杏MAP导航

By Isabella Piro

The Vatican released a document on Thursday that offers a guide to Catholics, and all Christians, regarding our relationship with God鈥檚 Creation.

Entitled Journeying Towards Care for Our  Common Home: five years after Laudato Si, the document coincides with the fifth anniversary of 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥檚 Encyclical Laudato Sí, which was signed on 24 May 2015 and published on 18 June of that same year.

The document was drafted by the 鈥淗oly See Interdicastery Table on Integral Ecology鈥�, created in 2015 to evaluate ways to best promote and implement integral ecology.

Institutions linked to the Holy See, along with several Bishops鈥� Conferences, and Catholic organizations, make up the committee.

The text was written prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it highlights the main message of Laudato Sí: Everything is connected; each particular crisis forms part of a single, complex socio-environmental crisis that requires a true ecological conversion.

First Part: Education and ecological conversion

The first part of the document opens with a reminder of the need for ecological conversion.

This involves a change in mentality leading us to care for life and Creation, dialogue with others, and an awareness of the deep connection between the world鈥檚 problems.

Initiatives such as the 鈥�Season of Creation鈥�, it says, should be enhanced, along with monastic traditions that teach contemplation, prayer, work, and service. These initiatives can help educate people about the link between personal, social, and environmental balance.

Protecting life and promoting the family

The document then reaffirms the centrality of life and the human person, because 鈥渘ature cannot be defended without the defence of every human life.鈥� From this fact derives the need to develop the concept of 鈥渟in against human life鈥� among younger generations, which can help contrast the 鈥渢hrowaway culture鈥� with a 鈥渃aring culture鈥�.

The text also places strong emphasis on the family as a 鈥減rotagonist of integral ecology鈥�. When grounded in the basic principles of 鈥渃ommunion and fruitfulness鈥�, the family can become 鈥渁 privileged place for education where one learns to respect human beings and Creation鈥�. States, therefore, are urged to 鈥減romote smart policies for family development鈥�.

Centrality of schools and universities

At the same time, schools are invited to acquire 鈥渁 new centrality鈥�, in other words, to become a place to develop the capacity for discernment, critical thinking, and responsible action. The document offers two suggestions in this regard: (1) to facilitate links between the home, the school, and the parish; and (2) to launch training projects for 鈥渆cological citizenship鈥�, which should promote among young people 鈥渁 new model of relationships鈥� that goes beyond individualism in favor of solidarity, responsibility, and care.

Universities are invited to centre their curricula on a backbone of integral ecology. Through their three-fold mission of teaching, research, and service to society, universities need to encourage students to engage in 鈥減rofessions that facilitate positive environmental change鈥�. The document suggests specifically that students should 鈥渟tudy the theology of Creation, which consists in the relationship of the human being with the world鈥�, while remaining conscious of the fact that caring for Creation requires 鈥渙ngoing education鈥� and a true 鈥渆ducational pact鈥� between all institutions involved in education.

Ecumenical and interreligious dialogue

The document also reaffirms that 鈥渢he commitment to caring for our common home is an integral part of Christian life鈥�, and not a secondary option. Further, care for our common home is 鈥渁n excellent area鈥� to build ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and collaboration. The 鈥渨isdom鈥� found in various religions, it says, can encourage a 鈥渃ontemplative and sober鈥� lifestyle that leads to 鈥渙vercoming the deterioration of the Planet.鈥�

Ecology of the media

The first part of the document concludes with a chapter dedicated to communication and its 鈥減rofound analogy鈥� with the care of our common home. Both, in fact, are based on 鈥渃ommunion, relationship, and connection鈥�.

In the context of an 鈥渆cology of the media鈥�, the media are urged to highlight the links between 鈥渉uman destiny and the natural environment鈥�, while empowering citizens, and combating 鈥渇ake news鈥�.

Second part: Integral ecology and integral human development

The second part of the document opens with the subject of food, referring to 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� words: 鈥渨henever food is thrown out it is as if it were stolen from the table of the poor鈥� (LS, 50). Food waste, therefore, is condemned as an act of injustice.

The document calls for the promotion of 鈥渄iversified and sustainable鈥� agriculture, defence of small producers and natural resources, and the urgent need for healthy food education, both in quantity and in quality. There is also a strong call to combat phenomena such as land grabbing and major agro-industrial projects that pollute the environment, as well as an appeal to protect biodiversity.

Echoes of this appeal can also be found in the chapter devoted to water, access to which is 鈥渁n essential human right鈥�. Here, too, there is a call to avoid waste and to go beyond the utilitarian criteria that lead to the privatization of this natural good.

Investing in renewable energy

Along the same lines is an invitation to reduce pollution, to de-carbonize the energy and economic sectors, and to invest in 鈥渃lean and renewable鈥� energy, making it accessible to all.

The seas and oceans also cut to the heart of integral ecology. They are the 鈥渂lue lungs of the planet鈥�, and require governance focused on the common good of the entire human family and founded on the principle of subsidiarity.

The document also stresses the urgent need to promote a 鈥渃ircular economy鈥� that does not aim at over-exploitation of productive resources, but at their long-term maintenance, so that they can be reused. We must overcome the concept of 鈥渞ejected waste鈥�, it says, because everything has value. This, however, will only be possible through positive interaction between technological innovation, investment in sustainable infrastructure, and growth in resource productivity.

The private sector is called upon to operate transparently in the supply chain. The document goes on to call for the reform of fossil fuel subsidies and the taxation of CO2 emissions.

Socio-economic development

In the field of labour, the document expresses hopes for the promotion of sustainable socio-economic development, so that poverty might be eradicated and the marginalized might find paths toward socio-professional advancement. It also calls for decent work, fair wages, efforts to combat child labour, and an inclusive economy which promotes the value of the family and motherhood, along with the prevention and eradication of 鈥渘ew forms of slavery鈥�, such as human trafficking.

The document says the world of finance needs to play its part, by aiming for the 鈥減rimacy of the common good鈥� and working to put an end to poverty. 鈥淭he Covid-19 pandemic鈥�, reads the document, 鈥渟hows how elements of the system are being questioned, when it reduces welfare, allows speculation even in misfortune, and oppresses the poorest people鈥�.

The document urges government to close tax havens, sanction financial institutions involved in illegal operations, and bridge the gap between those who have access to credit and those who do not. It exhorts everyone to promote 鈥渁 style of management of the Church鈥檚 goods that is inspired by transparency, coherence, and courage鈥�, based on a perspective of integral sustainability.

Civil society, fight against corruption, right to healthcare

Within civil institutions, the document stresses the 鈥減rimacy of civil society鈥�, which politics, governments, and administrations must serve. It calls for the globalization of substantive, social, and participatory democracy, and a long-term vision based on justice, morality, and the fight against corruption.

The document says an important aspect is the promotion of access to justice for all, including the poor, the marginalized, the excluded. It also encourages governments to 鈥渞ethink prudently鈥� the prison system, in order to promote the rehabilitation of prisoners, especially young people serving time for their first conviction.

The text then dwells on healthcare systems, calling it 鈥渁 question of equity and social justice.鈥� It reaffirms the importance of the right to care. 鈥淎s ecological networks are degraded鈥�, it reads, 鈥渟ocial networks are also broken down. In both cases, it is the poorest who suffer the consequences鈥�. The document offers concrete suggestions, including an examination of the dangers associated with 鈥渢he rapid spread of viral and bacterial epidemics鈥�, and the promotion of palliative care.

Importance of climate question

Finally, the interdicasterial document examines the issue of climate change, saying it has 鈥渁 profound environmental, ethical, economic, political, and social 鈥榬elevance鈥欌�� which 鈥渋mpacts the poor above all.鈥� Therefore, we first need 鈥渁 new model of development鈥� that links the fight against climate change to the fight against poverty, 鈥渋n tune with the Social Doctrine of the Church鈥�.

Recalling that 鈥渘o one acts alone鈥�, the document calls for a commitment to 鈥渓ow carbon鈥� sustainable development to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Proposals made in this area include the reforestation of areas such as the Amazon rainforest, along with support for the international process aimed at defining the category of 鈥渃limate refugee鈥� to ensure them 鈥渘ecessary legal and humanitarian protections鈥�.

Efforts made by Vatican City State

The last chapter of the text is dedicated to the commitment of Vatican City State.

There are four operational areas in which the implications of Laudato Sí are applied are: (1) environmental protection (e.g. sorted waste collection already established in all Vatican offices); (2) protection of water resources (e.g. closed circuits for fountain water); (3) care for green areas (e.g. progressive reduction of harmful phytosanitary products); (4) reduced consumption of energy resources (e.g. in 2008, a photovoltaic system was installed on the roof of the Nervi Hall, and new energy-saving lighting systems were installed in the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter鈥檚 Square, and the Vatican Basilica, reducing costs by 60, 70, and 80 percent, respectively).