God's Earth is sacred
01.01.1970
The destruction of the planet raises many theological questions. We have been led to believe that God cares only for the salvation of humans and that our calling is to exploit the earth for our own ends. This false Gospel has its preachers, politicians and policymakers who follow its dictates. In doing this they are destroying the Earth.
The Churches are challenged to articulate a more coherent theology of ecology and to proclaim more persistently its teachings on social and environmental justice. Catholic Church teaching is relevant in the face of the grave ecological problems facing the Earth. The teaching on sustainability, bio-responsibility, humility, frugality, solidarity and compassion are appropriate at this time.
Sustainability reminds us that the Earth is finite and that we must live in a way that is fair and just to future generations of humans and other creatures.
Bio-responsibility includes all other life forms as beloved creatures of God and as expressions of God's presence, wisdom, power and glory in the world.
Humility should act as an antidote to the arrogance that underpins much of our technological culture. Many want us to believe that we can manage the world with new technologies. The truth is that we only know a little about our world. For example, we don't know whether there are five million or one hundred million species on Earth.
Frugality invites us to restrain our economic production and consumption patterns, especially in rich countries for the sake of the welfare of the Earth. Jesus has warned us that we will not achieve happiness by accumulating material things.
Solidarity is a concept much beloved by the late Pope John Paul II. Solidarity acknowledges that we are increasingly bound together as members of the Earth community. We are responsible for the well-being of the poor and all creation. Our destinies are linked.
Compassion, which means "suffering with," encourages us to promote the 'healing' of the Earth as well as a just and sustainable society.
This teaching is badly needed in Asia, as China and India are rapidly following the model of development which was fashioned in the U.S. and Europe and which is responsible for depleting our planet. With a few notable exceptions, Church leaders have been slow to acknowledge the mounting ecological crisis.
They have a serious moral obligation to give leadership at this time because we aren't discussing some minor, passing problem.
We are talking about the future of the world, which God loved so much that he sent his only beloved son as a Saviour to it.
Fr Sean McDonagh has written many books: To Care for the Earth, The Greening of the Church, Passion for the Earth, Greening the Christian Millennium, Why are we Deaf to the Cry of the Earth? Dying for Water and Patenting Life? Stop! The death of life with his latest book Climate Change.
