116] Ad hanc significationem, œcologia socialis est necessario institutionalis, atque gradatim diversas assequitur mensuras quæ a cœtu sociali primario, familia, progrediuntur usque ad vitam internationalem, per communitatem localem transeuntes et Nationem. Intra unumquemque cœtum socialem et inter eos, institutiones conformantur quæ regulas dant vinculis humanis. Omnia quæ eas depravant, effectus secum ferunt nocivos, sicut libertatis amissionem, injustitiam et violentiam. Diversæ Nationes ordine quodam institutionali incerto reguntur, impendio dolorum populi atque in beneficium illorum qui ex his rebus lucrantur. Tum intra administrationem Status, tum in diversis formis societatis civilis, vel in vinculis incolarum inter se, nimia cum frequentia modus agendi conspiciuntur a legibus aversi. Leges recte ferri possunt, sed sæpe nullam habent vim. Possumusne id sperare, fore ut leges et normæ de ambitu realiter efficaces sint? Novimus, exempli gratia, Nationes haud dubiis fruentes legibus, silvas tuentibus, testes esse mutos frequentis harum legum violationis. Præterea quod evenit in quadam regione, directe vel indirecte, in alias recidit regiones. Ita, exempli gratia, consumptio stupefactivorum medicamentorum in divitibus societatibus constantem inducit et crescentem necessitatem proventuum qui e regionibus pauperibus depromuntur, in quibus mores corrumpuntur, vitæ delentur atque tandem ambitus pervertitur. | If everything is related, then the health of a society’s institutions has consequences for the environment and the quality of human life. “Every violation of solidarity and civic friendship harms the environment.”[116] In this sense, social ecology is necessarily institutional, and gradually extends to the whole of society, from the primary social group, the family, to the wider local, national and international communities. Within each social stratum, and between them, institutions develop to regulate human relationships. Anything which weakens those institutions has negative consequences, such as injustice, violence and loss of freedom. A number of countries have a relatively low level of institutional effectiveness, which results in greater problems for their people while benefiting those who profit from this situation. Whether in the administration of the state, the various levels of civil society, or relationships between individuals themselves, lack of respect for the law is becoming more common. Laws may be well framed yet remain a dead letter. Can we hope, then, that in such cases, legislation and regulations dealing with the environment will really prove effective? We know, for example, that countries which have clear legislation about the protection of forests continue to keep silent as they watch laws repeatedly being broken. Moreover, what takes place in any one area can have a direct or indirect influence on other areas. Thus, for example, drug use in affluent societies creates a continual and growing demand for products imported from poorer regions, where behavior is corrupted, lives are destroyed, and the environment continues to deteriorate. |
| II. ŒCOLOGIA CULTURALIS | II. CULTURAL ECOLOGY | |
| 143 | Simul cum patrimonio naturali, historicum adest patrimonium, artisticum et culturale, æqualiter versans in discrimine. Pars est identitatis communis alicujus loci atque fundamentum ad ædificandam urbem habitabilem. Non agitur de delendis deque creandis novis urbibus conjectura magis œcologicis, in quibus non semper vivere desideratur. Oportet simul accipiantur historia, cultura et architectura certi loci, servata ejus germana identitate. Œcologia igitur sollicitudinem etiam postulat culturalium divitiarum humanitatis latiore sensu. Instantius postulat ut animus in locales culturas intendatur tempore quo de quæstionibus disputatur super ambitu, dialogo videlicet instituto inter sermonem technicum scientificum et sermonem popularem. Agitur de cultura intellecta non solum veluti monumentis præteriti temporis, sed peculiariter ejus in viva, dynamica et activa notione, quæ excludi non potest tempore quo iterum cogitatur de necessitudine inter hominem et ambitum. | Together with the patrimony of nature, there is also an historic, artistic and cultural patrimony which is likewise under threat. This patrimony is a part of the shared identity of each place and a foundation upon which to build a habitable city. It is not a matter of tearing down and building new cities, supposedly more respectful of the environment yet not always more attractive to live in. Rather, there is a need to incorporate the history, culture and architecture of each place, thus preserving its original identity. Ecology, then, also involves protecting the cultural treasures of humanity in the broadest sense. More specifically, it calls for greater attention to local cultures when studying environmental problems, favoring a dialogue between scientific-technical language and the language of the people. Culture is more than what we have inherited from the past; it is also, and above all, a living, dynamic and participatory present reality, which cannot be excluded as we rethink the relationship between human beings and the environment. |
| 144 | Imago hominis consumptionis plena, quam machinamenta fovent actualis œconomiæ globalis, ad assimilandas culturas tendit et minuendam immensam varietatem culturalem, quæ thesaurus est humanitatis. Quam ob rem quum expedire student omnes difficultates normis æqualibus vel technicis usibus, id ad neglegendas ducit complexas quæstiones locales quæ activam postulant incolarum participationem. Novi orientes processus non semper concludi possunt schematibus extrinsecus constitutis, at cultura locali exstantibus. Sic quemadmodum vita et mundus dynamice moventur, cura de mundo oportet sit flexibilis et dynamica. Solutiones mere technicæ periculum adeunt ne indicia considerent quæ altioribus quæstionibus non respondeant. Necessarium est jura respicere populorum et culturarum, atque hoc modo intellegere progressionem alicujus cœtus socialis historicum secum ferre processum intra contextum culturalem et postulare constantem principatum localium actorum socialium, initio sumpto ab eorum propria cultura. Neque notio qualitatis vitæ imponi potest, sed est intellegenda intra mundum signorum et consuetudinum propriorum uniuscujusque cœtus humani. | A consumerist vision of human beings, encouraged by the mechanisms of today’s globalized economy, has a levelling effect on cultures, diminishing the immense variety which is the heritage of all humanity. Attempts to resolve all problems through uniform regulations or technical interventions can lead to overlooking the complexities of local problems which demand the active participation of all members of the community. New processes taking shape cannot always fit into frameworks imported from outside; they need to be based in the local culture itself. As life and the world are dynamic realities, so our care for the world must also be flexible and dynamic. Merely technical solutions run the risk of addressing symptoms and not the more serious underlying problems. There is a need to respect the rights of peoples and cultures, and to appreciate that the development of a social group presupposes an historical process which takes place within a cultural context and demands the constant and active involvement of local people from within their proper culture. Nor can the notion of the quality of life be imposed from without, for quality of life must be understood within the world of symbols and customs proper to each human group. |
| 145 | Multæ formæ, crebræ compilationis degradationisque ambitus, exhaurire possunt non solum subsidia subsistentiæ loci, sed etiam sociales opes quæ modum vivendi præstiterunt, qui perdiu sustinuit culturalem identitatem atque sensum exsistentiæ convictusque. Alicujus culturæ amissio gravis potest esse vel gravior quam ipsa amissio cujusdam animalis vel plantæ. Onus impositum rationis hegemonicæ vitæ, quod cum productionis consuetudine nectitur, tam nocivum esse potest quantum œcosystema mutatum. | Many intensive forms of environmental exploitation and degradation not only exhaust the resources which provide local communities with their livelihood, but also undo the social structures which, for a long time, shaped cultural identity and their sense of the meaning of life and community. The disappearance of a culture can be just as serious, or even more serious, than the disappearance of a species of plant or animal. The imposition of a dominant lifestyle linked to a single form of production can be just as harmful as the altering of ecosystems. |
| 146 | Hoc rerum in contextu, oportet potissimum intendatur animus in communitates aboriginum, in earumque traditiones culturales. Quæ inter alia minorem tantum partem non costituunt, sed potius opus est ut colloquii fiant principales participes, præsertim tempore quo grandia incepta suscipiuntur ad eorum loca spectantia. Iis revera terra non est bonum œconomicum, sed donum Dei et avorum qui in ea requiescunt, locum sacrum quocum oportet una simul agere ut eorum identitas ac bona alantur. Quum propriis in territoriis manent, ii sunt qui melius ea curent. Tamen, diversis in partibus mundi, coguntur ut sua deserant territoria eaque libera relinquant pro operibus extractionis, agriculturæ vel pastionis, nulla cura data naturæ et culturæ perituræ. | In this sense, it is essential to show special care for indigenous communities and their cultural traditions. They are not merely one minority among others, but should be the principal dialogue partners, especially when large projects affecting their land are proposed. For them, land is not a commodity but rather a gift from God and from their ancestors who rest there, a sacred space with which they need to interact if they are to maintain their identity and values. When they remain on their land, they themselves care for it best. Nevertheless, in various parts of the world, pressure is being put on them to abandon their homelands to make room for agricultural or mining projects which are undertaken without regard for the degradation of nature and culture. |
| III. ŒCOLOGIA COTIDIANÆ VITÆ | III. ECOLOGY OF DAILY LIFE | |
| 147 | Ut loqui de germana progressione possimus, necessarium est explorare an melior condicio integralis efficiatur in qualitate vitæ humanæ, et hoc analysim implicat loci in quo personæ vivunt. Ambitus in quibus vivimus, magnum habent pondus apud nostram vivendi, sentiendi et agendi considerandam rationem. Eodem tempore, nostro in cubiculo, nostra in domo, nostro in loco operis nostraque in urbis parte ambitu utimur ad nostram identitatem significandam. Nos ambitui accommodare studemus, et quum ille est inordinatus, confusus vel inquinamento visuali et acustico saturatus, excessus stimulorum nos provocat ad quærendam conformandamque identitatem integratam et felicem. | Authentic development includes efforts to bring about an integral improvement in the quality of human life, and this entails considering the setting in which people live their lives. These settings influence the way we think, feel and act. In our rooms, our homes, our workplaces and neighborhoods, we use our environment as a way of expressing our identity. We make every effort to adapt to our environment, but when it is disorderly, chaotic or saturated with noise and ugliness, such overstimulation makes it difficult to find ourselves integrated and happy. |
| 148 | Mirabilis est inventio et magnanimitas personarum et cœtuum qui evertere limites ambitus valent, condicionum effectus mutantes malos atque discentes vitam suam moderari inter res confusas mutabilesque. Exempli gratia, quibusdam in locis, in quibus frontes ædificiorum multo sunt in deterius mutatæ, sunt personæ quæ percuriose partes internas suarum habitationum colant, vel optime se sentiant ob benignitatem amicitiamque gentis. Vita socialis positiva et benefica incolarum lucem effundit in ambitum aspectu primo incommodum. Laudabilis est interdum œcologia humana quam promovere, quamvis complures sint limites, pauperes possunt. Sensus suffocationis, quæ glomeratis domibus ac locis plurimorum inhabitantium gignitur, vincitur si vincula humana proximitatis et caloris evolvuntur, si communitates creantur, si limites ambitales intra unamquamque personam compensantur, quæ se ipsam sentit in complexum communionis et proprietatis insertam. Hoc modo quivis locus jam non est infernus et in contextum convertitur vitæ dignæ. | An admirable creativity and generosity is shown by persons and groups who respond to environmental limitations by alleviating the adverse effects of their surroundings and learning to orient their lives amid disorder and uncertainty. For example, in some places, where the façades of buildings are derelict, people show great care for the interior of their homes, or find contentment in the kindness and friendliness of others. A wholesome social life can light up a seemingly undesirable environment. At times a commendable human ecology is practiced by the poor despite numerous hardships. The feeling of asphyxiation brought on by densely populated residential areas is countered if close and warm relationships develop, if communities are created, if the limitations of the environment are compensated for in the interior of each person who feels held within a network of solidarity and belonging. In this way, any place can turn from being a hell on earth into the setting for a dignified life. |
| 149 | Comprobatum præterea est extremam penuriam, quam homines vivunt quibusdam in ambitibus sine harmonia, amplitudine et integrationis facultate, concitare posse perversos mores et usum personarum per criminales consociationes. Quod ad incolas attinet suburbanos, opibus laborantes, cottidianus transitus ab hominum frequentia ad anonymam societatem in qua homines in magnis urbibus vivunt, afferre potest sensum eradicationis quæ adversus societatem consuetudines fovet et violentiam. Tamen confirmare volumus amorem fortiorem esse. Complures personæ, his in circumstantiis, proximitatis et convictus vincula nectere valent, quæ turbam mutant in experientiam communem in qua parietes illius « ego » franguntur et nimii sui amoris sæpimenta superantur. Hæc ipsa experientia salutis communis studiosus impetus elicit ad melius reddendum ædificium vel partem urbis.[117] | The extreme poverty experienced in areas lacking harmony, open spaces or potential for integration, can lead to incidents of brutality and to exploitation by criminal organizations. In the unstable neighborhoods of mega-cities, the daily experience of overcrowding and social anonymity can create a sense of uprootedness which spawns antisocial behavior and violence. Nonetheless, I wish to insist that love always proves more powerful. Many people in these conditions are able to weave bonds of belonging and togetherness which convert overcrowding into an experience of community in which the walls of the ego are torn down and the barriers of selfishness overcome. This experience of a communitarian salvation often generates creative ideas for the improvement of a building or a neighborhood.[117] |
| 150 | Quum commune sit vinculum inter urbis spatium et consuetudinem humanam, illi qui ædificia, partes urbium, spatia publica et urbes designant, auxilio egent variarum disciplinarum quæ intellegere processus sinant, symbolismum et personarum consuetudines. Non sufficit in delineanda forma pulchritudinis inquisitio, quia plus valet alii servire pulchritudinis generi: qualitati vitæ personarum, earum cum ambitu harmoniæ, occursui et mutuo auxilio. Etiam hanc ob rem maximi est momenti ut incolarum loci opinio urbibus describendis instruendisque semper illigetur. | Given the interrelationship between living space and human behavior, those who design buildings, neighborhoods, public spaces and cities, ought to draw on the various disciplines which help us to understand people’s thought processes, symbolic language and ways of acting. It is not enough to seek the beauty of design. More precious still is the service we offer to another kind of beauty: people’s quality of life, their adaptation to the environment, encounter and mutual assistance. Here too, we see how important it is that urban planning always take into consideration the views of those who will live in these areas. |
| 151 | Necesse est ut publica curentur spatia, prospectus et signa urbis propria quæ nostram augent notionem nos ad illam pertinere, nos ibi radices agere, nos « domi esse » in urbe quæ nos continet nosque conjungit. Prorsus præstat ut diversæ alicujus urbis partes bene inter se coëant utque incolæ universalem possint habere prospectum potius quam se ipsos in quadam urbis parte claudant, vitæ renuntiando totius urbis, spatii videlicet proprii cum aliis communicati. Quidquid mutamenti de prospectu urbano ruralive considerare debet quomodo diversa loci elementa totum constituant quod ab incolis intellegitur veluti imago quædam cum ubertate congruens significationum. Tali quidem modo alii cessant se extraneos sentire illique percipi possunt veluti pars « nostrum » quippe qui unum constituamus. Hanc ob rationem, quum in urbano tum in rurali ambitu, opportunum est quædam loca servare in quibus humani evitentur interventus qui ea continenter mutent. | There is also a need to protect those common areas, visual landmarks and urban landscapes which increase our sense of belonging, of rootedness, of “feeling at home” within a city which includes us and brings us together. It is important that the different parts of a city be well integrated and that those who live there have a sense of the whole, rather than being confined to one neighborhood and failing to see the larger city as space which they share with others. Interventions which affect the urban or rural landscape should take into account how various elements combine to form a whole which is perceived by its inhabitants as a coherent and meaningful framework for their lives. Others will then no longer be seen as strangers, but as part of a “we” which all of us are working to create. For this same reason, in both urban and rural settings, it is helpful to set aside some places which can be preserved and protected from constant changes brought by human intervention. |
| 152 | Penuria habitationum gravis est multis in partibus mundi, sive in regionibus ruralibus sive in magnis urbibus, etiam quia rationes expensarum status e more solummodo parvæ respondent petitionis parti. Non solum pauperes, sed magna societatis pars graves perpetitur difficultates ut propriam habeat domum. Proprietas domus magnum habet pondus pro personarum dignitate et familiarum progressione. Agitur de præcipua œcologiæ humanæ quæstione. Si in quodam certo loco jam labantes domus nullo ordine coacervatæ sunt, oportet in primis ut his in partibus forma detur urbis, neve evellantur et expellantur ex eis incolæ. Quum pauperes in suburbiis vivunt inquinatis vel in periculosis urbium frequentibusque ædificiis, “si forte transferri debeant, ne dolor dolori addatur, necesse est ut in antecessum apta notitia detur, aliæ dignæ præbeantur habitationes et ipsi incolæ directo implicentur.”[118] Eodem tempore, ingenium adducere debet ad miseras urbium partes in urbem libenter accipientem inserendas. “Quam pulchræ sunt urbes quæ insanam superant diffidentiam et diversos integrant et in ejusmodi integrationem novum conferunt progressionis elementum! Quam pulchræ sunt urbes quæ, etiam in sua architectonica forma, plenæ sunt spatiorum quæ conjungunt, vincula efficiunt, alterius hominis agnitionem fovent!.”[119] | Lack of housing is a grave problem in many parts of the world, both in rural areas and in large cities, since state budgets usually cover only a small portion of the demand. Not only the poor, but many other members of society as well, find it difficult to own a home. Having a home has much to do with a sense of personal dignity and the growth of families. This is a major issue for human ecology. In some places, where makeshift shanty towns have sprung up, this will mean developing those neighborhoods rather than razing or displacing them. When the poor live in unsanitary slums or in dangerous tenements, “in cases where it is necessary to relocate them, in order not to heap suffering upon suffering, adequate information needs to be given beforehand, with choices of decent housing offered, and the people directly involved must be part of the process.”[118] At the same time, creativity should be shown in integrating rundown neighborhoods into a welcoming city: “How beautiful those cities which overcome paralyzing mistrust, integrate those who are different and make this very integration a new factor of development! How attractive are those cities which, even in their architectural design, are full of spaces which connect, relate and favor the recognition of others!”[119] |
| 153 | Qualitas vitæ in urbibus magna e parte cum vehiculis conjungitur quæ sæpe incolis magnam incommoditatem afferunt. In urbibus multa transeunt vehicula quibus una vel duæ personæ utuntur, quam ob rem commeatus urbanus increscit, contaminatio augetur, magna energiæ non renovabilis vis insumitur et necessaria fit constructio aliarum viarum et autorædarum stationum, quæ urbanæ structuræ damnum inferunt. Multi periti homines de necessitate consentiunt tribuendi primas partes vehiculis publicis. Quædam tamen necessaria remedia difficulter pacifico modo a societate accipientur, absque meliore præcipuaque condicione ejusmodi retis vehiculorum, quod multis in urbibus secum indignam importat personarum tractationem ob civium multitudinem, incommoditatem vel raram vehiculorum frequentiam et deficientem tutelam. | The quality of life in cities has much to do with systems of transport, which are often a source of much suffering for those who use them. Many cars, used by one or more people, circulate in cities, causing traffic congestion, raising the level of pollution, and consuming enormous quantities of non-renewable energy. This makes it necessary to build more roads and parking areas which spoil the urban landscape. Many specialists agree on the need to give priority to public transportation. Yet some measures needed will not prove easily acceptable to society unless substantial improvements are made in the systems themselves, which in many cities force people to put up with undignified conditions due to crowding, inconvenience, infrequent service and lack of safety. |
| 154 | Agnitio peculiaris dignitatis hominis pluries cum turbida vita conflictatur quam debent personæ nostris in urbibus agere. Hoc tamen non debet in oblivionem adducere solitudinis neglegentiæque condicionem quas etiam quidam incolæ regionum ruralium patiuntur ubi servitia essentialia non perveniunt et operarii astant in servitutem redacti ac destituti juribus et exspectationibus vitæ dignioris. | Respect for our dignity as human beings often jars with the chaotic realities that people have to endure in city life. Yet this should not make us overlook the abandonment and neglect also experienced by some rural populations which lack access to essential services and where some workers are reduced to conditions of servitude, without rights or even the hope of a more dignified life. |
| 155 | Œcologia humana etiam altius quiddam implicat, nempe necessarium vinculum vitæ hominis cum lege morali in ejus propria natura inscripta, necessarium quippe ad efficiendum ambitum digniorem. Ait Benedictus XVI astare “œcologiam hominis” quia “etiam homini natura est, quam observare debet quamque non potest libidinose adhibere.”[120] Hoc in rerum contextu, oportet ut agnoscatur nostrum corpus directo sociari cum ambitu aliisque creaturis viventibus. Proprii corporis acceptio veluti Dei doni necessaria est ad accipiendum et admittendum totum mundum veluti donum Patris et domum communem; at contra, logica proprii corporis temperandi in logicam nonnunquam transformatur subtilem creati dominandi. Discere proprium corpus accipere, id curare atque ejus præcipuas notiones observare, res est essentialis pro vera œcologia humana. Etiam proprium corpus æstimare ejus in feminino aut masculino genere necessarium est ad recognoscendos nos ipsos in occursu cum alio, a nobis diverso. Hoc modo fieri potest ut gaudenter accipiamus peculiare donum viri vel feminæ, operæ Dei Creatoris, et mutuo divites nos efficiamus. Quam ob rem, illa non est sana consuetudo quæ velit “differentiam sexualem delere quia jam nescit cum ea se conferre.”[121] | Human ecology also implies another profound reality: the relationship between human life and the moral law, which is inscribed in our nature and is necessary for the creation of a more dignified environment. Pope Benedict XVI spoke of an “ecology of man,” based on the fact that “man too has a nature that he must respect and that he cannot manipulate at will.”[120] It is enough to recognize that our body itself establishes us in a direct relationship with the environment and with other living beings. The acceptance of our bodies as God’s gift is vital for welcoming and accepting the entire world as a gift from the Father and our common home, whereas thinking that we enjoy absolute power over our own bodies turns, often subtly, into thinking that we enjoy absolute power over creation. Learning to accept our body, to care for it and to respect its fullest meaning, is an essential element of any genuine human ecology. Also, valuing one’s own body in its femininity or masculinity is necessary if I am going to be able to recognize myself in an encounter with someone who is different. In this way we can joyfully accept the specific gifts of another man or woman, the work of God the Creator, and find mutual enrichment. It is not a healthy attitude which would seek “to cancel out sexual difference because it no longer knows how to confront it.”[121] |
| IV. PRINCIPIUM BONI COMMUNIS | IV. THE PRINCIPLE OF THE COMMON GOOD | |
| 156 | Humana œcologia a notione boni communis separari non potest; agitur de principio quod essentiale et unificans munus exercet in ethica sociali. Est “summa eorum vitæ socialis condicionum quæ tum cœtibus, tum singulis membris permittunt ut propriam perfectionem plenius atque expeditius consequantur.”[122] | An integral ecology is inseparable from the notion of the common good, a central and unifying principle of social ethics. The common good is “the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfilment.”[122] |
| 157 | Bonum commune præsumit personam humanam ut talem observandam, cum juribus fundamentalibus et quæ abalienari non possunt, ordinatis ad ejus integralem progressionem. Dispositiones etiam postulat boni et securitatis socialis nec non progressionem diversorum cœtuum mediorum, principium adhibendo subsidiarietatis. In his potissimum excellet familia veluti primaria societatis cellula. Postremo, bonum commune socialem postulat pacem, stabilitatem videlicet et securitatem certi ordinis qui non efficitur sine peculiari cura justitiæ distributivæ, quæ violata semper violentiam generat. Tota societas – et in ea potissimum Status – commune bonum defendere ac promovere debet. | Underlying the principle of the common good is respect for the human person as such, endowed with basic and inalienable rights ordered to his or her integral development. It has also to do with the overall welfare of society and the development of a variety of intermediate groups, applying the principle of subsidiarity. Outstanding among those groups is the family, as the basic cell of society. Finally, the common good calls for social peace, the stability and security provided by a certain order which cannot be achieved without particular concern for distributive justice; whenever this is violated, violence always ensues. Society as a whole, and the state in particular, are obliged to defend and promote the common good. |
| 158 | In condicionibus hodiernis mundanæ societatis, in qua plures conspiciuntur inæqualitates et frequentiores usque sunt personæ quæ excluduntur ac fraudantur fundamentalibus juribus humanis, principium communis boni continuo transformatur, veluti logica et necessaria consecutio, in appellationem ad solidarietatem et in optionem quandam præferentem pauperes. Hæc optio postulat ut consecutiones trahantur e communi destinatione bonorum terræ, sed, sicut demonstrare contendimus in Adhortatione apostolica Evangelii gaudium,[123] ante omnia immensæ dignitatis pauperis contemplationem exposcit sub lumine firmissimarum sententiarum fidei. Satis est rerum veritatem observare ut intellegatur hodie hanc optionem exigentiam constituere ethicam fundamentalem ad bonum commune re efficiendum. | In the present condition of global society, where injustices abound and growing numbers of people are deprived of basic human rights and considered expendable, the principle of the common good immediately becomes, logically and inevitably, a summons to solidarity and a preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters. This option entails recognizing the implications of the universal destination of the world’s goods, but, as I mentioned in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium,[123] it demands before all else an appreciation of the immense dignity of the poor in the light of our deepest convictions as believers. We need only look around us to see that, today, this option is in fact an ethical imperative essential for effectively attaining the common good. |
| V. JUSTITIA INTER GENERATIONES | V. JUSTICE BETWEEN THE GENERATIONS | |
| 159 | Notio boni communis complectitur etiam futuras generationes. Difficultates œconomicæ internationales acriter demonstraverunt nocivos effectus quos secum fert ignoratio finis communis, a quo excludi nequeunt illi qui post nos sunt venturi. Jam non possumus de tolerabili loqui progressione sine solidarietate inter generationes. Quum de condicione cogitamus ad quam terrarum orbis relinquitur venturis generationibus, aliam in logicam ingredimur, illam nempe doni gratuiti quod accipimus quodque communicamus. Si quidem terra nobis datur, nobis non licet jam cogitare tantummodo de quadam regula ad utilitatem attinente productionemque pro lucro singulorum. Non loquimur de proposito optionali, sed de quæstione essentiali justitiæ, quandoquidem terra quam accepimus etiam ad illos pertinet qui sunt venturi. Episcopi Lusitaniæ ad sumendum hoc justitiæ onus sunt adhortati: “Ambitus in logica accipiendi collocatur. Mutuum est quod quælibet generatio recipit et sequenti generationi transmittere debet.”[124] Œcologia integra amplum habet ejusmodi prospectum. | The notion of the common good also extends to future generations. The global economic crises have made painfully obvious the detrimental effects of disregarding our common destiny, which cannot exclude those who come after us. We can no longer speak of sustainable development apart from intergenerational solidarity. Once we start to think about the kind of world we are leaving to future generations, we look at things differently; we realize that the world is a gift which we have freely received and must share with others. Since the world has been given to us, we can no longer view reality in a purely utilitarian way, in which efficiency and productivity are entirely geared to our individual benefit. Intergenerational solidarity is not optional, but rather a basic question of justice, since the world we have received also belongs to those who will follow us. The Portuguese bishops have called upon us to acknowledge this obligation of justice: “The environment is part of a logic of receptivity. It is on loan to each generation, which must then hand it on to the next.”[124] An integral ecology is marked by this broader vision. |
| 160 | Quod mundi genus transmittere volumus illis qui post nos venturi sunt, parvulis nempe qui crescunt? Hæc interrogatio non spectat dumtaxat ad ambitum ab aliis rebus sejunctum, quia quæstio agitari aliqua tantum e parte non potest. Quum nos ipsos interrogamus quem mundum velimus relinquere, potissimum de ejus directione generali cogitamus, de ejus sensu deque ejus bonis. Nisi præcipua hæc interrogatio agitatur, non credimus nostras œcologicas sollicitudines magni momenti effectus habere posse. Sed si hæc quæstio audacter ponitur, ad alias interrogationes omnino directas nos necessario ducit: Cur sumus hoc in mundo? Quod ob propositum in hanc venimus vitam? Cur operamur et certamus? Cur hæc terra indiget nobis? Quam ob rem non sufficit ut dicamus nos curam adhibere de futuris generationibus debere. Intellegere debemus hic de ipsa nostra agi dignitate. Nostra potissimum interest transmittere habitabilem orbem humanitati post nos venturæ. Fatalis est nobis ipsis casus quia significationem implicat nostri per hanc terram transitus. | What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up? This question not only concerns the environment in isolation; the issue cannot be approached piecemeal. When we ask ourselves what kind of world we want to leave behind, we think in the first place of its general direction, its meaning and its values. Unless we struggle with these deeper issues, I do not believe that our concern for ecology will produce significant results. But if these issues are courageously faced, we are led inexorably to ask other pointed questions: What is the purpose of our life in this world? Why are we here? What is the goal of our work and all our efforts? What need does the earth have of us? It is no longer enough, then, simply to state that we should be concerned for future generations. We need to see that what is at stake is our own dignity. Leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is, first and foremost, up to us. The issue is one which dramatically affects us, for it has to do with the ultimate meaning of our earthly sojourn. |
| 161 | Calamitosæ præsensiones contemptione ac disimulatione non sunt jam judicandæ. Venturis generationibus nimium multas relinquere possumus ruinas, solitudines et sordes. Frequentia consumptionis, profusionis atque corrupti ambitus tolerantiam superavit orbis, ita ut ratio vitæ hodiernæ, quum sit intolerabilis, possit solum in calamitates recidere, sicut jam re ex intervallis diversis in regionibus evenit. Attenuatio effectuum præsentis perturbati æquilibrii ab eo pendet quod nunc facimus, potissimum si de responsalitate cogitamus quam nobis tribuent illi qui pejores consecutiones sustinere debebunt. | Doomsday predictions can no longer be met with irony or disdain. We may well be leaving to coming generations debris, desolation and filth. The pace of consumption, waste and environmental change has so stretched the planet’s capacity that our contemporary lifestyle, unsustainable as it is, can only precipitate catastrophes, such as those which even now periodically occur in different areas of the world. The effects of the present imbalance can only be reduced by our decisive action, here and now. We need to reflect on our accountability before those who will have to endure the dire consequences. |
| 162 | Difficultas, ut serio animo hæc accipiatur provocatio, cum deteriore conjungitur condicione ethica et culturali quæ detrimentum œcologicum comitatur. Vir et femina mundi postmoderni permanens adeunt periculum ne sui commodi effrenati sint fautores, et multæ difficultates sociales nostræ ætatis referendæ sunt ad ea quæ ob propriam proximam utilitatem quæruntur, discrimine interveniente vinculorum familiarium socialiumque, difficultatibus exstantibus alium agnoscendi. Sæpe animadvertitur consumptio immoderata improvidaque parentum quæ filiis nocet, qui magis ac magis difficultates perpetiuntur ad propriam emendam domum atque familiam condendam. Præterea, hæc incapacitas serio animo cogitandi de futuris generationibus cum nostra conjungitur incapacitate amplificandi prospectum nostrarum sollicitudinum et cogitandi de illis qui a progressione excluduntur. Relinquamus cogitationem de futuris pauperibus; sufficit nostri temporis pauperes memorare, quibus pauci sunt anni vitæ hac in terra et non possunt amplius exspectare. Quocirca “præter sinceram solidarietatem inter generationes, oportet urgens iteretur necessitas moralis renovatæ solidarietatis intra generationes.”[125] | Our difficulty in taking up this challenge seriously has much to do with an ethical and cultural decline which has accompanied the deterioration of the environment. Men and women of our postmodern world run the risk of rampant individualism, and many problems of society are connected with today’s self-centred culture of instant gratification. We see this in the crisis of family and social ties and the difficulties of recognizing the other. Parents can be prone to impulsive and wasteful consumption, which then affects their children who find it increasingly difficult to acquire a home of their own and build a family. Furthermore, our inability to think seriously about future generations is linked to our inability to broaden the scope of our present interests and to give consideration to those who remain excluded from development. Let us not only keep the poor of the future in mind, but also today’s poor, whose life on this earth is brief and who cannot keep on waiting. Hence, “in addition to a fairer sense of intergenerational solidarity there is also an urgent moral need for a renewed sense of intragenerational solidarity.”[125] |
| QUÆDAM DISPONENDA ET AGENDA | CHAPTER FIVE LINES OF APPROACH AND ACTION | |
| 163 | Ponderare studuimus hodiernam humanitatis condicionem, tum in rimis orbis quem incolimus, tum in causis potissimum humanis ambitalis detrimenti. Licet hæc rerum contemplatio in se ipsa nobis jam demonstret cursum nobis esse immutandum atque nobis quædam esse suscipienda patefaciat, magna dialogi curricula describere nunc contendimus, quæ nos adjuvent ad nostri interitus, in quem vergimus, complicationem deserendam. | So far I have attempted to take stock of our present situation, pointing to the cracks in the planet that we inhabit as well as to the profoundly human causes of environmental degradation. Although the contemplation of this reality in itself has already shown the need for a change of direction and other courses of action, now we shall try to outline the major paths of dialogue which can help us escape the spiral of self-destruction which currently engulfs us. |
| I. DE AMBITU DIALOGUS APUD INTERNATIONALEM REM POLITICAM | I. DIALOGUE ON THE ENVIRONMENT IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY | |
| 164 | Inde a medio sæculo præterito, multis difficultatibus victis, orbis ut patria, et humanum genus ut populus, communem domum incolens, haberi paulatim cœpta sunt. Apud mundum reciproce obnoxium non modo intellegi debet perniciosa consectaria formæ vivendi, efficiendi, consumendi modorum omnes contingere, verum etiam, præcipue, est nitendum ut remedia e toto prospectu, non modo commodis nonnullarum Nationum defendendis sint suscipienda. Mutua subjectio ad unum mundum, unum commune propositum cogitandum nos obstringit. At idem ingenium, ad præstantem technologicum progressum obtinendum usurpatum, efficaces rationes operandi reperire non valet inter Nationes, ut graves difficultates ambitus societatisque amoveantur. Præcipuæ ut solvantur quæstiones quas singulæ agentes Nationes solvere non possunt, mundiali consensu opus est, qui efficiat, exempli gratia, ut tolerabilis variataque agricultura inducatur, iterabilia et parum inquinantia energiæ genera augeantur, major energiæ efficientia sustineatur, silvarum mariumque copiæ congruentius adhibeantur, aqua potabili fruendi omnibus potestas tribuatur. | Beginning in the middle of the last century and overcoming many difficulties, there has been a growing conviction that our planet is a homeland and that humanity is one people living in a common home. An interdependent world not only makes us more conscious of the negative effects of certain lifestyles and models of production and consumption which affect us all; more importantly, it motivates us to ensure that solutions are proposed from a global perspective, and not simply to defend the interests of a few countries. Interdependence obliges us to think of one world with a common plan. Yet the same ingenuity which has brought about enormous technological progress has so far proved incapable of finding effective ways of dealing with grave environmental and social problems worldwide. A global consensus is essential for confronting the deeper problems, which cannot be resolved by unilateral actions on the part of individual countries. Such a consensus could lead, for example, to planning a sustainable and diversified agriculture, developing renewable and less polluting forms of energy, encouraging a more efficient use of energy, promoting a better management of marine and forest resources, and ensuring universal access to drinking water. |
| 165 | Scimus technologiam, quæ combustibilibus fossiciis nititur, quæ multum polluunt — præsertim carbo, sed etiam petroleum et minus gasium —, paulatim et absque cunctatione esse substituendam. Dum latus iterabilium energiarum progressus prospectatur, cujus initium præsumi jam deberet, legitimum est id quod minus noxium est persequi aut remedia temporaria adhibere. Attamen in internationalibus communitatibus congruæ pactiones de illorum responsalitate non obtinentur, qui majores energeticæ transitionis sumptus tolerare debent. Novissimis decenniis ambitalibus de quæstionibus ampla instituta est publica disputatio, quæ effecit ut in civili societate eximium studium liberalisque actuositas augeretur. Res politica et industria machinalis segniter se gerunt et procul omnino a mundanis provocationibus solvendis absunt. Hoc sensu dici potest, quum humanitas, annis industriam vigentem subsequentibus, uti omnium neglegentissima in historia memoretur, esse optandum ut humanitas sæculo XXI incohato memorari possit, quod liberaliter gravis sui officii habuit conscientiam. | We know that technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil fuels — especially coal, but also oil and, to a lesser degree, gas — needs to be progressively replaced without delay. Until greater progress is made in developing widely accessible sources of renewable energy, it is legitimate to choose the less harmful alternative or to find short-term solutions. But the international community has still not reached adequate agreements about the responsibility for paying the costs of this energy transition. In recent decades, environmental issues have given rise to considerable public debate and have elicited a variety of committed and generous civic responses. Politics and business have been slow to react in a way commensurate with the urgency of the challenges facing our world. Although the post-industrial period may well be remembered as one of the most irresponsible in history, nonetheless there is reason to hope that humanity at the dawn of the twenty-first century will be remembered for having generously shouldered its grave responsibilities. |
| 166 | Œcologicus motus mundialis longum jam fecit iter, auctum multarum societatis civilis institutionum operositate. Eæ hic integre memorari non possunt, neque earum collata subsidia recenseri. Sed tanto studio ambitales quæstiones magis ac magis inter publicas agendas locum invenerunt et stabile factæ sunt invitamentum ad longioris temporis spatium meditandum. Nihilominus, summæ orbis de ambitu potestates postremis temporibus optatibus non steterunt, quia, nulla habita politica deliberatione, de toto ambitu graviter efficaciterque non consenserunt. | Worldwide, the ecological movement has made significant advances, thanks also to the efforts of many organizations of civil society. It is impossible here to mention them all, or to review the history of their contributions. But thanks to their efforts, environmental questions have increasingly found a place on public agendas and encouraged more far-sighted approaches. This notwithstanding, recent World Summits on the environment have not lived up to expectations because, due to lack of political will, they were unable to reach truly meaningful and effective global agreements on the environment. |
| 167 | Est memoranda de Terra Congressio anno MCMXCII apud urbem Flumenjanuariensem celebrata. Ibi est declaratum “homines præcipuas sollicitudines de tolerabili progressu sibi vindicare.”[126] Quædam consilia Declarationis Holmiensis (anno MCMLXXII) commemorans, inter alia statuit internationalem cooperationem ad œcosystema totius terræ colendum, obligationem contaminantium id œconomice sustinendi, officium impactionem ambitalem in unoquoque opere vel proposito ponderandi. Illud statuit ut quantitas gasii sæpti in aëre sisteretur, ut cursus globalis calefactionis mutaretur. Quædam quoque agenda singulaque facienda paravit, de biologica diversitate pactionem nec non principia de silvis enuntiavit. Licet illa congressio quædam nova ac prophetica, ut illa ætate, adduxisset, pactiones minus attente sunt ad effectum adductæ, quia inspectionis, periodicæ recognitionis ac promissi non impleti sanctionis rationes non sunt institutæ. Principia præscripta efficaces celeresque modos ad rem gerendam adhuc requirunt. | The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro is worth mentioning. It proclaimed that “human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development.”[126] Echoing the 1972 Stockholm Declaration, it enshrined international cooperation to care for the ecosystem of the entire earth, the obligation of those who cause pollution to assume its costs, and the duty to assess the environmental impact of given projects and works. It set the goal of limiting greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere, in an effort to reverse the trend of global warming. It also drew up an agenda with an action plan and a convention on biodiversity, and stated principles regarding forests. Although the summit was a real step forward, and prophetic for its time, its accords have been poorly implemented, due to the lack of suitable mechanisms for oversight, periodic review and penalties in cases of non-compliance. The principles which it proclaimed still await an efficient and flexible means of practical implementation. |
| 168 | Inter efficaces experientias, exempli gratia, memorari potest Basileensis Conventio de periculosis ejectamentis, denuntiationum, certæ quantitatis inspectionisque ordine statuto; æque ac obstringens Conventio de internationali mercatu generum animalium ac silvestrium plantarum interiturarum, quæ probationis effectæ rei missiones complectitur. De tuenda ozonii parte ejusque effectu per Montis Regalis disciplinam et ipsius emendationes,Vindobonensis Conventionis ope, hujus partis extenuatæ quæstio finem habitura videtur. | Among positive experiences in this regard, we might mention, for example, the Basel Convention on hazardous wastes, with its system of reporting, standards and controls. There is also the binding Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora, which includes on-site visits for verifying effective compliance. Thanks to the Vienna Convention for the protection of the ozone layer and its implementation through the Montreal Protocol and amendments, the problem of the layer’s thinning seems to have entered a phase of resolution. |
| 169 | De cura diversitatis biologicæ ac soli in solitudinem conversi progressus multo minus luculenti fuerunt. Quod ad cæli mutationes attinet, proposita sunt pro dolor exigua. Gasiorum sæptorum deminutio honestatem, animum ac responsalitatem requirit, potissimum apud potentiores et magis polluentes Nationes. Nationum Unitarum Consilium de tolerabili progressu, Rio+20 nuncupatum (in urbe Flumenjanuariensi anno MMXII), tam amplam quam inefficacem finalem Declarationem edidit. Internationales pactiones multum progredi non possunt propter Nationum voluntates quæ universo omnium bono propria commoda nationalia anteferunt. Ii qui consectaria patientur quæ Nos dissimulare studemus, hanc amissam conscientiam responsalitatemque recordabuntur. Quum Litteræ hæ encyclicæ conscribebantur, disputatio vehementior est facta. Nos credentes facere non possumus quin pro felici exitu hodiernarum disputationum Deum deprecemur, ne advenientes generationes ob imprudentes cunctationes quædam detrimenta patiantur. | As far as the protection of biodiversity and issues related to desertification are concerned, progress has been far less significant. With regard to climate change, the advances have been regrettably few. Reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty, courage and responsibility, above all on the part of those countries which are more powerful and pollute the most. The Conference of the United Nations on Sustainable Development, “Rio+20” (Rio de Janeiro 2012), issued a wide-ranging but ineffectual outcome document. International negotiations cannot make significant progress due to positions taken by countries which place their national interests above the global common good. Those who will have to suffer the consequences of what we are trying to hide will not forget this failure of conscience and responsibility. Even as this Encyclical was being prepared, the debate was intensifying. We believers cannot fail to ask God for a positive outcome to the present discussions, so that future generations will not have to suffer the effects of our ill-advised delays. |
| 170 | Quædam agendi rationes, de exigua gasiorum contaminantium effusione, ambitales sumptus internationales reddere student, periculo Nationibus minoribus opibus pollentibus gravia de emissionibus minuendis munera imponendi, similia Nationibus quæstuosa industria provectis. Hæc imposita mandata indigentioribus progressu Nationibus damnum inferunt. Hoc modo nova additur injustitia sub ambitus curandi specie. Ut semper fit, filum tenuiore a parte rumpitur. Quandoquidem climatis mutationis instantes effectus perdiu percipientur, quamvis nunc quædam severa consilia suscipiantur, nonnullæ Nationes, inopia laborantes, adjumento indigent ut ad instantes effectus se accommodent, qui rem earum œconomicam attingunt. Certum est communes esse responsalitates, sed distinctas, eo quod, ut Episcopi Boliviani ajunt, “Nationes quæ ex altioris gradus inducta industria utilitatem perceperunt, per magnam gasii sæpti emissi quantitatem, majorem habent responsalitatem ad quæstiones e parte solvendas, quas induxerunt.”[127] | Some strategies for lowering pollutant gas emissions call for the internationalization of environmental costs, which would risk imposing on countries with fewer resources burdensome commitments to reducing emissions comparable to those of the more industrialized countries. Imposing such measures penalizes those countries most in need of development. A further injustice is perpetrated under the guise of protecting the environment. Here also, the poor end up paying the price. Furthermore, since the effects of climate change will be felt for a long time to come, even if stringent measures are taken now, some countries with scarce resources will require assistance in adapting to the effects already being produced, which affect their economies. In this context, there is a need for common and differentiated responsibilities. As the bishops of Bolivia have stated, “the countries which have benefited from a high degree of industrialization, at the cost of enormous emissions of greenhouse gases, have a greater responsibility for providing a solution to the problems they have caused.”[127] |
| 171 | Emendi vendendique mos “titulos emissionis” nova quæstus studii genera afferre potest atque nihil confert ad gasiorum inquinantium emissionem e toto minuendam. Hæc ratio solutio videtur celer facilisque, sub specie alicujus in ambitum officii, quod tamen immutationem minime secum fert, quæ condicionibus requiritur. Immo prætextus fieri potest qui facultatem nonnullis Nationibus ac partibus det quam maxime consumendi. | The strategy of buying and selling “carbon credits” can lead to a new form of speculation which would not help reduce the emission of polluting gases worldwide. This system seems to provide a quick and easy solution under the guise of a certain commitment to the environment, but in no way does it allow for the radical change which present circumstances require. Rather, it may simply become a ploy which permits maintaining the excessive consumption of some countries and sectors. |
| 172 | Primum pauperes Nationes ab indigentia sunt radicitus expediendæ atque earum incolarum socialis progressus persequendus; eodem tempore indignus gradus consumendi aliquarum populi partium prosperarum est ponderandus atque efficacius corruptelæ obsistendum. Procul dubio energia instrumentis minus polluentibus est elicienda, quapropter adjumento opus est Nationum quæ impendio hodiernæ contaminationis orbis multum adoleverunt. Rectus usus copiosæ solis energiæ requirit ut rationes et subsidia statuantur ita ut Nationes ad progressionem nitentes translatam technologiam, technicum juvamen et rei nummariæ copias adhibere possint, at semper certis consideratis condicionibus, quoniam “congruenter usque non ponderatur convenientia instrumentorum cum contextu ad quem referuntur.”[128] Tenues essent sumptus, si discrimini compararentur climatis immutationis. Quidquid est, ante omnia ethica est deliberatio, quæ omnium populorum solidarietate nititur. | For poor countries, the priorities must be to eliminate extreme poverty and to promote the social development of their people. At the same time, they need to acknowledge the scandalous level of consumption in some privileged sectors of their population and to combat corruption more effectively. They are likewise bound to develop less polluting forms of energy production, but to do so they require the help of countries which have experienced great growth at the cost of the ongoing pollution of the planet. Taking advantage of abundant solar energy will require the establishment of mechanisms and subsidies which allow developing countries access to technology transfer, technical assistance and financial resources, but in a way which respects their concrete situations, since “the compatibility of [infrastructures] with the context for which they have been designed is not always adequately assessed.”[128] The costs of this would be low, compared to the risks of climate change. In any event, these are primarily ethical decisions, rooted in solidarity between all peoples. |
| 173 | Oportet ut internationales pactiones protinus ferantur, exigua considerata vi localium potestatum efficaciter agendi. Inter Status, necessitudines uniuscujusque dominium servare debent, at etiam procedendi communiter statuere rationes, ut locorum ruinæ, omnibus damnum facturæ, vitentur. Rationes rectæ omnia complectentes opus sunt quæ officia tribuant atque improbandos actus impediant, sicut usu venit ut impotentes Nationes in alias Nationes ejectamenta industriasque præter modum contaminantia inferant. | Enforceable international agreements are urgently needed, since local authorities are not always capable of effective intervention. Relations between states must be respectful of each other’s sovereignty, but must also lay down mutually agreed means of averting regional disasters which would eventually affect everyone. Global regulatory norms are needed to impose obligations and prevent unacceptable actions, for example, when powerful companies or countries dump contaminated waste or offshore polluting industries in other countries. |
| 174 | Oceanos moderandi etiam memoramus ordinem. Etenim, licet complura inter Nationes et regiones sint inita fœdera, comminuta tamen officiorum divisio, ordinationis, inspectionis sanctionisque deficientibus severis rationibus, efficit ut omnes conatus hebetentur. Eo quod quæstio increbruit ejectamentorum marium atque illorum locorum tuendorum ultra nationales fines, provocatio producitur specialis. Itaque pactione opus est de rationibus moderandis, quæ omnem seriem complectantur bonorum communium globalium nuncupatorum. | Let us also mention the system of governance of the oceans. International and regional conventions do exist, but fragmentation and the lack of strict mechanisms of regulation, control and penalization end up undermining these efforts. The growing problem of marine waste and the protection of the open seas represent particular challenges. What is needed, in effect, is an agreement on systems of governance for the whole range of so-called “global commons.” |
| 175 | Eadem ratio, quæ efficit ut firmæ deliberationes ad cursum globalis calefactionis invertendum difficulter suscipiantur, radicitus paupertatem evellere non sinit. Oportet contra universaliter et officii constantia agatur, ut contaminationi minuendæ ac simul Nationibus progredientibus pauperibusque regionibus subveniatur. Sæculum XXI, dum moderationem servat propriam præteritarum ætatum, conspicit nationales Status potestatem amittere, præsertim quod œconomica nummaria ratio, quæ transnationalem habet indolem, rei politicæ dominari student. Hoc posito, fortiorum et efficaciter compositarum institutionum internationalium progressus necessarius fit, auctoritatibus pari jure designatis per pactiones inter nationalia regimina ac sanciendi potestate fruentibus. Ait Benedictus XVI, eandem calcans viam quam doctrina socialis Ecclesiæ: “Ut mundana œconomia temperetur; ut crisi affectis œconomiis subveniatur, ad ipsius deteriores condiciones vitandas itemque majores inæqualitates prohibendas; ut tota armamentorum ademptio, ciborum pacisque securitas efficiantur; ut rerum natura servetur atque migrantium turmæ ordinentur, oportet vera Auctoritas politica mundialis assit, quæ a Decessore Nostro beato Joanne XXIII est jam adumbrata.”[129] Hoc in rerum prospectu legatorum actio insolitum obtinet pondus ad internationales processus promovendos, ut graviora vitentur, omnes comprehensura. | The same mindset which stands in the way of making radical decisions to reverse the trend of global warming also stands in the way of achieving the goal of eliminating poverty. A more responsible overall approach is needed to deal with both problems: the reduction of pollution and the development of poorer countries and regions. The twenty-first century, while maintaining systems of governance inherited from the past, is witnessing a weakening of the power of nation states, chiefly because the economic and financial sectors, being transnational, tends to prevail over the political. Given this situation, it is essential to devise stronger and more efficiently organized international institutions, with functionaries who are appointed fairly by agreement among national governments, and empowered to impose sanctions. As Benedict XVI has affirmed in continuity with the social teaching of the Church: “To manage the global economy; to revive economies hit by the crisis; to avoid any deterioration of the present crisis and the greater imbalances that would result; to bring about integral and timely disarmament, food security and peace; to guarantee the protection of the environment and to regulate migration: for all this, there is urgent need of a true world political authority, as my predecessor Blessed John XXIII indicated some years ago.”[129] Diplomacy also takes on new importance in the work of developing international strategies which can anticipate serious problems affecting us all. |
| II. DE NOVIS POLITICIS REBUS NATIONALIBUS LOCALIBUSQUE DIALOGUS | II. DIALOGUE FOR NEW NATIONAL AND LOCAL POLICIES | |
| 176 | Non modo inter Nationes victores sunt et victi, verum etiam intra pauperes Nationes, in quibus variæ responsalitates conspici debent. Quam ob rem de ambitu ac progressu œconomico quæstiones jam poni non possunt tantum a Nationum dissimilitudine sumpto initio, sed requirunt ut politicæ res nationales localesque considerentur. | There are not just winners and losers among countries, but within poorer countries themselves. Hence different responsibilities need to be identified. Questions related to the environment and economic development can no longer be approached only from the standpoint of differences between countries; they also call for greater attention to policies on the national and local levels. |
| 177 | Quum fieri possit ut humanæ facultates absque officii conscientia adhibeantur, quisque Status sine cunctatione munus intra propriam regionem gerere debet describendi, coordinandi, vigilandi ac sanciendi. Quomodo disponit custoditque societas proprium futurum ævum intra usque innovatam technologiam? Id quod ut temperamentum re agit est jus, quod normas statuit ad mores adhibendos sub boni communis lumine. Fines quos statuere debet sana, firmata ac nemini obnoxia societas, spectant ad provisiones, cautiones, congruas normas, vigilantiam normarum adhibitarum, corruptelæ repudiationem, efficacem inspectionem effectuum e productione exstantium, qui non expetuntur, nec non aptam actionem in incerta adventiciaque propulsanda pericula. Exstat augescens juris scientia quæ contaminationis effectus ergolabicorum operum minuere vult. At politica et institutionalis structura non modo datur ut malæ actiones vitentur, verum etiam ut bonæ actiones juventur, ingenium concitetur ad novas vias reperiendas, ad personalia communiaque incepta suscipienda. | Given the real potential for a misuse of human abilities, individual states can no longer ignore their responsibility for planning, coordination, oversight and enforcement within their respective borders. How can a society plan and protect its future amid constantly developing technological innovations? One authoritative source of oversight and coordination is the law, which lays down rules for admissible conduct in the light of the common good. The limits which a healthy, mature and sovereign society must impose are those related to foresight and security, regulatory norms, timely enforcement, the elimination of corruption, effective responses to undesired side-effects of production processes, and appropriate intervention where potential or uncertain risks are involved. There is a growing jurisprudence dealing with the reduction of pollution by business activities. But political and institutional frameworks do not exist simply to avoid bad practice, but also to promote best practice, to stimulate creativity in seeking new solutions and to encourage individual or group initiatives. |
| 178 | Rei politicæ calamitas, proximis effectibus nitentis, populis immodice consumentibus fultæ, secum fert ut pusillum temporis oporteat incrementum afferatur. Suffragiorum propter causas, regimina haud facile pericula adeunt populum turbandi per incepta quæ consumptionis gradum afficiunt aut exteræ pecuniæ collocationem in periculum afferunt. Haud prudens potestatis ædificatio efficit ut de ambitu sapienter agenda difficulter in publica regiminum agenda inserantur. E memoria illud elabitur “tempus superius esse spatio,”[130] fecundiores nos esse quum de processibus gignendis potius quam de moderandis tractibus dominandi sollicitemur. Politica magnitudo ostenditur quum, difficilioribus temporibus, præstantibus principiis agitur atque de bono communi, longo temporis spatio, cogitatur. Politica potestas in quodam Nationis proposito hoc officium laboriose suscipit. | A politics concerned with immediate results, supported by consumerist sectors of the population, is driven to produce short-term growth. In response to electoral interests, governments are reluctant to upset the public with measures which could affect the level of consumption or create risks for foreign investment. The myopia of power politics delays the inclusion of a far-sighted environmental agenda within the overall agenda of governments. Thus we forget that “time is greater than space,”[130] that we are always more effective when we generate processes rather than holding on to positions of power. True statecraft is manifest when, in difficult times, we uphold high principles and think of the long-term common good. Political powers do not find it easy to assume this duty in the work of nation-building. |
| 179 | Quibusdam in locis ad renovabiles energias adhibendas cooperativæ societates augescunt, quæ propriis loci necessitatibus satisfacere sinant, quin immo supervacaneam productionem vendere. Hoc merum exemplum demonstrat, dum mundanæ exstantes auctoritates responsalitates sibi sumere non valent, loci dicionem aliter agere posse. Inibi enim oriri possunt major responsalitas, altus communitatis sensus, peculiaris curandi facultas ac liberalius ingenium, flagrans in proprium solum amor et cogitatio item quid filiis nepotibusque relinquatur. Admodum altas radices apud aboriginum gentes hæc bona habent. Quoniam jus, interdum, propter corruptelam suo non fungitur munere, instante populo, politica deliberatio requiritur. Societas, per institutiones ad regimen non spectantes, et medii ordinis consociationes, regimina cogere debet, ut normas, rationes et inspectiones firmiores augeant. Si cives politicæ potestati — nationali, regionali et municipali — non invigilant, ne fieri quidem potest ut ambitali detrimento obsistatur. Ceterum, municipii leges efficaciores esse possunt si inter proximas gentes pactio initur, ut eædem ambitus politicæ actiones sustineantur. | In some places, cooperatives are being developed to exploit renewable sources of energy which ensure local self-sufficiency and even the sale of surplus energy. This simple example shows that, while the existing world order proves powerless to assume its responsibilities, local individuals and groups can make a real difference. They are able to instil a greater sense of responsibility, a strong sense of community, a readiness to protect others, a spirit of creativity and a deep love for the land. They are also concerned about what they will eventually leave to their children and grandchildren. These values are deeply rooted in indigenous peoples. Because the enforcement of laws is at times inadequate due to corruption, public pressure has to be exerted in order to bring about decisive political action. Society, through non-governmental organizations and intermediate groups, must put pressure on governments to develop more rigorous regulations, procedures and controls. Unless citizens control political power — national, regional and municipal — it will not be possible to control damage to the environment. Local legislation can be more effective, too, if agreements exist between neighboring communities to support the same environmental policies. |
| 180 | Paria præcepta cogitari non possunt, quandoquidem quæstiones et fines peculiares sunt singularum Nationum regionumque. Verum quoque est, politicum realismum incepta ac technologias ad tempus requirere, quæ autem cum proposito acceptioneque officiorum, gradatim ac necessario gerendorum, prorsus jugantur. Eodem autem tempore, intra Nationum et locorum fines multa usque sunt facienda, exempli gratia, energeticæ parsimoniæ genera promovenda. Id secum fert modis favere industriæ fructus gignendi summam per energeticam efficientiam ac minorem primarum materiarum usum, manufactis a mercatu amotis, quæ sunt parum efficacia, quod ad energiam attinet, et plus contaminant. Memorare etiam possumus rem vectoriam bene gestam vel rationes ædificandi et ædes restituendi, ut energiæ consumptio et contaminationis gradus minuantur. Ceterum politica locorum actio dirigi potest ad consumptiones demutandas, provehendam ejectamentorum rerumque iterum adhibitarum œconomiam, certa genera tuenda et variam culturam satorum vicibus disponendam. Fieri potest ut agriculturæ faveatur pauperum regionum per pecuniæ collocationem in ruris substructionibus, in locorum nationisve mercatu componendo, in rigationis instrumentis, in tolerabilis agriculturæ technicis artibus promovendis. Cooperationis vel communis agendi rationis genera juvari possunt, quæ parvorum operatorum commoda tueantur, atque a compilatione locorum œcosystemata servent. Multum est quod fieri potest! | There are no uniform recipes, because each country or region has its own problems and limitations. It is also true that political realism may call for transitional measures and technologies, so long as these are accompanied by the gradual framing and acceptance of binding commitments. At the same time, on the national and local levels, much still needs to be done, such as promoting ways of conserving energy. These would include favoring forms of industrial production with maximum energy efficiency and diminished use of raw materials, removing from the market products which are less energy efficient or more polluting, improving transport systems, and encouraging the construction and repair of buildings aimed at reducing their energy consumption and levels of pollution. Political activity on the local level could also be directed to modifying consumption, developing an economy of waste disposal and recycling, protecting certain species and planning a diversified agriculture and the rotation of crops. Agriculture in poorer regions can be improved through investment in rural infrastructures, a better organization of local or national markets, systems of irrigation, and the development of techniques of sustainable agriculture. New forms of cooperation and community organization can be encouraged in order to defend the interests of small producers and preserve local ecosystems from destruction. Truly, much can be done! |
| 181 | Necessaria est continuatio, quoniam politicæ climatis variationum actiones et ambitus tutelæ demutari non possunt quotiescunque regimen mutat. Effectus multum temporis sibi vindicant et repentinos sumptus requirunt et consecutiones tempore cujusdam regiminis exhiberi non possunt. Quam ob rem, non impellentibus populo et institutionibus, obsistetur usque actioni, immo magis quum premunt agendi necessitates. Has sumens responsalitates, additis congruis sumptibus, politicus homo ad rationem maximæ actuositatis et “proximitatis” œconomiæ ac politicæ hodiernæ non se accommodat; sed si id faciet, iterum dignitatem agnoscere poterit, quam ei ut personæ tribuit Deus atque, suum in hac historia post transitum, testimonium relinquet liberalis responsalitatis. Major probæ politicæ locus est dandus, quæ institutiones reformare easque bonis agendi modis instruere valet, quæ sinunt ut vitiosæ pressuræ segnitiæque superentur. Attamen est addendum meliores animadversiones decidere, quum desint præstantia proposita, bona, humanitatis et sensus plenus intellectus, quæ cunctis societatibus nobilem liberalemque cursum comparare valeant. | Here, continuity is essential, because policies related to climate change and environmental protection cannot be altered with every change of government. Results take time and demand immediate outlays which may not produce tangible effects within any one government’s term. That is why, in the absence of pressure from the public and from civic institutions, political authorities will always be reluctant to intervene, all the more when urgent needs must be met. To take up these responsibilities and the costs they entail, politicians will inevitably clash with the mindset of short-term gain and results which dominates present-day economics and politics. But if they are courageous, they will attest to their God-given dignity and leave behind a testimony of selfless responsibility. A healthy politics is sorely needed, capable of reforming and coordinating institutions, promoting best practices and overcoming undue pressure and bureaucratic inertia. It should be added, though, that even the best mechanisms can break down when there are no worthy goals and values, or a genuine and profound humanism to serve as the basis of a noble and generous society. |
| III. IN DELIBERATIONIS PROCESSIBUS DIALOGUS AC SINCERITAS | III. DIALOGUE AND TRANSPARENCY IN DECISION-MAKING | |
| 182 | Provisa impactio ambitalis consiliorum ergolabicorum et inceptorum sinceros politicos et per dialogum excussos processus requirit, dum corruptela, quæ veram ambitalem impactionem incepti per gratiarum commutationem tegit, sæpe ad dubias pactiones faciendas ducit, quæ ab officio renuntiationis nec non a diligenti dialogo abducunt. | An assessment of the environmental impact of business ventures and projects demands transparent political processes involving a free exchange of views. On the other hand, the forms of corruption which conceal the actual environmental impact of a given project, in exchange for favors, usually produce specious agreements which fail to inform adequately and to allow for full debate. |
| 183 | Impactionis ambitalis inquisitio consilio productionis inito vel cuilibet politicæ proposito vel rerum agendarum indici non est posthabenda. Ab initio est ponenda atque per rationem interdisciplinarem, sinceram et item ab omni œconomico politicove impetu sejunctam est facienda. Quum operandi condicionum inquisitione conjungi debet, fortuitis quoque effectibus consideratis in valetudinem corporis mentisque personarum, in localem œconomiam, securitatem. Œconomici sic effectus provideri certius possunt, eis spectatis quæ fieri possunt et forte necessitate præcepta plus pecuniæ collocandi, ad effectus haud optatos expediendos, qui emendari possunt. Oportet semper ut consensus inter societatis partes habeatur, quæ varios prospectus, solutiones et optiones afferre possunt. At in disputando peculiarem condicionem obtinere debent locorum incolæ, qui sententiam rogantur de eis quæ sibi suisque filiis volunt, et proposita considerare possunt, quæ proximam œconomicam utilitatem transgrediuntur. Cogitatio deserenda est “interventuum” ambitus, ut res politicæ ponderatæ et ab omnibus participibus excussæ habeantur. Participatio vult ut omnes de variis aspectibus variisque periculis et occasionibus congruenter doceantur, et deliberatione, initio facta, alicujus propositi ipsa non continetur, sed requirit ut inspectio vel instrumentis adhibitis monitoriis exploratio continenter agantur. Sinceritate veritateque in scientificis politicisque dissertationibus opus est, absque finitione considerandi quid e lege liceat aut quid non liceat. | Environmental impact assessment should not come after the drawing up of a business proposition or the proposal of a particular policy, plan or programme. It should be part of the process from the beginning, and be carried out in a way which is interdisciplinary, transparent and free of all economic or political pressure. It should be linked to a study of working conditions and possible effects on people’s physical and mental health, on the local economy and on public safety. Economic returns can thus be forecast more realistically, taking into account potential scenarios and the eventual need for further investment to correct possible undesired effects. A consensus should always be reached between the different stakeholders, who can offer a variety of approaches, solutions and alternatives. The local population should have a special place at the table; they are concerned about their own future and that of their children, and can consider goals transcending immediate economic interest. We need to stop thinking in terms of “interventions” to save the environment in favor of policies developed and debated by all interested parties. The participation of the latter also entails being fully informed about such projects and their different risks and possibilities; this includes not just preliminary decisions but also various follow-up activities and continued monitoring. Honesty and truth are needed in scientific and political discussions; these should not be limited to the issue of whether or not a particular project is permitted by law. |
| 184 | Quum fortuita pericula exstant ambitus, quæ ad præsens futurumque bonum commune attinent, hæc condicio requirit ut “deliberationes e comparatione decernantur periculorum et beneficiorum, quæ ex omnibus optionibus elegi possunt.”[131] Id potissimum vim habet si inceptum quoddam incrementum afferre potest in utendis naturæ opibus, emissionibus et retrimentis, ejectamentis effectis, vel manifesta prospectus mutatione, naturali generum custoditorum domicilio vel publico loco. Quædam incepta, quæ meditata inquisitione non sustinentur, vitæ cujusdam loci qualitatem radicitus afficere possunt per actus inter se diversissimos, ut exempli gratia per auditoriam contaminationem improvisam, latitudinem visus deminutam, culturæ bona deperdita, usurpatæ atomicæ energiæ effectus. Consumptionis cultura, quæ brevi momento ac privato commodo primas tribuit partes, nimis celeribus tractationibus favere aut notitiis celandis concedere potest. | In the face of possible risks to the environment which may affect the common good now and in the future, decisions must be made “based on a comparison of the risks and benefits foreseen for the various possible alternatives.”[131] This is especially the case when a project may lead to a greater use of natural resources, higher levels of emission or discharge, an increase of refuse, or significant changes to the landscape, the habitats of protected species or public spaces. Some projects, if insufficiently studied, can profoundly affect the quality of life of an area due to very different factors such as unforeseen noise pollution, the shrinking of visual horizons, the loss of cultural values, or the effects of nuclear energy use. The culture of consumerism, which prioritizes short-term gain and private interest, can make it easy to rubber-stamp authorizations or to conceal information. |
| 185 | In unaquaque disputatione quæ ad ergolabicam operam attinet quædam interrogationes sunt struendæ, ut discernatur utrum verum integrumque progressum feratur: Quorsum? Qua ratione? Ubi? Quando? Quomodo? Ad quem spectat? Quæ sunt pericula? Quo sumptu? Quisnam solvet pretium et quomodo id faciet? Hoc in examine quædam quæstiones sunt præcipiendæ. Exempli gratia, scimus exiguam esse aquam et necessariam, præterea præcipuum est jus quod aliorum hominum jurium usum afficit. De hoc non est dubitandum et impactionis ambitalis cujusdam regionis omnem vestigationem transgreditur. | In any discussion about a proposed venture, a number of questions need to be asked in order to discern whether or not it will contribute to genuine integral development. What will it accomplish? Why? Where? When? How? For whom? What are the risks? What are the costs? Who will pay those costs and how? In this discernment, some questions must have higher priority. For example, we know that water is a scarce and indispensable resource and a fundamental right which conditions the exercise of other human rights. This indisputable fact overrides any other assessment of environmental impact on a region. |
| 186 | In Declaratione anni MCMXCII, acta apud urbem Flumenjanuariensem edicitur: “Ubi damnorum gravium irreparabiliumque minationes dantur, si desunt manifestæ scientiæ certitudines, non erit id argumentum efficaces cautiones sumendas neglegendi,”[132] ut ambitalis degradatio arceatur. Principium hoc cautionis patitur ut infirmioribus consulatur, qui pauca instrumenta habent ad se defendendos et ad comprobationes reperiendas quæ refelli non possunt. Si per objectivam notitiam grave et insanabile damnum providetur, etsi demonstratio certa non est, quodvis tamen propositum impediendum est aut immutandum. Hac ratione probandi onus invertitur, propterea quod his in casibus objectiva decretoriaque probatio reperiatur oportet, statutum opus ambitui aut incolis gravia damna haud illaturum. | The Rio Declaration of 1992 states that “where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a pretext for postponing cost-effective measures”[132] which prevent environmental degradation. This precautionary principle makes it possible to protect those who are most vulnerable and whose ability to defend their interests and to assemble incontrovertible evidence is limited. If objective information suggests that serious and irreversible damage may result, a project should be halted or modified, even in the absence of indisputable proof. Here the burden of proof is effectively reversed, since in such cases objective and conclusive demonstrations will have to be brought forward to demonstrate that the proposed activity will not cause serious harm to the environment or to those who inhabit it. |
| 187 | Hoc posito non omnis technologica innovatio rejicitur, quæ efficiat ut alicujus populi vitæ qualitas augeatur. Sed, quidquid est, illud firmum est tenendum rerum ubertatem non posse unum esse judicium observandum atque, quum nova judicandi elementa exstent e notitiis auctis, novum habendum est judicium, omnibus participantium implicatis partibus. Ex disceptatione deliberatio exstare poterit propositum non persequendi, sed etiam idem mutandi aut alias optiones eligendi. | This does not mean being opposed to any technological innovations which can bring about an improvement in the quality of life. But it does mean that profit cannot be the sole criterion to be taken into account, and that, when significant new information comes to light, a reassessment should be made, with the involvement of all interested parties. The outcome may be a decision not to proceed with a given project, to modify it or to consider alternative proposals. |
| 188 | Disputationes oriuntur de ambitus quæstionibus, de quibus difficile est ut consentio obtineatur. Etiam atque etiam confirmamus quæstiones scientificas nolle definire Ecclesiam, neque politicæ rei locum occupare, sed ad probum liquidumque dialogum invitamus, ut singulares necessitates vel ideologiæ bonum commune ne lædant. | There are certain environmental issues where it is not easy to achieve a broad consensus. Here I would state once more that the Church does not presume to settle scientific questions or to replace politics. But I am concerned to encourage an honest and open debate so that particular interests or ideologies will not prejudice the common good. |
| IV. POLITICA ET ŒCONOMIA PRO HUMANA PLENITUDINE IN DIALOGO | IV. POLITICS AND ECONOMY IN DIALOGUE FOR HUMAN FULFILMENT | |
| 189 | Res politica œconomiæ non est subdenda, quæ technocratiæ imperanti et specimina efficientiæ demonstranti se tradere non debet. Hodie, de bono communi cogitantes, procul dubio necesse habemus ut res politica et œconomia colloquentes vitæ sine cunctatione inserviant, præsertim vitæ humanæ. Quod argentariæ quacunque ratione servantur, quodque pretium populis est solvendum, absque firma deliberatione recognoscendi atque totum propositum reformandi, absolutus rei nummariæ dominatus confirmatur, quæ nihil in posterum consequetur quæque, post diuturnam, sumptuosam vanamque curationem, novas tantum difficultates afferre potest. Rei nummariæ discrimen annis MMVII-MMVIII occasionem præbuit ut nova œconomia susciperetur, quæ studiosior esset moralium principiorum, atque mercatorium rei nummariæ opus nec non virtuales divitiæ denuo componerentur. Sed nihil contra factum est, ut rationes obsoletæ, mundum adhuc moderantes, iterum ponderarentur. Quæ efficiuntur non semper sunt rationalia, quæ sæpe œconomicis variationibus sociantur, quibus fructus aliter æstimantur atque re valent. Ex eo evenit ut sæpenumero quædam merces plus æquo gignantur, ambitali impactione haud necessaria addita, quæ eadem opera multis regionum œconomiis detrimentum affert.[133] Subitaneus rei nummariæ auctus plerumque est quoque subitaneus proventus auctus. Itaque quod firma voluntate non agitur, est œconomiæ realis argumentum, quæ efficit ut varientur atque bona effecta meliora reddantur, societates bonis gignendis congruenter operentur, parvæ mediæque societates augeantur atque opus præbeant. | Politics must not be subject to the economy, nor should the economy be subject to the dictates of an efficiency-driven paradigm of technocracy. Today, in view of the common good, there is urgent need for politics and economics to enter into a frank dialogue in the service of life, especially human life. Saving banks at any cost, making the public pay the price, foregoing a firm commitment to reviewing and reforming the entire system, only reaffirms the absolute power of a financial system, a power which has no future and will only give rise to new crises after a slow, costly and only apparent recovery. The financial crisis of 2007-08 provided an opportunity to develop a new economy, more attentive to ethical principles, and new ways of regulating speculative financial practices and virtual wealth. But the response to the crisis did not include rethinking the outdated criteria which continue to rule the world. Production is not always rational, and is usually tied to economic variables which assign to products a value that does not necessarily correspond to their real worth. This frequently leads to an overproduction of some commodities, with unnecessary impact on the environment and with negative results on regional economies.[133] The financial bubble also tends to be a productive bubble. The problem of the real economy is not confronted with vigor, yet it is the real economy which makes diversification and improvement in production possible, helps companies to function well, and enables small and medium businesses to develop and create employment. |
| 190 | Hac in re oportet memoria semper teneatur “ambitalem tutelam per rationem tantum nummariam impendiorum ac beneficiorum præstari non posse. Ambitus ad bona illa pertinet quæ mercatus rationes tueri aut congruenter promovere non valent.”[134] Iterum vitetur oportet magica mercatus opinio, quæ putat quæstiones per auctum societatum aut singulorum lucrum expediri. Num re cogitari potest illum, qui flagranter maximis lucris studeat, ambitalibus effectibus detineri, quos ad proximas generationes transferat? Intra quæstus ordinem nullus datur locus naturæ ordinibus, temporibus ipsius degradationis ac regenerationis, implicatis œcosystematibus, quæ graviter hominibus operantibus vitiari possunt. Præterea quum de biodiversitate fit mentio, summum respicitur uti copia œconomicarum opum, quæ adhiberi potest, at serio animo verum rerum pondus, earum momentum apud personas et culturas, commoditates necessitatesque pauperum non considerantur. | Here too, it should always be kept in mind that “environmental protection cannot be assured solely on the basis of financial calculations of costs and benefits. The environment is one of those goods that cannot be adequately safeguarded or promoted by market forces.”[134] Once more, we need to reject a magical conception of the market, which would suggest that problems can be solved simply by an increase in the profits of companies or individuals. Is it realistic to hope that those who are obsessed with maximizing profits will stop to reflect on the environmental damage which they will leave behind for future generations? Where profits alone count, there can be no thinking about the rhythms of nature, its phases of decay and regeneration, or the complexity of ecosystems which may be gravely upset by human intervention. Moreover, biodiversity is considered at most a deposit of economic resources available for exploitation, with no serious thought for the real value of things, their significance for persons and cultures, or the concerns and needs of the poor. |
| 191 | Quum tales quæstiones agitantur, nonnulli ceteros insimulare perinde nituntur, quasi irrationaliter progressum et humanum provectum cohibere studeant. At nobis est persuadendum: quum præstitutus productionis consumptionisque ordo tardatur, alius progrediendi ac provehendi modus præberi potest. Conatus ad tolerabilem naturalium opum usum non sunt inutile impendium, sed bonorum collocatio, quæ alia œconomica beneficia brevi offerre potest. Si haud anguste conspicimus detegere possumus magis innovatæ productionis variationem, minore impactione ambitali quum efficiatur, emolumenti multum afferre posse. Aditus ad varias opportunitates non est intercludendus, quæ non postulant ut humanum ingenium cohibeatur ejusque progressus studium, sed potius ut talis vis nova ratione dirigatur. | Whenever these questions are raised, some react by accusing others of irrationally attempting to stand in the way of progress and human development. But we need to grow in the conviction that a decrease in the pace of production and consumption can at times give rise to another form of progress and development. Efforts to promote a sustainable use of natural resources are not a waste of money, but rather an investment capable of providing other economic benefits in the medium term. If we look at the larger picture, we can see that more diversified and innovative forms of production which impact less on the environment can prove very profitable. It is a matter of openness to different possibilities which do not involve stifling human creativity and its ideals of progress, but rather directing that energy along new channels. |
| 192 | Exempli gratia, productionis progressus cursus magis ingeniosus meliusque ordinatus disparitatem emendare potest inter immodicam rerum consumendarum technologicam tractationem atque modicum ad prementes quæstiones hominum expediendas usum; quædam genera res sapienter quæstuoseque iterum adhibendi, recuperationis functionalis atque multiplicati usus gignere potest; efficacem virium usum in urbibus amplificare potest. Productionis diversitas ad creandum ac novandum complures humano intellectui præbet facultates, dum ambitum tuetur atque operandi plus dat opportunitatis. Fecunda esset ista operositas hominis nobilitatem rursus concitatura, quia dignius est intellectu uti, simul cum audacia ac responsalitate, ut provectus tolerabilis æquique genera reperiantur, ampliore habita notione vitæ qualitatis. At contra, minus est dignum et ingeniosum leviusque instare ut vastationis naturæ inveniantur formæ, oblaturæ tantum consumendi ac subitaneum profectum habendi facultates. | For example, a path of productive development, which is more creative and better directed, could correct the present disparity between excessive technological investment in consumption and insufficient investment in resolving urgent problems facing the human family. It could generate intelligent and profitable ways of reusing, revamping and recycling, and it could also improve the energy efficiency of cities. Productive diversification offers the fullest possibilities to human ingenuity to create and innovate, while at the same time protecting the environment and creating more sources of employment. Such creativity would be a worthy expression of our most noble human qualities, for we would be striving intelligently, boldly and responsibly to promote a sustainable and equitable development within the context of a broader concept of quality of life. On the other hand, to find ever new ways of despoiling nature, purely for the sake of new consumer items and quick profit, would be, in human terms, less worthy and creative, and more superficial. |
| 193 | Quidquid est, si hinc tolerabilis progressus novas crescendi rationes secum feret, illinc, coram avido inconsideratoque incremento, quod multa per decennia est productum, est cogitandum de remorando gradu, quibusdam rationabilibus finibus ponendis, vel retrocedendo, antequam nimis sero sit. Scimus intolerandum esse morem illorum qui consumunt ac magis magisque vastitatem faciunt, dum alii adhuc propriæ humanæ dignitati vitam accommodare non valent. Quam ob rem tempus est decrementum quoddam in aliquibus orbis partibus opibus susceptis tolerare, ut aliis in partibus sanum incrementum obtineatur. Ait Benedictus XVI: “Necesse est ut societates technologice cultæ consuetudinibus temperatis favere velint, propriam energiæ consumptionem imminuentes ejusque usus meliores facientes condiciones.”[135] | In any event, if in some cases sustainable development were to involve new forms of growth, then in other cases, given the insatiable and irresponsible growth produced over many decades, we need also to think of containing growth by setting some reasonable limits and even retracing our steps before it is too late. We know how unsustainable is the behavior of those who constantly consume and destroy, while others are not yet able to live in a way worthy of their human dignity. That is why the time has come to accept decreased growth in some parts of the world, in order to provide resources for other places to experience healthy growth. Benedict XVI has said that “technologically advanced societies must be prepared to encourage more sober lifestyles, while reducing their energy consumption and improving its efficiency.”[135] |
| 194 | Ut novæ progressus rationes exstent, necesse habemus ut “e toto progressus ratio immutetur,”[136] quod secum fert officii conscientia cogitare “de re œconomica ejusque finibus, ad ipsius infirmitates ac depravationes emendandas.”[137]Per mediam viam, naturæ curam nummariis copiis, vel ambitum servandum progressui, conciliare non sufficit. Hoc de argumento mediæ viæ parum tantum ruinam remorantur. Agitur modo de progressu iterum finiendo. Technologicus œconomicusque progressus qui meliorem mundum et vitæ qualitatem integre superiorem non relinquit, progressus haberi non potest. Ceterum, personarum realis vitæ qualitas pluries extenuatur — propter ambitum in deterius mutantem, humilem alimentorum qualitatem vel exhaustas quasdam opes — intra rei œconomicæ augmentum. Hac in provincia, tolerabilis incrementi sermo sæpenumero mentem avertit datque excusationem, qui bona exhaurit sermonis œcologici intra rei nummariæ ac technocratiæ fines, atque inceptorum socialis ambitalisque responsalitas in quandam seriem rationis mercatoriæ et simulacrorum plerumque contrahitur. | For new models of progress to arise, there is a need to change “models of global development”;[136] this will entail a responsible reflection on “the meaning of the economy and its goals with an eye to correcting its malfunctions and misapplications.”[137] It is not enough to balance, in the medium term, the protection of nature with financial gain, or the preservation of the environment with progress. Halfway measures simply delay the inevitable disaster. Put simply, it is a matter of redefining our notion of progress. A technological and economic development which does not leave in its wake a better world and an integrally higher quality of life cannot be considered progress. Frequently, in fact, people’s quality of life actually diminishes — by the deterioration of the environment, the low quality of food or the depletion of resources — in the midst of economic growth. In this context, talk of sustainable growth usually becomes a way of distracting attention and offering excuses. It absorbs the language and values of ecology into the categories of finance and technocracy, and the social and environmental responsibility of businesses often gets reduced to a series of marketing and image-enhancing measures. |
| 195 | Principium maximi obtinendi profectus, quod a qualibet alia consideratione abduci vult, quædam est depravata rei œconomicæ opinio: si productio augetur, parum interest an detrimento futurarum opum vel ambitus salutis id accidat; si silva quadam excisa productio augetur, nemo hac in computatione damnum metitur, quod territorium in solitudinem redigit, biodiversitatem vastat aut contaminationem auget. Hoc nimirum vult societates profectus obtinere, computantes ac solventes minimam expensarum partem. Unus ethicus putari mos potest, quum fit “ut impendia œconomica et socialia, e communium opum naturæ usu exorta, translucida agnoscantur ratione ac plene sustineantur ab omnibus qui eisdem perfruuntur, non autem ab aliis populis vel a venturis generationibus.”[138]Instrumentalis rationalitas quæ immotam solummodo secum fert realitatis analysim, illius momenti considerata necessitate, adest, tum quum ipse mercatus opes impertitur, tum quum id efficit ordinans Status. | The principle of the maximization of profits, frequently isolated from other considerations, reflects a misunderstanding of the very concept of the economy. As long as production is increased, little concern is given to whether it is at the cost of future resources or the health of the environment; as long as the clearing of a forest increases production, no one calculates the losses entailed in the desertification of the land, the harm done to biodiversity or the increased pollution. In a word, businesses profit by calculating and paying only a fraction of the costs involved. Yet only when “the economic and social costs of using up shared environmental resources are recognized with transparency and fully borne by those who incur them, not by other peoples or future generations,”[138] can those actions be considered ethical. An instrumental way of reasoning, which provides a purely static analysis of realities in the service of present needs, is at work whether resources are allocated by the market or by state central planning. |
| 196 | Qui rei politicæ est locus? Memoria subsidiarietatis principium repetimus, quod libertatem tribuit ad præsentes facultates omnibus in ordinibus explicandas, sed eodem tempore a potentioribus erga bonum commune responsalitatis plus postulat. Verum est, hodie nonnullos œconomicos ordines plus pollere quam ipsos Status. At res œconomica sine re politica probari non potest, quæ aliam logicam conciliare non valeat varias species moderaturam hodierni discriminis. Logica in qua nullus est locus sinceræ ambitus sollicitudinis, eadem est in qua nulla est sollicitudo de debilioribus involvendis, quia « in vigenti specimine “felicis exitus” ac “privatæ rationis,” pecuniam collocare insanum videtur, ut ii qui tardantur, debiles vel minus habentes vitæ decursu prosperare possint ».[139] | What happens with politics? Let us keep in mind the principle of subsidiarity, which grants freedom to develop the capabilities present at every level of society, while also demanding a greater sense of responsibility for the common good from those who wield greater power. Today, it is the case that some economic sectors exercise more power than states themselves. But economics without politics cannot be justified, since this would make it impossible to favor other ways of handling the various aspects of the present crisis. The mindset which leaves no room for sincere concern for the environment is the same mindset which lacks concern for the inclusion of the most vulnerable members of society. For “the current model, with its emphasis on success and self-reliance, does not appear to favor an investment in efforts to help the slow, the weak or the less talented to find opportunities in life.”[139] |
| 197 | Re politica opus est nobis, quæ lato prospectu cogitet, atque omnibus e partibus rem aggrediatur, per dialogum variarum disciplinarum diversas complectens discriminis facies. Ipsa res politica pluries suæ infamiæ responsalis est, propter corruptelam atque defectum bonarum politicarum actionum publicarum. Si Status suum officium quadam in regione non exsequitur, quidam œconomici cœtus benefactores videri possunt, ac re habere potestatem, quum sibi dari a quibusdam legibus vacationem sentiant, ut perveniant ad varias scelerum instructorum species, personarum commercium, stupefactivorum medicamentorum commercium et violentiam, quæ difficulter eraduntur. Si res politica perversam logicam frangere non valet, ac præterea vanis sermonibus implicatur, magnas hominum quæstiones neglegere pergemus. Realis immutationis ordo requirit ut omnes processus denuo considerentur, quoniam non sufficit œcologicas leves considerationes inserere, dum logica non excutitur, hodiernæ culturæ subdita. Sana res politica sibi hoc certamen instituere debet. | What is needed is a politics which is far-sighted and capable of a new, integral and interdisciplinary approach to handling the different aspects of the crisis. Often, politics itself is responsible for the disrepute in which it is held, on account of corruption and the failure to enact sound public policies. If in a given region the state does not carry out its responsibilities, some business groups can come forward in the guise of benefactors, wield real power, and consider themselves exempt from certain rules, to the point of tolerating different forms of organized crime, human trafficking, the drug trade and violence, all of which become very difficult to eradicate. If politics shows itself incapable of breaking such a perverse logic, and remains caught up in inconsequential discussions, we will continue to avoid facing the major problems of humanity. A strategy for real change calls for rethinking processes in their entirety, for it is not enough to include a few superficial ecological considerations while failing to question the logic which underlies present-day culture. A healthy politics needs to be able to take up this challenge. |
| 198 | Res politica et œconomica alia in aliam refert culpam, quod ad paupertatem et ambitalem degradationem attinet. Sed illud postulat ut proprios errores agnoscant nec non mutuæ actionis reperiant genera ad bonum commune obtinendum. Quum alteri œconomicæ utilitati solum studeant, alteri dominatui servando augendoque flagranter operam dent, supersunt contentiones vel dubiæ pactiones, ubi minus interest utriusque partis ambitum servare ac debiliores curare. Etiam hic principium valet “unitatem concertationem superare.”[140] | Politics and the economy tend to blame each other when it comes to poverty and environmental degradation. It is to be hoped that they can acknowledge their own mistakes and find forms of interaction directed to the common good. While some are concerned only with financial gain, and others with holding on to or increasing their power, what we are left with are conflicts or spurious agreements where the last thing either party is concerned about is caring for the environment and protecting those who are most vulnerable. Here too, we see how true it is that “unity is greater than conflict.”[140] |
| V. RELIGIONES CUM SCIENTIIS LOQUUNTUR | V. RELIGIONS IN DIALOGUE WITH SCIENCE | |
| 199 | Censeri non potest empiricas scientias vitam, intimam essentiam omnium creaturarum ac totam realitatem omnibus e partibus explanare. Si ita esset, angusti eorum fines methodologici haud jure superarentur. Si hoc exiguo prospectu cogitatur, æstheticus sensus, poësis vel et rationis facultas significationem finemque rerum complectendi dissolvuntur.[141] Memorare cupimus “religiosa scripta potiora quandam significationem omnibus ætatibus præbere posse, suadentem habent vim ad novum usque prospectum patefaciendum […]. Estne rationis intellectusque, ea in obscuritatem detrudere, eo quod in quodam religiosæ opinionis contextu tantum sunt orta?.”[142] Leve est reapse cogitare ethica principia meris verbis demonstrari posse, ab omni contextu seposita; atque quod per religiosum sermonem manifestantur, in publicis disputationibus vi ac pondere non exuuntur. Ethica principia quæ ratio percipere potest per diversas species semper redire et per varios sermones, religiosos quoque, exprimi possunt. | It cannot be maintained that empirical science provides a complete explanation of life, the interplay of all creatures and the whole of reality. This would be to breach the limits imposed by its own methodology. If we reason only within the confines of the latter, little room would be left for aesthetic sensibility, poetry, or even reason’s ability to grasp the ultimate meaning and purpose of things.[141] I would add that “religious classics can prove meaningful in every age; they have an enduring power to open new horizons…. Is it reasonable and enlightened to dismiss certain writings simply because they arose in the context of religious belief?”[142] It would be quite simplistic to think that ethical principles present themselves purely in the abstract, detached from any context. Nor does the fact that they may be couched in religious language detract from their value in public debate. The ethical principles capable of being apprehended by reason can always reappear in different guise and find expression in a variety of languages, including religious language. |
| 200 | Ceterum, quæcumque technica expeditio quam scientiæ afferre volunt, graves mundi quæstiones explicare non valet, si homines sua de via declinant, si magna argumenta amittuntur, quæ efficiunt ut convictus, labor, bonitas habeantur. Quidquid est, credentes sunt concitandi ut propriæ fidei se accommodent, quum eaque agendo non discordent; est instandum ut denuo Dei gratiæ pateant, atque ex alto a propriis de amore, de justitia, de pace firmatis opinionibus depromant. Si quidem perperam intellecta principia nonnunquam effecerunt ut comprobaremus naturæ abusum vel arbitrarium hominis in creatum dominatum, vel bella, injustitiam et violentiam, sicut credentes agnoscere debemus, tali modo sapientiæ thesauro nobis custodiendo nos infideles fuisse. Compluries diversarum ætatum culturæ limites hanc conscientiam proprii ethici spiritalisque patrimonii finxerunt, sed utique ad cujusque fontes reditus sinit ut religiones hodiernis necessitatibus melius respondeant. | Any technical solution which science claims to offer will be powerless to solve the serious problems of our world if humanity loses its compass, if we lose sight of the great motivations which make it possible for us to live in harmony, to make sacrifices and to treat others well. Believers themselves must constantly feel challenged to live in a way consonant with their faith and not to contradict it by their actions. They need to be encouraged to be ever open to God’s grace and to draw constantly from their deepest convictions about love, justice and peace. If a mistaken understanding of our own principles has at times led us to justify mistreating nature, to exercise tyranny over creation, to engage in war, injustice and acts of violence, we believers should acknowledge that by so doing we were not faithful to the treasures of wisdom which we have been called to protect and preserve. Cultural limitations in different eras often affected the perception of these ethical and spiritual treasures, yet by constantly returning to their sources, religions will be better equipped to respond to today’s needs. |
| 201 | Plerique orbis incolæ credentes se esse fatentur, quod religiones impellere debet ut dialogus inter eas instituatur ad naturam curandam, ad pauperes tuendos, ad observantiæ fraternitatisque structuras instruendas. Necessarius ipsas inter scientias etiam est dialogus, quum unaquæque proprii sermonis finibus concludi soleat, atque peculiaris peritia se ab aliis sejungere atque propriam scientiam absolutam putare studeat. Id obstat quominus ambitus quæstiones congruenter agitentur. Dialogus manifestus officiosusque inter diversos œcologicos motus, quibus non desunt ideologicæ concertationes, pariter est necessarius. Discriminis œcologici gravitas postulat ut omnes de bono communi cogitemus et dialogi cursum usque teneamus, qui requirit patientiam, ascesim ac liberalitatem, recordantes continenter “realitatem ideæ præstare.”[143] |
The majority of people living on our planet profess to be believers. This should spur religions to dialogue among themselves for the sake of protecting nature, defending the poor, and building networks of respect and fraternity. Dialogue among the various sciences is likewise needed, since each can tend to become enclosed in its own language, while specialization leads to a certain isolation and the absolutization of its own field of knowledge. This prevents us from confronting environmental problems effectively. An open and respectful dialogue is also needed between the various ecological movements, among which ideological conflicts are not infrequently encountered. The gravity of the ecological crisis demands that we all look to the common good, embarking on a path of dialogue which demands patience, self-discipline and generosity, always keeping in mind that “realities are greater than ideas.”[143] |
| EDUCATIO ET SPIRITALITAS ŒCOLOGICA | CHAPTER SIX ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION AND SPIRITUALITY | |
| 202 | Plurimæ res oportet suum denuo convertant cursum, sed cumprimis genus humanum mutare debet. Est necessaria communis originis conscientia, mutuæ necessitudinis atque futuri participati cunctis cum hominibus. Hæc fundamentalis conscientia sineret ut novæ explicerentur persuasiones, habilitates vitæque formæ. Apparet sic magna provocatio culturalis, spiritalis et educativa, quæ latos regenerationis processus implicabit. | Many things have to change course, but it is we human beings above all who need to change. We lack an awareness of our common origin, of our mutual belonging, and of a future to be shared with everyone. This basic awareness would enable the development of new convictions, attitudes and forms of life. A great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge stands before us, and it will demand that we set out on the long path of renewal. |
| I. ALIAM VITÆ FORMAM INSTITUERE | I. TOWARDS A NEW LIFESTYLE | |
| 203 | Quoniam mercatus tendit ad rerum consumendarum immodicam machinam efficiendam, proventuum collocandorum causa, personæ obruuntur gurgite acquisitionum et superfluarum expensarum. Immoderata rerum consumptio e paradigmate technico œconomico subjective eruitur. Illud evenit quod jam Romanus Guardini significabat: nempe homo “accipit res ordinarias consuetasve vitæ formas sicut ei imponuntur a præstituta bonorum dispensatione et a fructibus seriatim confectis; ac demum sic facit, persuasus hoc esse rationabile et justum.”[144] Hujusmodi paradigma efficit ut omnes putent se liberos esse usque dum præsumptam conservent libertatem consumendi, quum revera libertatem possident ii qui ad minorem partem pertinent œconomicam et pecuniariam potestatem detinentem. Hac in confusione homo postmodernus haud invenit novam sui ipsius perceptionem quæ possit eum dirigere, et hanc deficientem identitatem cum angustia vivit. Nimia habemus instrumenta pro exiguis angustisque finibus. | Since the market tends to promote extreme consumerism in an effort to sell its products, people can easily get caught up in a whirlwind of needless buying and spending. Compulsive consumerism is one example of how the techno-economic paradigm affects individuals. Romano Guardini had already foreseen this: “The gadgets and technics forced upon him by the patterns of machine production and of abstract planning mass man accepts quite simply; they are the forms of life itself. To either a greater or lesser degree mass man is convinced that his conformity is both reasonable and just.”[144] This paradigm leads people to believe that they are free as long as they have the supposed freedom to consume. But those really free are the minority who wield economic and financial power. Amid this confusion, postmodern humanity has not yet achieved a new self-awareness capable of offering guidance and direction, and this lack of identity is a source of anxiety. We have too many means and only a few insubstantial ends. |
| 204 | Hodierna mundi condicio “generat sensum instabilitatis et incertitudinis, qui sua e parte alit formas egoismi communis.”[145] Quum personæ sui ipsius testimoniales fiunt, seque sua conscientia sæpiuntur, augent suam voracitatem. Quoniam quo inanius est cor hominis, eo magis indiget rebus emendis, possidendis et consumendis. Hoc in rerum contextu haud possibile videtur ut quis arbitretur realitatem sibi limites imponere. Hoc in prospectu ne verum quidem bonum commune exsistit. Si est hujusmodi subjecti genus quod in societate vult prævalere, normæ tantum observabuntur quum ejus necessitatibus non contradixerint. Quapropter non cogitemus solum de terribilibus phænomenis climatis vel magnis naturalibus calamitatibus quæ evenire possunt, sed etiam de calamitatibus quæ e discriminibus socialibus manant, quoniam flagrans studium cujusdam vitæ generis res immodice consumendas affectantis, præsertim quum tantum pauci possunt illud sustinere, poterit solum violentiam ac mutuam vastationem parere. | The current global situation engenders a feeling of instability and uncertainty, which in turn becomes “a seedbed for collective selfishness.”[145] When people become self-centred and self-enclosed, their greed increases. The emptier a person’s heart is, the more he or she needs things to buy, own and consume. It becomes almost impossible to accept the limits imposed by reality. In this horizon, a genuine sense of the common good also disappears. As these attitudes become more widespread, social norms are respected only to the extent that they do not clash with personal needs. So our concern cannot be limited merely to the threat of extreme weather events, but must also extend to the catastrophic consequences of social unrest. Obsession with a consumerist lifestyle, above all when few people are capable of maintaining it, can only lead to violence and mutual destruction. |
| 205 | At non omnia deperdita sunt, quia homines, qui usque ad extremum se depravare possunt, valent etiam se ipsi superare, ad bonum eligendum redire et regenerari, præter omnes coërcitiones mentis societatisque quæ eis imponuntur. Possunt se ipsos honeste conspicere, proprium tædium ostendere novaque incipere itinera ad veram libertatem. Non exsistunt systemata quæ omnino dissolvant patefactionem ad bonum, veritatem et pulchritudinem, nec resistendi capacitatem quam Deus constanter alit imo ex hominum corde. Quamque personam hujus mundi rogamus ne obliviscatur hanc suam dignitatem quam nemini fas est ei tollere. | Yet all is not lost. Human beings, while capable of the worst, are also capable of rising above themselves, choosing again what is good, and making a new start, despite their mental and social conditioning. We are able to take an honest look at ourselves, to acknowledge our deep dissatisfaction, and to embark on new paths to authentic freedom. No system can completely suppress our openness to what is good, true and beautiful, or our God-given ability to respond to his grace at work deep in our hearts. I appeal to everyone throughout the world not to forget this dignity which is ours. No one has the right to take it from us. |
| 206 | Mutatæ vitæ rationes eos cogere possunt qui detinent potestatem politicam, œconomicam et socialem. Hoc sane accidit quum consumptorum motus efficiunt ut quosdam proventus emere desinant, ac sic efficaces fiunt ad commutandam societatum bonis gignendis consuetudinem, easdem cogentes ut ambitalem impactionem considerent et exemplaria confectionis. Est quod, quum habitus sociales contingunt reditus societatum, eæ impellantur ad alio modo res faciendas. Hoc in memoriam revocat socialem consumptorum responsalitatem, “emptionem, præter œconomicam, esse usque moralem actionem.”[146] Propterea hodie “argumentum ambitalis degradationis omnium nostrum mores attingit.”[147] | A change in lifestyle could bring healthy pressure to bear on those who wield political, economic and social power. This is what consumer movements accomplish by boycotting certain products. They prove successful in changing the way businesses operate, forcing them to consider their environmental footprint and their patterns of production. When social pressure affects their earnings, businesses clearly have to find ways to produce differently. This shows us the great need for a sense of social responsibility on the part of consumers. “Purchasing is always a moral — and not simply economic — act.”[146] Today, in a word, “the issue of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our lifestyle.”[147] |
| 207 | Charta Terræ nos invitabat omnes ut retro ætatem moveremus propriæ eversionis et denuo inciperemus; attamen nondum explicavimus universalem conscientiam quæ hoc efficeret. Hac de causa audemus iterum hanc pretiosam provocationem proponere: “Sicut nunquam ante in historia, commune fatum obstringit nos ad novum initium quærendum […]. Utinam ætas nostra memoretur ob novam vitæ reverentiam excitatam, ob firmitatem tolerationis assequendam, ob certationem usque velociorem pro justitia et pace, obque hilarem vitæ celebrationem.”[148] | The Earth Charter asked us to leave behind a period of self-destruction and make a new start, but we have not as yet developed a universal awareness needed to achieve this. Here, I would echo that courageous challenge: “As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning…. Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life.”[148] |
| 208 | Semper fieri potest ut capacitas explicetur a se ipsis ad alios veniendi. Sine illa aliæ creaturæ haud agnoscuntur in suo proprio pondere, nullius interest aliquid curare pro aliis, deest capacitas sibi limites ponendi ut vitetur dolor vel degradatio quæ circa nos sunt rerum. Præcipua consuetudo se ipsum transcendendi, frangendo conscientiam segregatam et animum sui ipsius testimonialem, radicem constituit quæ efficit ut alii ambitusque curentur atque moralis reactio moveatur quæ consideret quem effectum quæque actio et quodque personale consilium extra se gignant. Quum valemus individualismum superare, revera diversus vivendi modus explicari potest atque magni momenti mutatio in societate fieri potest. | We are always capable of going out of ourselves towards the other. Unless we do this, other creatures will not be recognized for their true worth; we are unconcerned about caring for things for the sake of others; we fail to set limits on ourselves in order to avoid the suffering of others or the deterioration of our surroundings. Disinterested concern for others, and the rejection of every form of self-centeredness and self-absorption, are essential if we truly wish to care for our brothers and sisters and for the natural environment. These attitudes also attune us to the moral imperative of assessing the impact of our every action and personal decision on the world around us. If we can overcome individualism, we will truly be able to develop a different lifestyle and bring about significant changes in society. |
| II. EDUCATIO AD FŒDUS INTER HOMINES ET AMBITUM | II. EDUCATING FOR THE COVENANT BETWEEN HUMANITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT | |
| 209 | Conscientia quam grave culturæ et œcologiæ sit discrimen, convertatur oportet in novos mores. Multi noverunt hodiernum progressum et meram acervationem rerum vel voluptatum non sufficere ut sensus et gaudium præbeantur humano cordi, sed nequeunt recusare quod eis offert mercatus. Apud Nationes quæ debent majores mutationes afferre consumptionis morum, juvenes novam œcologicam sensibilitatem habent spiritumque magnanimum, atque quidam eorum admirabili modo certant de ambitu defendendo, sed ipsi creverunt in condicionibus maximæ consumptionis rerumque materialium abundantiæ quæ difficilem reddit aliorum morum explicationem. Quapropter, nova prostat institutionis provocatio. | An awareness of the gravity of today’s cultural and ecological crisis must be translated into new habits. Many people know that our current progress and the mere amassing of things and pleasures are not enough to give meaning and joy to the human heart, yet they feel unable to give up what the market sets before them. In those countries which should be making the greatest changes in consumer habits, young people have a new ecological sensitivity and a generous spirit, and some of them are making admirable efforts to protect the environment. At the same time, they have grown up in a milieu of extreme consumerism and affluence which makes it difficult to develop other habits. We are faced with an educational challenge. |
| 210 | Educatio ambitalis magis magisque fines suos amplificavit. Si quidem initio admodum in scientifica doctrina versabatur nec non in cognitione et præventione ambitalium periculorum, nunc tendit ad includendum judicium de “mythis” modernæ ætatis qui nituntur ratione instrumentali (individualismo, progressu indefinito, mercatoria contentione, rerum consumendarum immoderatione, mercatu sine regulis) et etiam ad recuperandum varios gradus œcologici æquilibrii: interioris cum seipso, solidalis cum aliis, naturalis cum cunctis creaturis viventibus ac spiritalis cum Deo. Educatio ambitalis oportet nos disponat ad Mysterium petendum, e quo ethica œcologica suum altiorem sensum acquirit. Ceterum sunt educatores qui valeant ethicæ œcologicæ itinera pædagogica iterum constituere, ita ut revera juvent adolescere in solidalitate, responsalitate et cura super compassionem fundata. | Environmental education has broadened its goals. Whereas in the beginning it was mainly centred on scientific information, consciousness-raising and the prevention of environmental risks, it tends now to include a critique of the “myths” of a modernity grounded in a utilitarian mindset (individualism, unlimited progress, competition, consumerism, the unregulated market). It seeks also to restore the various levels of ecological equilibrium, establishing harmony within ourselves, with others, with nature and other living creatures, and with God. Environmental education should facilitate making the leap towards the transcendent which gives ecological ethics its deepest meaning. It needs educators capable of developing an ethics of ecology, and helping people, through effective pedagogy, to grow in solidarity, responsibility and compassionate care. |
| 211 | Attamen hæc educatio, quæ vocatur ad creandam “civitatem œcologicam,” aliquando continetur notitiis referendis, nequit autem mores explicare. Leges et normæ exsistentes non sufficiunt ad diutius compescendos malos mores, etiam quum habetur valida inspectio. Ut norma juridica afferat quædam gravia mansuraque, necesse est majorem partem societatis sodalium eam recepisse, incipiendo a congruis rationibus, et juxta personalem transformationem se gerat. Tantummodo quum primum firmæ virtutes coluntur, fieri potest donatio sui in œcologico studio. Si quædam persona, licet ejus condicio œconomica sinat ei plus consumere et impendere, e more aliquantulum se tegit potius quam calefactionem accendat, opinari licet eam acquisivisse persuasiones et sensum erga ambitum curandum. Pernobile est tueri officium creati curandi per parvas cottidianas actiones, ac mirabile quod educatio valet eis rationem præbere usque ad conformandam certam vitæ formam. Educatio ad responsalitatem pro ambitu potest excitare varias consuetudines quæ directe graviterque recidunt in ambitus curam quæ vult vitare ne adhibeatur materia plastica vel chartea, minuere aquæ consumptionem, differentia ejectamenta segregare, coquere solumodo quantum rationabiliter edi potest, attente tractare alias creaturas viventes, publicis vehiculis uti vel idem vehiculum inter varias personas communicare, arbores plantare, luminaria inutilia exstinguere. Hæc omnia pertinent ad magnanimam et dignam creativitatem, quæ meliorem partem patefacit hominis. Aliquid iterum adhibere et non cito illud projicere, altas ob rationes, potest esse actus amoris, qui nostram exprimit dignitatem. | Yet this education, aimed at creating an “ecological citizenship,” is at times limited to providing information, and fails to instil good habits. The existence of laws and regulations is insufficient in the long run to curb bad conduct, even when effective means of enforcement are present. If the laws are to bring about significant, long-lasting effects, the majority of the members of society must be adequately motivated to accept them, and personally transformed to respond. Only by cultivating sound virtues will people be able to make a selfless ecological commitment. A person who could afford to spend and consume more but regularly uses less heating and wears warmer clothes, shows the kind of convictions and attitudes which help to protect the environment. There is a nobility in the duty to care for creation through little daily actions, and it is wonderful how education can bring about real changes in lifestyle. Education in environmental responsibility can encourage ways of acting which directly and significantly affect the world around us, such as avoiding the use of plastic and paper, reducing water consumption, separating refuse, cooking only what can reasonably be consumed, showing care for other living beings, using public transport or car-pooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, or any number of other practices. All of these reflect a generous and worthy creativity which brings out the best in human beings. Reusing something instead of immediately discarding it, when done for the right reasons, can be an act of love which expresses our own dignity. |
| 212 | Non est arbitrandum hos conatus mundum mutaturos non esse. Hujusmodi actiones bonum in societate diffundunt quod semper fructus affert ultra illud quod probari potest, quia in gremio hujus terræ bonum pariunt, in alios perventurum, nonnunquam invisibiliter. Insuper hæ consuetudines quum exerceantur, nobis sensus redditur propriæ dignitatis; ad majorem vitalem altitudinem elevamur, et experiri possumus bonum esse per hunc mundum transire. | We must not think that these efforts are not going to change the world. They benefit society, often unbeknown to us, for they call forth a goodness which, albeit unseen, inevitably tends to spread. Furthermore, such actions can restore our sense of self-esteem; they can enable us to live more fully and to feel that life on earth is worthwhile. |
| 213 | Ambitus institutionis varii sunt: schola, familia, instrumenta communicationis, catechesis, et cetera. Bona scholæ institutio in pueritia et adolescentia jacit semina quæ effectus afferre possunt in totius vitæ cursu. Sed extollere cupimus maximum momentum familiæ, quoniam “locus est ubi vita Dei donum apte potest accipi et defendi contra multiplices incursiones quibus objicitur, et crescere valet prout verus humanus postulat auctus. Adversus culturam mortis, quæ dicitur, familia culturæ ipsius vitæ est sedes.”[149] In familia coluntur primi amoris consuetudines et cura de vita, sicut, exempli gratia, rectus rerum usus, ordo et munditia, localis œcosystematis observantia et omnium creaturarum tutela. Familia est locus integræ institutionis, ubi diversi aspectus explicantur, arte inter se conjuncti, personæ maturationis. In familia ediscitur petere licentiam absque vi, gratias agere quæ sint manifestatio sensus æstimationis rerum acceptarum, aggressionem vel cupiditatem dominari necnon veniam petere quum aliquid mali facimus. Hi parvi gestus sinceræ urbanitatis juvant ædificare culturam communicatæ vitæ et reverentiæ illorum quæ circa nos sunt. | Ecological education can take place in a variety of settings: at school, in families, in the media, in catechesis and elsewhere. Good education plants seeds when we are young, and these continue to bear fruit throughout life. Here, though, I would stress the great importance of the family, which is “the place in which life — the gift of God — can be properly welcomed and protected against the many attacks to which it is exposed, and can develop in accordance with what constitutes authentic human growth. In the face of the so-called culture of death, the family is the heart of the culture of life.”[149] In the family we first learn how to show love and respect for life; we are taught the proper use of things, order and cleanliness, respect for the local ecosystem and care for all creatures. In the family we receive an integral education, which enables us to grow harmoniously in personal maturity. In the family we learn to ask without demanding, to say “thank you” as an expression of genuine gratitude for what we have been given, to control our aggressivity and greed, and to ask forgiveness when we have caused harm. These simple gestures of heartfelt courtesy help to create a culture of shared life and respect for our surroundings. |
| 214 | Rei politicæ variisque consociationibus est enitendum ut conscientiæ efformentur. Pertinet etiam ad Ecclesiam. Universæ christianæ communitates in hac complenda educatione præcipuum obtinent locum. Speramus quoque nostris in seminariis et domibus religiosis institutioni destinatis fore ut responsalis austeritas inculcetur, ad gratam mundi contemplationem, ad pauperum fragilitatem curandam et ambitum tuendum educetur. Quoniam magna argumenta agitantur, sicut necessariæ sunt institutiones quæ potestate polleant ad ambitus damna punienda, æquabiliter oportet ut alius alium inspiciat instituatque. | Political institutions and various other social groups are also entrusted with helping to raise people’s awareness. So too is the Church. All Christian communities have an important role to play in ecological education. It is my hope that our seminaries and houses of formation will provide an education in responsible simplicity of life, in grateful contemplation of God’s world, and in concern for the needs of the poor and the protection of the environment. Because the stakes are so high, we need institutions empowered to impose penalties for damage inflicted on the environment. But we also need the personal qualities of self-control and willingness to learn from one another. |
| 215 | Hoc in rerum contextu “non est neglegenda necessitudo exstans inter congruam educationem æstheticam et ambitus conservationem.”[150] Attendere ad pulchritudinem eamque amare adjuvat nos exire e pragmatismo ad utilitarismum pertinente. Quum quis non discit sistere ad pulchrum percipiendum et æstimandum, non est mirum omnia converti in res quibus uti et abuti minime metuit. Eodem tempore si altiores mutationes consequi cupimus, oportet præ oculis habeatur cogitationis exemplaria revera in mores vim habere. Educatio haud sufficit ejusque conatus erunt steriles, nisi etiam procuret novum exemplar diffundendum, quod attinet ad hominem, vitam, societatem et necessitudinem cum natura. Alioquin producetur exemplar rerum immodice consumendarum, quod per communicationis instrumenta et mercatus efficacia mechanemata transmittitur. | In this regard, “the relationship between a good aesthetic education and the maintenance of a healthy environment cannot be overlooked.”[150] By learning to see and appreciate beauty, we learn to reject self-interested pragmatism. If someone has not learned to stop and admire something beautiful, we should not be surprised if he or she treats everything as an object to be used and abused without scruple. If we want to bring about deep change, we need to realize that certain mindsets really do influence our behavior. Our efforts at education will be inadequate and ineffectual unless we strive to promote a new way of thinking about human beings, life, society and our relationship with nature. Otherwise, the paradigm of consumerism will continue to advance, with the help of the media and the highly effective workings of the market. |
| III. CONVERSIO ŒCOLOGICA | III. ECOLOGICAL CONVERSION | |
| 216 | Magnæ divitiæ christianæ spiritalitatis, generatæ e viginti sæculorum personarum et communitatum experientiis, plurimum conferunt ad humanum genus renovandum. Cupimus christifidelibus quædam lineamenta proponere œcologicæ spiritalitatis quæ e nostræ fidei persuasionibus oriuntur, quia illud quod Evangelium nos docet afficit nostrum modum cogitandi, sentiendi ac vivendi. Non est tantum de opinionibus dicendum, quantum potissimum de rationibus quæ oriuntur a spiritalitate, affectionis in mundum curandum alendæ causa. Nam haud possibile erit magnis rebus operam dare tantum quasdam per doctrinas, absque mystica quæ nos animet, absque “interioribus motibus qui impellunt, dant rationem, animum addunt et sensum præbent personali et communi actioni.”[151] Agnoscere debemus haud semper nos christianos accepisse et explanavisse divitias quas Deus Ecclesiæ dedit, ubi spiritalitas non disjungitur a proprio corpore, nec a natura vel a hujus mundi rebus, sed potius homo vivit cum ipsis et in ipsis, in communione cum rebus omnibus quæ circa sunt. | The rich heritage of Christian spirituality, the fruit of twenty centuries of personal and communal experience, has a precious contribution to make to the renewal of humanity. Here, I would like to offer Christians a few suggestions for an ecological spirituality grounded in the convictions of our faith, since the teachings of the Gospel have direct consequences for our way of thinking, feeling and living. More than in ideas or concepts as such, I am interested in how such a spirituality can motivate us to a more passionate concern for the protection of our world. A commitment this lofty cannot be sustained by doctrine alone, without a spirituality capable of inspiring us, without an “interior impulse which encourages, motivates, nourishes and gives meaning to our individual and communal activity.”[151] Admittedly, Christians have not always appropriated and developed the spiritual treasures bestowed by God upon the Church, where the life of the spirit is not dissociated from the body or from nature or from worldly realities, but lived in and with them, in communion with all that surrounds us. |
| 217 | Si “exteriores solitudines in mundo multiplicantur, quoniam interiores solitudines tam amplæ factæ sunt,”[152] discrimen œcologicum impellit ad altam interiorem conversionem. Attamen agnoscendum est quoque, nonnullos christianos sedulos et orantes, realismi et pragmatismi sub obtentu, sollicitudinibus de ambitu subinde illudere. Alii sunt inertes nec statuunt suos mores mutare et fiunt incongruentes. Deest eis ergo conversio œcologica, quæ secum fert ut manifestentur cuncta consectaria conventus cum Jesu Christo in necessitudinibus cum mundo qui circa est. Vocationem vivere ut custodes simus operæ Dei est pars essentialis probæ vitæ, non est aliquid optivi neque aspectus secundarius christianæ experientiæ. | “The external deserts in the world are growing, because the internal deserts have become so vast.”[152] For this reason, the ecological crisis is also a summons to profound interior conversion. It must be said that some committed and prayerful Christians, with the excuse of realism and pragmatism, tend to ridicule expressions of concern for the environment. Others are passive; they choose not to change their habits and thus become inconsistent. So what they all need is an “ecological conversion,” whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them. Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience. |
| 218 | Sancti Francisci Assisiensis exemplar recordamur, ad proponendam sanam necessitudinem cum creato quæ est pars integræ conversionis personæ. Hoc secum fert ut quis etiam agnoscat suos errores, peccata, vitia vel neglegentias, toto corde eum pæniteat, intrinsecus mutet. Australiæ Episcopi noverunt expromere conversionem in verbis reconciliationis cum creato: “Ut hanc reconciliationem ad effectum adducamus, vitas nostras inspiciamus oportet, et agnoscamus quo modo offendamus Dei creationem nostris actionibus nostraque ineptitudine agendi. Conversionem experiri debemus, cordis mutationem.”[153] | In calling to mind the figure of Saint Francis of Assisi, we come to realize that a healthy relationship with creation is one dimension of overall personal conversion, which entails the recognition of our errors, sins, faults and failures, and leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change. The Australian bishops spoke of the importance of such conversion for achieving reconciliation with creation: “To achieve such reconciliation, we must examine our lives and acknowledge the ways in which we have harmed God’s creation through our actions and our failure to act. We need to experience a conversion, or change of heart.”[153] |
| 219 | Non sufficit tamen ut unusquisque melior sit ad solvendam condicionem tam compositam sicut illa est cui occurrit mundus hodiernus. Singuli homines possunt amittere suam aptitudinem libertatemque ad logicam rationis instrumentalis superandam ac denique succumbunt rerum consumendarum immoderationi sine ethica et sine sensu sociali et ambitali. Ad sociales quæstiones in commune respondendum est, non mera summa bonorum individualium: “Exigentiæ hujus operis tam immensæ erunt ut vis individuorum inceptorum atque cooperatio singulorum, modo individuali formatorum, non valeant eis satisfacere. Necessaria erit virtutum conjunctio et unitas contributionum.”[154] Conversio œcologica quæ postulatur ad instituendum assiduum motum duraturæ mutationis est etiam conversio communis. | Nevertheless, self-improvement on the part of individuals will not by itself remedy the extremely complex situation facing our world today. Isolated individuals can lose their ability and freedom to escape the utilitarian mindset, and end up prey to an unethical consumerism bereft of social or ecological awareness. Social problems must be addressed by community networks and not simply by the sum of individual good deeds. This task “will make such tremendous demands of man that he could never achieve it by individual initiative or even by the united effort of men bred in an individualistic way. The work of dominating the world calls for a union of skills and a unity of achievement that can only grow from quite a different attitude.”[154] The ecological conversion needed to bring about lasting change is also a community conversion. |
| 220 | Hujusmodi conversio secum fert varias consuetudines quæ conjunguntur ad magnanimam et lenitate plenam curam exercendam. Primum gratitudinem et liberalitatem implicat, id est ut mundus uti donum agnoscatur e Patris amore acceptum, cui inde sequuntur gratuitæ dispositiones renuntiationis, magnanimique gestus, etiamsi nemo eos videat et agnoscat: “Nesciat sinistra tua quid faciat dextera tua, [...] et Pater tuus, qui videt in abscondito, reddet tibi” (Mt 6,3-4). Implicat quoque amantem conscientiam, nos ab aliis creaturis non esse segregatos, sed cum ceteris rebus universi magnificam universalem communionem conformare. Credenti mundus non extrinsecus sed intrinsecus est contemplandus, nexus agnoscendo quibus Pater nos cum omnibus creaturis conjunxit. Insuper, dum auget peculiares facultates quas Deus dedit ei, conversio œcologica inducit credentem ad explicandam ejus fingendi capacitatem ejusque animi ardorem, ut perniciosas mundi vices absolvat, exhibens se “hostiam viventem, sanctam, Deo placentem” (Rom 12,1). Propriam præstantiam non comprehendit tanquam rationem gloriæ personalis vel irresponsalis dominationis, sed uti diversam facultatem quæ demum ipsi imponit gravem responsalitatem orientem ex ejus fide. | This conversion calls for a number of attitudes which together foster a spirit of generous care, full of tenderness. First, it entails gratitude and gratuitousness, a recognition that the world is God’s loving gift, and that we are called quietly to imitate his generosity in self-sacrifice and good works: “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing… and your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Mt 6:3-4). It also entails a loving awareness that we are not disconnected from the rest of creatures, but joined in a splendid universal communion. As believers, we do not look at the world from without but from within, conscious of the bonds with which the Father has linked us to all beings. By developing our individual, God-given capacities, an ecological conversion can inspire us to greater creativity and enthusiasm in resolving the world’s problems and in offering ourselves to God “as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable” (Rom 12:1). We do not understand our superiority as a reason for personal glory or irresponsible dominion, but rather as a different capacity which, in its turn, entails a serious responsibility stemming from our faith. |
| 221 | Variæ nostræ fidei persuasiones, initio harum Litterarum encyclicarum explanatæ, adjuvant hujusmodi conversionis ad ditandum sensum, demonstrantes conscientiam omnem creaturam aliquid Dei monstrare et nuntium habere nobis communicandum, vel certitudinem Christum in se sumpsisse hunc mundum materialem et nunc, resuscitatum, in penetralibus cujusque creaturæ morari, eam complectentem suo affectu penetrantemque suo lumine. Similiter fit quum agnoscimus Deum creavisse mundum in ipso inscribentem ordinem et assiduum motum quem homini nefas est ignorare. Quum in Evangelio legimus Jesum loqui de passeribus dicentem: “unus ex illis non est in oblivione coram Deo” (Lc 12, 6), num potest aliquis eos vexare eisque damnum afferre? Omnes christianos invitamus ut hanc suæ conversionis notionem patefaciant, sinentes ut vis et lumen susceptæ gratiæ se extendant etiam ad necessitudinem aliis cum creaturis et cum mundo qui circa est, et sublimem hanc fraternitatem suscitent cum universo creato quam sanctus Franciscus Assisiensis tam fulgido modo vixit. | Various convictions of our faith, developed at the beginning of this Encyclical can help us to enrich the meaning of this conversion. These include the awareness that each creature reflects something of God and has a message to convey to us, and the security that Christ has taken unto himself this material world and now, risen, is intimately present to each being, surrounding it with his affection and penetrating it with his light. Then too, there is the recognition that God created the world, writing into it an order and a dynamism that human beings have no right to ignore. We read in the Gospel that Jesus says of the birds of the air that “not one of them is forgotten before God” (Lk 12:6). How then can we possibly mistreat them or cause them harm? I ask all Christians to recognize and to live fully this dimension of their conversion. May the power and the light of the grace we have received also be evident in our relationship to other creatures and to the world around us. In this way, we will help nurture that sublime fraternity with all creation which Saint Francis of Assisi so radiantly embodied. |
| IV. GAUDIUM ET PAX | IV. JOY AND PEACE | |
| 222 | Christiana spiritalitas alium modum exhibet intellegendi vitæ qualitatem, et cohortatur ad vitæ genus propheticum et contemplativum, quod valeat intime gaudere nec consumptione angi. Est magni momenti antiquum effatum recipere, quod invenitur in variis traditionibus religiosis, et etiam in Sacris Scripturis. Agitur de hac persuasione: “minus est plus.” Nam constans accumulatio facultatum consumendi cor abducit et impedit quominus magni æstimetur quæque res et quodque momentum. E contra, quum quis se ponit sereno animo coram omni realitate, quantulacunque est, multo plures præbentur facultates intellegendi et complendi se ipsum. Spiritalitas christiana proponit incrementum cum sobrietate et aptitudinem parvo lætandi. Est reditus ad simplicitatem quæ sinit nos ut sistamus ad parva probanda, ut gratias agamus pro rebus eis quas vita offert, haud nos alligantes eis quæ habemus nec mærentes ea quæ non possidemus. Hoc postulat ut vitetur studium dominationis et meræ voluptatum acervationis. | Christian spirituality proposes an alternative understanding of the quality of life, and encourages a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption. We need to take up an ancient lesson, found in different religious traditions and also in the Bible. It is the conviction that “less is more.” A constant flood of new consumer goods can baffle the heart and prevent us from cherishing each thing and each moment. To be serenely present to each reality, however small it may be, opens us to much greater horizons of understanding and personal fulfilment. Christian spirituality proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with little. It is a return to that simplicity which allows us to stop and appreciate the small things, to be grateful for the opportunities which life affords us, to be spiritually detached from what we possess, and not to succumb to sadness for what we lack. This implies avoiding the dynamic of dominion and the mere accumulation of pleasures. |
| 223 | Sobrietas, quæ libere et conscienter vivitur, liberat. Non est vita minor, nec intensitas inferior, sed omnino contrarium. Revera, qui plus gustant et melius vivunt omne momentum ii sunt qui desistunt hinc et illinc captare, jugiter quærentes quod non habent, atque experiuntur quid significet quamque personam et rem æstimare, discunt familiaritate conjungi cum simplicioribus eisque delectari queunt. Itaque valent imminuere necessitates non expletas et extenuant fatigationem et ægritudinem. Homo potest paucis indigere et impense vivere, præsertim quum valet explere alia delectamenta, et satisfactionem invenit in fraternis congressibus, in famulatu, in charismatibus explicandis, in musica et arte, in necessitudine cum rerum natura, in precibus fundendis. Felicitas expostulat ut sciamus finire quasdam necessitates quæ nos attonant, sic parati ad multiplices facultates amplectendas quas vita nobis præbet. | Such sobriety, when lived freely and consciously, is liberating. It is not a lesser life or one lived with less intensity. On the contrary, it is a way of living life to the full. In reality, those who enjoy more and live better each moment are those who have given up dipping here and there, always on the look-out for what they do not have. They experience what it means to appreciate each person and each thing, learning familiarity with the simplest things and how to enjoy them. So they are able to shed unsatisfied needs, reducing their obsessiveness and weariness. Even living on little, they can live a lot, above all when they cultivate other pleasures and find satisfaction in fraternal encounters, in service, in developing their gifts, in music and art, in contact with nature, in prayer. Happiness means knowing how to limit some needs which only diminish us, and being open to the many different possibilities which life can offer. |
| 224 | Sobrietas et humilitas superiore sæculo vana usæ sunt æstimatione. Attamen, quum exercitatio cujusdam virtutis in personali socialique vita generali modo debilitatur, utique hoc multiplicia inæquilibria parit, etiam ambitalia. Quapropter jam non sufficit loqui tantum de integritate œcosystematum. Oportet ut addatur animus ad loquendum de integritate vitæ humanæ, de necessitate promovendi et conjungendi omnia magna bona. Humilitas deperdita, apud hominem magnopere ardescentem ob facultatem dominandi omnia sine ulla delimitatione, demum potest tantum nocere societati et ambitui. Haud facile est explicare hanc sanam humilitatem felicemque sobrietatem si autonomiam obtinemus, si de vita nostra excludimus Deum, ejusque locum nostrum illud “ego” occupat, si credimus nostrum subjectivum arbitrium determinare quod bonum est aut malum. | Sobriety and humility were not favorably regarded in the last century. And yet, when there is a general breakdown in the exercise of a certain virtue in personal and social life, it ends up causing a number of imbalances, including environmental ones. That is why it is no longer enough to speak only of the integrity of ecosystems. We have to dare to speak of the integrity of human life, of the need to promote and unify all the great values. Once we lose our humility, and become enthralled with the possibility of limitless mastery over everything, we inevitably end up harming society and the environment. It is not easy to promote this kind of healthy humility or happy sobriety when we consider ourselves autonomous, when we exclude God from our lives or replace him with our own ego, and think that our subjective feelings can define what is right and what is wrong. |
| 225 | Ceterum, nemo adolescere potest in felici sobrietate nisi in pace cum seipso sit. Pars congruæ spiritalitatis intellectionis consistit in nostra pacis intellectione amplificanda, quæ multo plus est quam belli absentia. Pax interior personarum arte conjuncta est cum œcologiæ cura et bono communi, quia quum authentice vivitur, ostenditur in æquo vitæ genere, copulato cum capacitate admirandi quæ ducit ad altiorem vitam. Natura plena est verbis amoris, sed quomodo valebimus ea audire, continenter perstante rumore, in diuturna et anxia distractione vel in cultu apparentiæ? Multæ personæ experiuntur altam inæqualitatem quæ eas permovet ad res agendas maxima cum celeritate ut se operari sentiant, in constanti festinatione quæ deinde eas ducit ad perturbanda omnia circumstantia. Quod incidit in modum tractandi ambitum. Integra œcologia requirit ut aliquid temporis tribuatur ad serenam harmoniam cum creato recuperandam, ad considerandum nostrum vitæ genus ac nostra optata sublimia, ad Creatorem contemplandum, qui inter nos vivit et in eis quæ circa nos sunt, cujusque præsentia “non debet esse exstructa, sed detecta et revelata.”[155] | On the other hand, no one can cultivate a sober and satisfying life without being at peace with him or herself. An adequate understanding of spirituality consists in filling out what we mean by peace, which is much more than the absence of war. Inner peace is closely related to care for ecology and for the common good because, lived out authentically, it is reflected in a balanced lifestyle together with a capacity for wonder which takes us to a deeper understanding of life. Nature is filled with words of love, but how can we listen to them amid constant noise, interminable and nerve-wracking distractions, or the cult of appearances? Many people today sense a profound imbalance which drives them to frenetic activity and makes them feel busy, in a constant hurry which in turn leads them to ride rough-shod over everything around them. This too affects how they treat the environment. An integral ecology includes taking time to recover a serene harmony with creation, reflecting on our lifestyle and our ideals, and contemplating the Creator who lives among us and surrounds us, whose presence “must not be contrived but found, uncovered.”[155] |
| 226 | De cordis more loquimur, quod omnia cum serena attentione vivit, quod valet plene adesse coram quopiam, haud cogitans de eis quæ post sequentur, quod se tradit cuique, momento tanquam dono divino plene vivendo. Jesus nos hunc habitum docuit quum nos invitaret ad conspiciendum lilia campi et aves cæli, vel quum, coram inquieto homine, “intuitus eum dilexit eum” (Mc 10,21). Ipse utique astabat coram omni persona humana et coram omni creatura, et itaque nobis ostendit viam ad superandam ægram anxietatem quæ nos leves reddit, pugnaces et rebus consumendis immoderate deditos. | We are speaking of an attitude of the heart, one which approaches life with serene attentiveness, which is capable of being fully present to someone without thinking of what comes next, which accepts each moment as a gift from God to be lived to the full. Jesus taught us this attitude when he invited us to contemplate the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, or when seeing the rich young man and knowing his restlessness, “he looked at him with love” (Mk 10:21). He was completely present to everyone and to everything, and in this way he showed us the way to overcome that unhealthy anxiety which makes us superficial, aggressive and compulsive consumers. |
| 227 | Hujusmodi moris manifestatio est sistere ad gratias agendas Deo ante sumendum cibum et post cibum sumptum. Proponimus credentibus ut redintegrent hanc pretiosam consuetudinem eamque penitus vivant. Hujusmodi momentum benedictionis, quamvis valde breve, recordatur nos a Deo pendere in vita, animum nostrum gratum roborat pro creationis donis, gratum se revelat erga eos qui suo opere præbent hæc bona, atque in indigentiores confirmat solidalitatem. | One expression of this attitude is when we stop and give thanks to God before and after meals. I ask all believers to return to this beautiful and meaningful custom. That moment of blessing, however brief, reminds us of our dependence on God for life; it strengthens our feeling of gratitude for the gifts of creation; it acknowledges those who by their labors provide us with these goods; and it reaffirms our solidarity with those in greatest need. |
| V. AMOR CIVILIS ET POLITICUS | V. CIVIC AND POLITICAL LOVE | |
| 228 | Cura de natura pars est vitæ generis quod facultatem complectitur cum aliis vivendi et communionis. Jesus nobis commemorat nos habere Deum tanquam nostrum Patrem communem et hoc nos fratres constituere. Amor fraternus solummodo potest esse gratuitus, nunquam potest esse compensatio illius rei quam alter perficit nec pignus illius rei quam eum facturum speramus. Quapropter fieri potest ut inimici amentur. Eadem gratuitas nos ducit ad amandum accipiendumque ventum, solem vel nubes, quamvis haud se submittant nostræ moderationi. Quare loqui possumus de quadam universali fraternitate. | Care for nature is part of a lifestyle which includes the capacity for living together and communion. Jesus reminded us that we have God as our common Father and that this makes us brothers and sisters. Fraternal love can only be gratuitous; it can never be a means of repaying others for what they have done or will do for us. That is why it is possible to love our enemies. This same gratuitousness inspires us to love and accept the wind, the sun and the clouds, even though we cannot control them. In this sense, we can speak of a “universal fraternity.” |
| 229 | Oportet denuo percipiamus nos alios aliis indigere, nos responsalitatem habere de aliis ac de mundo, pretiumque esse operæ nos bonos et honestos esse. Jam longum per tempus in morum degradatione versati sumus, irridentes ethicam, bonitatem, fidem, honestatem, venitque hora ut agnoscamus hanc lætam levitatem nobis parum profuisse. Hujusmodi deletio totius fundamenti vitæ socialis efficit ut alii contra alios surgant ad sua commoda defendenda, novæ violentiæ feritatisque formæ concitentur et impediatur progressio veræ culturæ ad ambitus curam spectantis. | We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it. We have had enough of immorality and the mockery of ethics, goodness, faith and honesty. It is time to acknowledge that light-hearted superficiality has done us no good. When the foundations of social life are corroded, what ensues are battles over conflicting interests, new forms of violence and brutality, and obstacles to the growth of a genuine culture of care for the environment. |
| 230 | Exemplum sanctæ Teresiæ Lexoviensis invitat nos ad parvam viam amoris calcandam, ne opportunitatem amittamus alicujus verbi amabilis, subrisionis, cujuslibet parvi gestus quo pax et amicitia colatur. Œcologia integra etiam simplicibus gestibus cottidianis constituitur, in quibus frangimus logicam violentiæ, lucri, egoismi. E contra, mundus immodicæ consumptionis idem est atque mundus vexationis vitæ in omnibus ejus formis. | Saint Therese of Lisieux invites us to practice the little way of love, not to miss out on a kind word, a smile or any small gesture which sows peace and friendship. An integral ecology is also made up of simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness. In the end, a world of exacerbated consumption is at the same time a world which mistreats life in all its forms. |
| 231 | Amor, parvis gestibus mutuæ curæ plenus, est etiam civilis et politicus, et manifestatur omnibus in actionibus quæ student mundum meliorem exstruere. Amor societatis et sollicitudo de bono communi sunt excellens forma caritatis, quæ pertinet non solum ad necessitudines inter personas, verum etiam principium est “grandium necessitudinum, scilicet socialium necessitudinum, œconomicarum, politicarum.”[156] Quare Ecclesia mundo præbuit formam perfectam “cultus amoris.”[157] Amor socialis est indicium authentici progressus: “Ut humanior societas reddatur, quoad personam dignior, oportet amorem iterum æstimare in vita sociali — in ambitu politico, œconomico et culturali — illo in constanti summaque norma agendi posito.”[158] Hoc in rerum contextu, una cum parvorum cottidianorum gestuum præstantia, amor socialis movet nos ad cogitandum de magnis inceptis quæ efficaciter contineant degradationem ambitalem et alant rerum curandarum culturam quæ cunctam imbuat societatem. Quum quis Dei vocationem agnoscit ut una cum aliis hos sociales processus moderetur, recordari debet hoc partem esse suæ spiritalitatis, exercitationem esse caritatis atque hoc modo ad maturitatem pervenire et sanctificari. | Love, overflowing with small gestures of mutual care, is also civic and political, and it makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world. Love for society and commitment to the common good are outstanding expressions of a charity which affects not only relationships between individuals but also “macro-relationships, social, economic and political ones.”[156] That is why the Church set before the world the ideal of a “civilization of love.”[157] Social love is the key to authentic development: “In order to make society more human, more worthy of the human person, love in social life — political, economic and cultural — must be given renewed value, becoming the constant and highest norm for all activity.”[158] In this framework, along with the importance of little everyday gestures, social love moves us to devise larger strategies to halt environmental degradation and to encourage a “culture of care” which permeates all of society. When we feel that God is calling us to intervene with others in these social dynamics, we should realize that this too is part of our spirituality, which is an exercise of charity and, as such, matures and sanctifies us. |
| 232 | Non omnes vocantur directo ad rei politicæ dandam operam, sed in societatis gremio germinat immensa varietas consociationum quæ bono communi favent, ambitum naturalem tuentes et urbanum. Exempli gratia curam habent de quodam loco publico (ædibus, fonte, monumento derelicto, prospectu, platea), ad custodiendum, restituendum, melius vel pulchrius faciendum aliquid quod ad omnes pertinet. Circum eos progrediuntur vel recuperantur vincula et oritur novus ordo socialis localis. Sic communitas ab indiligentia liberatur rerum consumendarum. Hoc sibi vult etiam communem identitatem colere, historiam quæ servatur traditurque. Hoc modo curatur mundus vitæque pauperiorum qualitas, cum sensu solidalitatis qui eodem tempore est conscientia commorandi in communi domo quam Deus nobis concredidit. Hæ communes actiones, quum amorem exprimunt qui se donat, converti possunt in celsas experientias spiritales. | Not everyone is called to engage directly in political life. Society is also enriched by a countless array of organizations which work to promote the common good and to defend the environment, whether natural or urban. Some, for example, show concern for a public place (a building, a fountain, an abandoned monument, a landscape, a square), and strive to protect, restore, improve or beautify it as something belonging to everyone. Around these community actions, relationships develop or are recovered and a new social fabric emerges. Thus, a community can break out of the indifference induced by consumerism. These actions cultivate a shared identity, with a story which can be remembered and handed on. In this way, the world, and the quality of life of the poorest, are cared for, with a sense of solidarity which is at the same time aware that we live in a common home which God has entrusted to us. These community actions, when they express self-giving love, can also become intense spiritual experiences. |
| VI. SIGNA SACRAMENTORUM CELEBRATIONISQUE REQUIES | VI. SACRAMENTAL SIGNS AND THE CELEBRATION OF REST | |
| 233 | Universum in Deo evolvitur, qui illud totum replet. Ideo mysterium contemplandum residet in folio, in semita, in rore, in vultu pauperis.[159] Perfectum non est solum ab exteriore parte ad interiorem transire ut Dei actionem in anima detegamus, sed etiam Eum convenire in omnibus rebus, sicut docuit sanctus Bonaventura: “Contemplatio tanto est eminentior quanto effectum divinæ gratiæ magis sentit in se homo vel quanto etiam melius scit considerare Deum in exterioribus creaturis.”[160] | 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.[159] The ideal is not only to pass from the exterior to the interior to discover the action of God in the soul, but also to discover God in all things. Saint Bonaventure teaches us that “contemplation deepens the more we feel the working of God’s grace within our hearts, and the better we learn to encounter God in creatures outside ourselves.”[160] |
| 234 | Sanctus Joannes a Cruce ostendit quemadmodum omnia bona quæ in rebus et experientiis mundi explicantur “sint in Deo eminenter, infinito quodam modo, seu potius quod unumquodque ex his mirabilibus, quæ de illo dicuntur, sit ipse Deus.”[161] Non quod res finitæ mundi revera sint divinæ, sed quia homo mysticus experitur intimam conexionem exsistentem inter Deum et omnes creaturas, et sic “sentit res omnes esse Deum.”[162] Si montis cujusdam altitudinem admiratur, nequit segregare hoc a Deo, et percipit hanc admirationem interiorem quam vivit in Domino ponendam esse: “Habent montes altitudines, sunt uberes, spatiosi, decori, jucundi, floridi ac odoriferi: talis est mihi dilectus meus, sicut isti montes. Valles solitariæ sunt tranquillæ, amœnæ, subfrigidæ, umbrosæ, fontibus, aquarum dulcium plenæ: arborumque varietate ac suavi volucrum concentu mirum in modum sensum demulcent, atque delectant; denique solitudine sua, atque silentio refrigerium conferunt, ac requiem; talis est mihi dilectus meus, sicut valles istæ.”[163] | Saint John of the Cross taught that all the goodness present in the realities and experiences of this world “is present in God eminently and infinitely, or more properly, in each of these sublime realities is God.”[161] This is not because the finite things of this world are really divine, but because the mystic experiences the intimate connection between God and all beings, and thus feels that “all things are God.”[162] Standing awestruck before a mountain, he or she cannot separate this experience from God, and perceives that the interior awe being lived has to be entrusted to the Lord: “Mountains have heights and they are plentiful, vast, beautiful, graceful, bright and fragrant. These mountains are what my Beloved is to me. Lonely valleys are quiet, pleasant, cool, shady and flowing with fresh water; in the variety of their groves and in the sweet song of the birds, they afford abundant recreation and delight to the senses, and in their solitude and silence, they refresh us and give rest. These valleys are what my Beloved is to me.”[163] |
| 235 | Sacramenta sunt peculiaris modus quo natura assumitur a Deo et convertitur in supranaturalis vitæ mediationem. Per sacrum cultum invitamur ad mundum diversa ratione amplectendum. Aqua, oleum, ignis et colores assumuntur cum tota eorum vi symbolica et laudi incorporantur. Manus quæ benedicit est instrumentum Dei amoris et manifestatio Jesu Christi propinquitatis qui venit ad nos comitandos in vitæ itinere. Aqua quæ versatur super corpus hominis qui baptizatur signum est vitæ novæ. Non fugimus mundum nec naturam negamus, quum Deum convenire cupimus. Hoc præcipue percipi potest in spiritalitate christiana orientali: “Venustas ea, quæ in Oriente una habetur carissimarum vocum ut divina consonantia exprimatur atque exemplum etiam transformati hominum generis, ubique conspicitur: in ædium structuris, in sonis et coloribus, in luce et fragrantiis.”[164] Ad christianam experientiam quod attinet, omnes creaturæ materialis universi suum verum sensum reperiunt in Verbo incarnato, quoniam Dei Filius suæ personæ incorporavit partem materialis universi, quam germen definitivæ transformationis introduxit: “Materiam haud repudiat fides christiana nec corporis veritatem, cui immo intra liturgicum actum momentum tribuitur, ubi naturam intimam suam corpus humanum commonstrat veluti templi Spiritus eoque pervenit ut cum Domino Jesu conjungatur qui et ipse factus est in mundi salutem corpus.”[165] | The Sacraments are a privileged way in which nature is taken up by God to become a means of mediating supernatural life. Through our worship of God, we are invited to embrace the world on a different plane. Water, oil, fire and colors are taken up in all their symbolic power and incorporated in our act of praise. The hand that blesses is an instrument of God’s love and a reflection of the closeness of Jesus Christ, who came to accompany us on the journey of life. Water poured over the body of a child in Baptism is a sign of new life. Encountering God does not mean fleeing from this world or turning our back on nature. This is especially clear in the spirituality of the Christian East. “Beauty, which in the East is one of the best loved names expressing the divine harmony and the model of humanity transfigured, appears everywhere: in the shape of a church, in the sounds, in the colors, in the lights, in the scents.”[164] For Christians, all the creatures of the material universe find their true meaning in the incarnate Word, for the Son of God has incorporated in his person part of the material world, planting in it a seed of definitive transformation. “Christianity does not reject matter. Rather, bodiliness is considered in all its value in the liturgical act, whereby the human body is disclosed in its inner nature as a temple of the Holy Spirit and is united with the Lord Jesus, who himself took a body for the world’s salvation.”[165] |
| 236 | In Eucharistia creatum invenit majorem suam elevationem. Gratia, quæ tendit ad se manifestandam sensibiliter, attingit mirabilem perspicuitatem quum Deus ipse, homo factus, usque eo pervenit ut comedatur a sua creatura. Dominus, in fastigio Incarnationis mysterii, nostram voluit attingere intimitatem per materiæ fragmentum. Non ex alto, sed intrinsecus, ut in ipso nostro mundo Eum convenire possemus. In Eucharistia jam plenitudo est completa, ipsaque præcipuum obtinet locum vitalemque universi, fons exuberans amoris vitæque inexhauribilis. Incarnato conjunctum Filio, qui adest in Eucharistia, totum universum Deo gratias agit. Revera Eucharistia est in se actus cosmicæ dilectionis: “ita est, cosmicam! Quoniam quotiens etiam parvo in altari sacelli rustici celebratur, Eucharistia quodam sensu semper celebratur in ara orbis. Cælum enim conjungit et terram. Continet et penetrat omnia creata.”[166] Eucharistia conjungit cælum et terram, complectitur et penetrat omne creatum. Mundus, qui de manibus Dei exivit, ad Eum revertitur in jucunda plenaque adoratione. In Pane eucharistico “creatio protenditur ad deificationem, ad sanctas nuptias, ad unitatem obtinendam cum ipso Creatore.”[167] Ideo Eucharistia est quoque fons lucis rationisque pro nostris sollicitudinibus de ambitu, et nos dirigit ut custodes simus totius creati. | It is in the Eucharist that all that has been created finds its greatest exaltation. Grace, which tends to manifest itself tangibly, found unsurpassable expression when God himself became man and gave himself as food for his creatures. The Lord, in the culmination of the mystery of the Incarnation, chose to reach our intimate depths through a fragment of matter. He comes not from above, but from within, he comes that we might find him in this world of ours. In the Eucharist, fullness is already achieved; it is the living centre of the universe, the overflowing core of love and of inexhaustible life. Joined to the incarnate Son, present in the Eucharist, the whole cosmos gives thanks to God. Indeed the Eucharist is itself an act of cosmic love: “Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world.”[166] The Eucharist joins heaven and earth; it embraces and penetrates all creation. The world which came forth from God’s hands returns to him in blessed and undivided adoration: in the bread of the Eucharist, “creation is projected towards divinization, towards the holy wedding feast, towards unification with the Creator himself.”[167] Thus, the Eucharist is also a source of light and motivation for our concerns for the environment, directing us to be stewards of all creation. |
| 237 | Die dominica, participatio Eucharistiæ singulare habet momentum. Hæc dies, sicut sabbatum Hebraicum, offertur tanquam dies sanationis consuetudinum hominis cum Deo, cum se ipso, cum ceteris et cum mundo. Dominica est dies Resurrectionis, “prima dies” novæ creationis, cujus primitiæ sunt humana Domini natura resuscitata, pignus novissimæ transfigurationis totius creationis. Insuper hæc dies “æternam annuntiat requiem hominis in Deo.”[168] Hoc modo spiritalitas christiana cumulat bonum requiei et diei festi. Homo redigere intendit requiem contemplativam in sterilitatem inutilitatemque, obliviscens ita ab opera quæ perficitur maximum detrahi pondus, scilicet ejus significationem. Vocamur ad nostro operi faciendo rationem addendam receptivam et gratuitam, quæ distinguitur a mero non faciendo. Agitur de alio modo agendi qui pertinet ad nostram essentiam. Hoc modo actio humana non tantum a vacua præservatur nimia operositate, sed etiam ab immoderata voracitate et a segregata conscientia quæ fert ad solum personale beneficium persequendum. Lex hebdomadalis requiei præcipiebat ne opus fieret die septima, “ut requiescat bos et asinus tuus, et refrigeretur filius ancillæ tuæ et advena” (Ex 23, 12). Requies est amplificatio contuitus qui permittit ut jura aliorum denuo agnoscantur. Itaque dies requiei, cujus culmen est Eucharistia, lucem suam diffundit in totam hebdomadam, et rationem nobis dat ad curam habendam de natura deque pauperibus. | On Sunday, our participation in the Eucharist has special importance. Sunday, like the Jewish Sabbath, is meant to be a day which heals our relationships with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world. Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, the “first day” of the new creation, whose first fruits are the Lord’s risen humanity, the pledge of the final transfiguration of all created reality. It also proclaims “man’s eternal rest in God.”[168] In this way, Christian spirituality incorporates the value of relaxation and festivity. We tend to demean contemplative rest as something unproductive and unnecessary, but this is to do away with the very thing which is most important about work: its meaning. We are called to include in our work a dimension of receptivity and gratuity, which is quite different from mere inactivity. Rather, it is another way of working, which forms part of our very essence. It protects human action from becoming empty activism; it also prevents that unfettered greed and sense of isolation which make us seek personal gain to the detriment of all else. The law of weekly rest forbade work on the seventh day, “so that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your maidservant, and the stranger, may be refreshed” (Ex 23:12). Rest opens our eyes to the larger picture and gives us renewed sensitivity to the rights of others. And so the day of rest, centred on the Eucharist, sheds it light on the whole week, and motivates us to greater concern for nature and the poor. |
| VII. TRINITAS ET NECESSITUDO INTER CREATURAS | VII. THE TRINITY AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CREATURES | |
| 238 | Pater est supremus fons omnium, amans et communicativum fundamentum rerum exsistentium. Filius, qui eum manifestat et per quem omnia creata sunt, huic terræ se conjunxit quum efformatus est in gremio Mariæ. Spiritus, vinculum infinitum amoris, intime adest in corde universi, animans et suscitans nova itinera. Mundus creatus est a tribus Personis tanquam uno principio divino, sed quæque earum perficit hanc operam communem secundum suam ipsius personalem proprietatem. Hac de causa “quum contemplamur admiratione universum in ejus magnitudine et pulchritudine, debemus laudare totam Trinitatem.”[169] | The Father is the ultimate source of everything, the loving and self-communicating foundation of all that exists. The Son, his reflection, through whom all things were created, united himself to this earth when he was formed in the womb of Mary. The Spirit, infinite bond of love, is intimately present at the very heart of the universe, inspiring and bringing new pathways. The world was created by the three Persons acting as a single divine principle, but each one of them performed this common work in accordance with his own personal property. Consequently, “when we contemplate with wonder the universe in all its grandeur and beauty, we must praise the whole Trinity.”[169] |
| 239 | Apud christianos, fides in unum Deum, qui est communio Trinitaria, ad cogitandum ducit omnes res in se vestigium proprie Trinitarium continere. Sanctus Bonaventura affirmavit hominem, ante peccatum, detegere illud potuisse quod omnis creatura “testificatur Deum esse trinum.” Vestigium Trinitatis agnosci poterat in natura “quando nec liber iste obscurus erat, nec oculus hominis caligaverat.”[170] Sanctus Franciscus nobis tradidit omnem creaturam secum ferre structuram proprie Trinitariam, tam veram ut quis eam posset sponte contemplari nisi hominis contuitus finitus, obscurus et fragilis esset. Ita indicat nobis provocationem ad realitatem sub Trinitatis lumine interpretandam. | For Christians, believing in one God who is trinitarian communion suggests that the Trinity has left its mark on all creation. Saint Bonaventure went so far as to say that human beings, before sin, were able to see how each creature “testifies that God is three.” The reflection of the Trinity was there to be recognized in nature “when that book was open to man and our eyes had not yet become darkened.”[170] The Franciscan saint teaches us that each creature bears in itself a specifically Trinitarian structure, so real that it could be readily contemplated if only the human gaze were not so partial, dark and fragile. In this way, he points out to us the challenge of trying to read reality in a Trinitarian key. |
| 240 | Divinæ Personæ sunt relationes subsistentes, atque mundus, secundum divinum exemplar creatus, est relationum contextus. Creaturæ ad Deum tendunt, ac deinde cujusque viventis est tendere ad alterum, ita ut in sinu universi invenire possimus immensas constantes necessitudines quæ secrete connectuntur.[171] Quod quidem nos non modo concitat ad mirandos plurimos conexus exstantes inter creaturas, sed ducit nos quoque ad detegendam rationem nostræ ipsorum perfectionis. Nam persona humana eo magis crescit, maturat et sanctificatur quo plus necessitudinis conflat, quum exit de seipsa ut vivat in communione cum Deo, cum ceteris cunctisque creaturis. Itaque in propriam exsistentiam assumit illum assiduum motum Trinitarium quem Deus in ea impressit inde ab ejus creatione. Omnia conjunguntur, et hoc nos hortatur ut augeamus spiritalitatem solidalitatis globalis quæ manat e Trinitatis mysterio. | The divine Persons are subsistent relations, and the world, created according to the divine model, is a web of relationships. Creatures tend towards God, and in turn it is proper to every living being to tend towards other things, so that throughout the universe we can find any number of constant and secretly interwoven relationships.[171] This leads us not only to marvel at the manifold connections existing among creatures, but also to discover a key to our own fulfilment. The human person grows more, matures more and is sanctified more to the extent that he or she enters into relationships, going out from themselves to live in communion with God, with others and with all creatures. In this way, they make their own that trinitarian dynamism which God imprinted in them when they were created. Everything is interconnected, and this invites us to develop a spirituality of that global solidarity which flows from the mystery of the Trinity. |
| VIII. REGINA TOTIUS CREATI | VIII. QUEEN OF ALL CREATION | |
| 241 | Maria, mater cui cura Jesu est commissa, nunc curat materno affectu ac dolore hunc mundum sauciatum. Sicut cum corde transfixo ploravit mortem Jesu, nunc doloris miseretur pauperum crucifixorum et creaturarum hujus mundi exstinctarum ab humano imperio. Ipsa vivit cum Jesu plane transfigurata, et cunctæ creaturæ magnificant ejus pulchritudinem. Mulier est “amicta sole, et luna sub pedibus ejus, et super caput ejus corona stellarum duodecim” (Apc 12,1). Elevata in cælum, est Mater et Regina totius creati. In ejus corpore glorificato, una cum Christo resuscitato, pars creationis consecuta est totam plenitudinem suæ pulchritudinis. Ipsa non solum servat suo in corde cunctam Jesu vitam, quam sollicite “conservabat” (cfr Lc 2,19.51), sed nunc etiam intellegit sensum omnium rerum. Ideo possumus eam rogare ut nos adjuvet ad hunc mundum sapientioribus oculis contuendum. | Mary, the Mother who cared for Jesus, now cares with maternal affection and pain for this wounded world. Just as her pierced heart mourned the death of Jesus, so now she grieves for the sufferings of the crucified poor and for the creatures of this world laid waste by human power. Completely transfigured, she now lives with Jesus, and all creatures sing of her fairness. She is the Woman, “clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” (Rev 12:1). Carried up into heaven, she is the Mother and Queen of all creation. In her glorified body, together with the Risen Christ, part of creation has reached the fullness of its beauty. She treasures the entire life of Jesus in her heart (cf. Lk 2:19,51), and now understands the meaning of all things. Hence, we can ask her to enable us to look at this world with eyes of wisdom. |
| 242 | Una cum ea, in sancta familia Nazarethana, eminet figura sancti Joseph. Is curavit et defendit Mariam et Jesum suo opere suaque magnanima præsentia, eosque eripuit ab injustorum violentia ducens eos in Ægyptum. In Evangelio apparet tanquam vir justus, operosus, fortis. Sed in ejus figura enitet etiam magna suavitas, quæ non est debilium, sed vere fortium, quum se attentos præbeant ad res ut ament serviantque humiliter. Quare declaratus est custos Ecclesiæ universalis. Ipse quoque potest nos docere curam habere, potest rationem afferre ad operam navandam magnanime et suaviter ad custodiendum hunc mundum quem Deus nobis concredidit. | At her side in the Holy Family of Nazareth, stands the figure of Saint Joseph. Through his work and generous presence, he cared for and defended Mary and Jesus, delivering them from the violence of the unjust by bringing them to Egypt. The Gospel presents Joseph as a just man, hard-working and strong. But he also shows great tenderness, which is not a mark of the weak but of those who are genuinely strong, fully aware of reality and ready to love and serve in humility. That is why he was proclaimed custodian of the universal Church. He too can teach us how to show care; he can inspire us to work with generosity and tenderness in protecting this world which God has entrusted to us. |
| IX. ULTRA SOLEM | IX. BEYOND THE SUN | |
| 243 | Denique nos conveniemus facie ad faciem infinitam Dei pulchritudinem (cfr 1 Cor 13, 12), et valebimus legere cum jucunda admiratione mysterium universi, quod una nobiscum habebit plenitudinem sine fine. Utique, iter facimus ad æternitatis sabbatum, novam Jerusalem, communem cæli domum. Jesus dicit nobis: “Ecce nova facio omnia” (Apc 21, 5). Vita æterna erit res mirabilis communicata, ubi omnis creatura, fulgide transformata, locum suum occupabit et habebit aliquid offerendum pauperibus definitive liberatis. | At the end, we will find ourselves face to face with the infinite beauty of God (cf. 1 Cor 13:12), and be able to read with admiration and happiness the mystery of the universe, which with us will share in unending plenitude. Even now we are journeying towards the sabbath of eternity, the new Jerusalem, towards our common home in heaven. Jesus says: “I make all things new” (Rev 21:5). Eternal life will be a shared experience of awe, in which each creature, resplendently transfigured, will take its rightful place and have something to give those poor men and women who will have been liberated once and for all. |
| 244 | Præstolantes hoc, nos conjungimus ad curam gerendam hujus domus quæ nobis concredita est, scientes quidquid boni sit in ea, assumptum iri in festo cælesti. Una cum omnibus creaturis iter facimus in hac terra, quærentes Deum, quoniam “si mundus et principium habet, et factus est, inquire quis sit qui ei dedit principium, et quis illius sit conditor.”[172] Ambulemus cantantes! Ne contentiones nostræ nostraque sollicitudo de hoc orbe auferant de nobis spei gaudium. | In the meantime, we come together to take charge of this home which has been entrusted to us, knowing that all the good which exists here will be taken up into the heavenly feast. In union with all creatures, we journey through this land seeking God, for “if the world has a beginning and if it has been created, we must enquire who gave it this beginning, and who was its Creator.”[172] Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope. |
| 245 | Deus qui nos vocat ad magnanimam deditionem et ad omnia devovenda, offert nobis virtutes ac lumen quibus egemus ad progrediendum. In corde hujus mundi semper adest vitæ Dominus qui nos valde diligit. Ipse nos nunquam deserit, nec solos nos relinquit, quoniam definitive se conjunxit cum nostra terra, ejusque amor jugiter nos ducit ad novas reperiendas vias. Laudatus sit! | God, who calls us to generous commitment and to give him our all, offers us the light and the strength needed to continue on our way. In the heart of this world, the Lord of life, who loves us so much, is always present. He does not abandon us, he does not leave us alone, for he has united himself definitively to our earth, and his love constantly impels us to find new ways forward. Praise be to him! |
| * * * | * * * | |
| 246 | Post hanc longam considerationem, jucundam simul et terrificam, duas proponimus orationes: alteram communicandam cum omnibus nobis credentibus in Deum creatorem omnipotentem, et alteram ut nos, christiani, queamus in creationem gerere officia quæ Jesu Evangelium nobis proponit. | At the conclusion of this lengthy reflection which has been both joyful and troubling, I propose that we offer two prayers. The first we can share with all who believe in a God who is the all-powerful Creator, while in the other we Christians ask for inspiration to take up the commitment to creation set before us by the Gospel of Jesus. |
| Oratio pro nostro terrarum orbe | A prayer for our earth | |
| Omnipotens Deus, qui ades in toto universo inque minima tuarum creaturarum, Tu qui tua suavitate circumdas omnia quæ exsistunt, infunde in nos vim tui amoris ut vitam et pulchritudinem curemus. Inunda nos pace, ut vivamus sicut fratres et sorores nemini nocentes. Deus pauperum, adjuva nos in redimendis derelictis et neglectis hujus terræ qui multum præ oculis tuis valent. Sana vitas nostras, ut custodiamus mundum neve deprædemur illum, ut seramus pulchritudinem, non vero inquinamentum et destructionem. Tange corda eorum qui tantum lucra quærunt cum damno pauperum ac terræ. Doce nos detegere cujusque rei bonum, cum admiratione contemplari, agnoscere nos penitus conjunctos esse omnibus cum creaturis in nostro itinere ad tuam lucem infinitam. Gratias agimus quia nobiscum manes cunctis diebus. Sustine nos, quæsumus, in nostro certamine pro justitia, amore et pace. |
All-powerful God, You are present in the whole universe and in the smallest of your creatures. You embrace with your tenderness all that exists. Pour out upon us the power of your love, that we may protect life and beauty. Fill us with peace, that we may live as brothers and sisters, harming no one. O God of the poor, help us to rescue the abandoned and forgotten of this earth, so precious in your eyes. Bring healing to our lives, that we may protect the world and not prey on it, that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction. Touch the hearts of those who look only for gain at the expense of the poor and the earth. Teach us to discover the worth of each thing, to be filled with awe and contemplation, to recognize that we are profoundly united with every creature as we journey towards your infinite light. We thank You for being with us each day. Encourage us, we pray, in our struggle for justice, love and peace. | |
| Oratio christiana cum creato | A Christian prayer in union with creation | |
| Te laudamus, Pater, cum omnibus tuis creaturis, quæ de tua potenti manu ortæ sunt. Tuæ sunt, ac plenæ sunt tuæ præsentiæ tuæque suavitatis. Laudatus sis! |
Father, we praise You with all your creatures. They came forth from your all-powerful hand; they are yours, filled with your presence and your tender love. Praise be to you! | |
| Jesu, Fili Dei, per te omnia creata sunt. Efformatus es in materno utero Mariæ, pars hujus terræ effectus es, et humanis oculis conspexisti hunc mundum. Hodie vivus es in omni creatura cum tua gloria resuscitati. Laudatus sis! |
Son of God, Jesus, through You all things were made. You were formed in the womb of Mary our Mother, You became part of this earth, and You gazed upon this world with human eyes. Today You are alive in every creature in your risen glory. Praise be to you! | |
| Spiritus Sancte, qui tua luce dirigis hunc mundum ad Patris amorem ac comitaris gemitum creationis, tu quoque vivis in cordibus nostris ut nos ad bonum compellas. Laudatus sis! |
Holy Spirit, by your light You guide this world towards the Father’s love and accompany creation as it groans in travail. You also dwell in our hearts and You inspire us to do what is good. Praise be to you! | |
| Domine Deus, Unus et Trinus, communitas mirabilis infiniti amoris, doce nos te contemplari in universi pulchritudine, ubi omnia nobis de te loquuntur. Excita laudem nostram animumque gratum pro omnibus quæ tu creasti. Dona nobis gratiam ut nos cum omnibus exsistentibus intime conjunctos sentiamus. Deus amoris, ostende nobis nostrum locum in hoc mundo tanquam instrumenta tui affectus pro cunctis creaturis quæ in hac terra sunt, quoniam ne una quidem earum apud te oblivione obruitur. Illumina dominos potestatis et pecuniæ ut a peccato sibi caveant indifferentiæ, diligant bonum commune, promoveant infirmos et curent hunc mundum quem incolimus. Pauperes et terra clamant: Domine, suscipe nos tua potestate tuaque luce, ut protegatur omnis vita, ut præparetur melius futurum ævum, ut adveniat Regnum tuum justitiæ, pacis, amoris et pulchritudinis. Laudatus sis! Amen. |
Triune Lord, wondrous community of infinite love, teach us to contemplate You in the beauty of the universe, for all things speak of You. Awaken our praise and thankfulness for every being that You have made. Give us the grace to feel profoundly joined to everything that is. God of love, show us our place in this world as channels of your love for all the creatures of this earth, for not one of them is forgotten in your sight. Enlighten those who possess power and money that they may avoid the sin of indifference, that they may love the common good, advance the weak, and care for this world in which we live. The poor and the earth are crying out. O Lord, seize us with your power and light, help us to protect all life, to prepare for a better future, for the coming of your Kingdom of justice, peace, love and beauty. Praise be to you! Amen. | |
| Datum Romæ, apud Sanctum Petrum, die XXIV mensis Maji, in sollemnitate Pentecostes, anno MMXV, Pontificatus Nostri tertio. | Given in Rome at Saint Peter’s on 24 May, the Solemnity of Pentecost, in the year 2015, the third of my Pontificate. | |
| Franciscus PP. | Franciscus |
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| © Copyright — Libreria Editrice Vaticana | |
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| Deus vult ! | — Brennus ( Inscriptio electronica : Brennus@brennus.bluedomino.com ) |
| Dies immutationis recentissimæ : die Lunæ, 2017 Martii 6 |