LAUDATO SI [if you want to refer to the orig text]:

https://w2.vatican.va/content/dam/francesco/pdf/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_
20150524_enciclica-laudato-si_en.pdf

INTRODUCTION [LUWI & ANNA]

- “LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” or “Praise be to you, my Lord.”
- Praise be to you, my Lord, through our Sister, Mother Earth, who sustains and governs us. The
sister now cries out because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and
abuse of the fruits of the earth.
- Nothing in this world is indifferent to us. The global environmental deterioration affects everyone
and the Catholic teachings have constantly called us to action. Pope Benedict XVI: “the book of
nature is one and indivisible” (​Caritas in Veritate, 2009)
- United by the same concern. The teachings of the Church echo the reflections of scientists,
philosophers, civic groups and even other religions.
- Saint Francis of Assisi. According to Pope Francis, he is the example par excellence of care of
the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically. St. Francis 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.
- My appeal. Appeal for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We
require a new and universal solidarity. 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.

CHAPTER 1 WHAT IS HAPPENING TO OUR COMMON HOME [LUWI & ANNA]

￫ Acceleration of changes affecting humanity and the planet is coupled with​ a more intensified pace
of life and work​ (“​rapidification​”); speed of human activity contrasts with the natural pace of
biological evolution
￫ While change is something desirable, the rapidness of it becomes a source of anxiety when it
harms the quality of life (wow very applicable today)
￫ Goal: to become painfully aware of what is happening to the world so we can turn it into our own
personal suffering and ultimately discover what each of us can do about it
￫ This part basically discussed the cycle wherein humans, in their pursuit to find (short-term)
solutions to their problems, unknowingly creates more harm/damage to the earth & its resources,
which lead to more problems (& the cycle continues).
I. Pollution and Climate Change
￫ Pollution has become part of people’s daily experiences
￫ We fail to see that technology, which we typically turn to as the solution for one problem, actually
just creates other problems.
￫ Throwaway culture: our industrial system has not developed the capacity to absorb and
reuse/recycle waste & by-products
￫ Climate is a common good belonging to all and meant for all
￫ Scientific studies provide that we are now experiencing an alarming level of climate change/global
warming hence, 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. While there are other natural factors for this occurrence, studies have shown that it
is mostly due to human activity. The continuous warming aggravates the scarcity of essential
 resources like drinking water, energy and agricultural production in warmer regions, and leads to
the extinction of part of the planet’s biodiversity.
￫ Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic,
political and for the distribution of goods. Developing countries are most likely to feel the worst
impact since many rely on natural reserves as their means of subsistence. Some have been
forced to leave their homes because of the growing poverty caused by environmental
degradation. Our indifference to this suffering points to the loss of that sense of responsibility for
our fellow people upon which all civil society is founded.
II. Issue of Water
￫ Water poverty is an issue of primary importance as well. Many places have experienced periods
of water shortage. As water supply gets more and more scarce and the quality of water available
to us is likewise diminishing, there is a growing tendency to turn this resource into a commodity.
Privatization of this resource is essentially a deprivation of human rights and may lead to a
serious conflict between nations.
￫ 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.
￫ The continuous wasting of water on both developed & developing countries shows that the
problem is partly an educational and cultural issue, as there is little awareness of the seriousness
of such behavior within a context of great inequality.
III. Loss of Biodiversity
￫ 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.
￫ The loss of forests and woodlands entails the loss of species which may constitute extremely
important resources in the future, both for food & possible cures to diseases. Species contain
genes which could be key resources for meeting human needs and regulating environmental
problems.
￫ There is a serious extinction of flora & fauna due to human activity (from crowding out their
natural habitats, commercial exploitation, etc). It is important for us to value each flora & fauna as
it plays a critical role in maintaining the equilibrium of mother earth.
￫ 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.
￫ A delicate balance has to be maintained when talking about ecosystems, for we cannot overlook
the huge global economic interests which, under the guise of protecting them, can undermine the
sovereignty of individual nations.
○ Each government must carry out its proper and inalienable responsibility to preserve its
country’s environment and natural resources, without capitulating to spurious local or
international interests.
￫ Every intervention in nature can have consequences which are not immedi- ately evident, and
that certain ways of exploiting resources prove costly in terms of degradation which ultimately
reaches the ocean bed itself.
IV. Decline in the Quality of Human Life & Breakdown of Society
￫ Media & technology’s influence can stop people from learning how to live wisely, to think deeply
and to love generously. 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.
￫ Real relationships & personal experiences are now being replaced with internet communication
which enables us to choose or eliminate relationships at whim
 ￫ This portion basically just urges us not to use technology as a shield from the real world but
rather, to use it as a means to deepen interpersonal relations
V. Global Inequality
￫ 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. Most affected: the impoverished
￫ A lot of educated people (professionals, opinion makers) are located in affluent urban areas, 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 the poor (out of touch from reality nga kumbaga)
￫ 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.
￫ To put the blame solely on population growth 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. Selective consumerism & throwout culture: “Whenever food is thrown out it is as if it
were stolen from the table of the poor”
￫ Disproportionate use of natural resources by certain countries has repercussions on the poorest
areas of the world. Exploitation of multinational companies of the resources in less developed
countries wherein they do whatever they cannot do in “first world countries” would leave behind
great human and environmental liabilities like unemployment, abandoned towns, the depletion of
natural reserves etc. (turning the less developed country into a shthole)
VI. Weak Responses
￫ We still lack the culture needed to confront the crisis. We lack leadership capable of striking out
on new paths and meeting the needs of the present. The establishment of a legal framework
which can ensure the protection of ecosystems becomes indispensable.
￫ Political responses have been weak. There is a failure of global summits to make environment
plans that are free from other political interests.
￫ Some countries are making progress and people are starting to have ecological sensitivity. But
we still have a very long way to go.
￫ Economic powers continue to justify the current global system where priority is given to financial
gain rather than human dignity and natural environment.
￫ Some countries give positive examples of environmental improvement. These achievements,
though not solving the entire problem, show that we are still capable of intervening positively
￫ At the same time, there is still a growth in the culture of self-destructive vices in our lifestyle.
Trying not to see them, delaying the important decisions and pretending that nothing will happen.
VII. Variety of Opinions
￫ There are different approaches and ideas regarding the solution to the problem. There is an idea
that promotes inaction as these ecological problems will solve themselves and hopefully with the
aid of new technology. On the other hand, there are those who support the idea that the presence
and activities of human beings should be greatly reduced and controlled.
￫ There is no one path to a solution. This makes a variety of proposals possible.
￫ The Church has no reason to offer a definitive opinion. An honest debate must be encourages
among experts and respecting divergent views. There will always be a way to do something to
solve our problems,
 ￫ However, we must act soon as we are now reaching a breaking point. There are regions now at
high risk and the present world system is certainly unsustainable.

CHAPTER 2 THE GOSPEL OF CREATION [CHEY CHUCKIE & JAZZ]

- The bible teaches that every man and woman is created out of love and made in God’s image
and likeness.
- Human life is grounded in 3 fundamental and closely intertwined relationships-- with God, our
neighbour and the earth itself.
- Our being created in God’s image does not give us dominion over the Earth and does not justify
absolute domination over other creatures
- We have an obligation to use the Earth’s goods responsibly because other creatures have value
in God’s eyes
- Human beings even if we postulate a process of evolution also possess uniqueness which cannot
be fully explained by evolution. Each of us has our own personal identity. Our capacity to reason,
develop arguments, to be inventive, interpret reality along with other not yet discovered capacities
are signs of a uniqueness which transcends the spheres of physics and biology.
- The natural environment is a collective good, the patrimony of all humanity and the responsibility
of everyone
- The​ earth is essentially a shared inheritance​, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone.
- God gave the earth to the whole human race for the sustenance of all its members, without
excluding or favoring anyone
- The church recognizes private property but believes it is not absolute. It is not in accord with
God’s plan that this gift--the Earth-- be used in such a way that its benefits / favour only a few

CHAPTER 3: THE HUMAN ROOTS OF ECOLOGICAL CRISIS [CHEY CHUCKIE & JAZZ]

- Intro to the Chapter:

- We must understand and acknowledge the human origins of the ecological crisis. The
chapter begins by stating that something has gone awry of our understanding of human
life and activity, thereby damaging the world around us.

- Technology: Creativity and Power

- We come into a generation filled with inventions and technology. There is nothing wrong
with rejoicing in these advances and looking forward to more possibilities, for science and
technology are wonderful products of a God-given human creativity. ​Technology has
remedied countless evils which used to harm and limit man. ​Technoscience produces
improvement in the quality of life among humans, as well as advancements in art and
allows men to immerse in the material world.
- However, these advancements in technology have given us tremendous power. They
have given those with the knowledge and resources to use them an impressive
dominance over the world of humanity. The chapter cites the usage of nuclear energy,
and later the nuclear bomb, saying that ​the tremendous power technology comes with
high risks depending on those who wield such power​.
- Contemporary man has not been trained well with technology. Our technological
development has not been accompanied by development in human responsibility, values,
and conscience​. Hence, there is a risk growing day by day that man will not use his
 power as he should. Therefore, while we have technological know-how, we cannot claim
to have sound ethics, a culture and spirituality genuinely capable of setting limits, and
teaching clear minded self-restraint.

- Globalization of the Technocratic Paradigm

- Main problem: humanity has taken up technology and its development according to an
undifferentiated and one-dimensional paradigm. This paradigm is described as using
logical and rational procedures, which progressively approaches and gains control over
an external objec​t. (Simply put, objectification of ecology) 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. However, human beings and material
objects no longer extend a friendly hand to one another; the relationship has become
confrontational.
- 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.
- It is now inconceivable to reconcile using technology as a mere instrument. 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. But now, because of this paradigm, human elements such as our decision making,
freedom, and creativity are diminished.
- 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. Hence, ​there is a need for a more proactive approach in integrating ecological
appreciation and culture in our lives to battle the technocratic paradigm​.
- 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 can happen through:
- cooperatives of small producers adopting less polluting means of production, and
opt for a non-consumerist model of life, recreation and community.
- And when ​technology is directed primarily to resolving people’s concrete
problems, truly helping them live with more dignity and less suffering
- 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. Humanity has changed and the accumulation of the
novelties of technology pulls us in just one direction: towards the technocratic paradigm.

- Crisis and Effects of Modern Anthropocentrism

- Modern Anthropocentrism prefers technical thought over reality since it sees nature as
dispensable, as a mere ‘given’, as a raw material. The intrinsic dignity of the world is thus
compromised. This however goes against the essence of human dignity: God has given
the earth to man, but it is also God’s gift to man, which the natural and moral structure
should be respected.
- 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. 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.
- Technocracy sees no intrinsic value in lesser beings coexists with the other extreme,
which sees no special value in human beings. This seems to apply and integrate in our
lives. 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
- This goes against Christian theory. Christian thought sees human beings as possessing
a particular dignity above other creatures; it thus inculcates esteem for each person and
respect for others. 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.
- Practical Relativism
- When human beings place themselves at the center, they give absolute priority
to immediate convenience and all else becomes relative; this can feed on one
another, leading to environmental degradation and social decay
- 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 labour on
them or enslaving them to pay their debts.
- The Need to Protect Employment
- We are convinced that man is the source, the focus and the aim of all economic
and social life. 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. 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.
- In order to continue providing employment, it is imperative to promote an
economy which favours productive diversity and business creativity. 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.
- New Biological Technologies
- According to the Church, there is nothing wrong with integrating
experimentations on plants and animals. Experimentation on animals is morally
acceptable if it remains with reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or
saving human lives. St. John Paul’s position: 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 area. Basically, while the Church
does not prohibit experimentation, we still have to pay due respect to and avoid
abusing the ecology.
- 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 favour its development in its own
line, that of creation, as intended by God

CHAPTER 4: INTEGRAL ECOLOGY [FREEDS & ZACKY]

Integral ecology – approach to today’s global crises which considers every aspect of the world and respects its
human and social dimension.

Elements:

1. environmental, economic and social ecology

2. cultural ecology
3. ecology of daily life
4. principle of common good
5. justice between the generations

environmental, economic and social ecology

environmental ecology - ​in tackling problems of the world, we should look at the relationship between nature and
the society as it provides the conditions required for a sustainable life and society

● solution demands an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded and at the
same time protecting nature; certain models of development, production, and consumption are put in place
● researchers are essential as they give us a better understanding of how creatures relate to one another
which makes up larger units we call ‘ecosystems’ (importance for these ecosystems does not only depict
“how best to use them,” but also shows the “intrinsic value independent of their usefulness)
● each creature should not be gauged solely on its usefulness for each have an intrinsic value independent of
their usefulness
● when we speak of sustainability, consideration must always be given to the ​regenerative ability of the
ecosystem, that it's all bigger than all of us

economic ecology – in tackling problems of the world, we should go beyond the practical applications of the study of
economics (like reducing costs and standardizing processes), and should be able to embrace a broader vision of
reality

● that protection of the environment is an integral part of the development process and not a separate concern
● that different fields of knowledge, including economics, should come together to fulfill a more integral and
integrating vision
● ergo, 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”

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 (i.e. every violation of solidarity and civic
friendship harms the environment)

● weakened social ecology results in making legislation (human laws) ineffective which make it hard to
implement efforts or projects to make the world a better place
● moreover, what takes place in one place can have a direct or indirect influence on other areas
 cultural ecology

cultural ecology ​– considering the historical, cultural, and artistic patrimony that is the shared identity of each place,
greater attention to local cultures when addressing environmental problems, favoring a dialogue between
scientific-technical language and the language of the people should be observed

● uniform solutions are discouraged, that solutions demand the active participation of all members of society
and solutions that are based in the local culture itself
● essential care for the indigenous communities and their cultural traditions, that they should be principal
dialogue partners

ecology of daily life

ecology of daily life – authentic development includes effort to bring about an integral improvement in the quality of
human life and this entails the setting in which people live their lives; otherwise, overstimulation makes it difficult to
find ourselves integrated and happy.

ecology in physical spaces – respect for our dignity as human beings often jars with the chaotic realities that people
have to endure in the city and in rural life; it is not enough to seek the beauty of design but also to improve the quality
of life

● that in planning cities and public places, consideration should go beyond aesthetic concerns, and embrace
the pursuit of providing a ​better quality of living, adaptation of people to the environment and mutual
assistance ​- this includes addressing lack of housing or the difficulty to own a house
● protect also ​common areas, visual landmarks and urban landscapes which increase our sense of
belonging, “feeling at home” – to have that feeling of integration to the entire city and not just as fragmented
neighborhoods in a city
● transportation – prioritizing the improvement of mass transport systems which recognizes our human
dignity and the need for safety and convenience
● rural areas – improve access to essential services and to eliminate some undignified working conditions in
rural areas

ecology of man – man too has a nature that he must respect and that he cannot manipulate at will; 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.

● that the body establishes us in a direct relationship with the environment and with other living beings; it
comes with recognition that the entire world is a gift from the Father and our common home - not thinking
that we enjoy absolute power over it
● for us to accept the world as our common home, we should be able to first accept our bodies as God’s gift,
learn to care for it and respect its fullest meaning

The principle of common good

an integral ecology is inseparable from the notion of the common good, a central and unifying principle of social
ethics

common good – ​sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members
relatively thorough and ready access to their fulfillment
 ● this is the respect for the human persons as someone who is endowed with basic and inalienable rights
ordered to their integral development
● hence, society as a whole, and the state in particular, are obliged to defend and promote the common good
● common good entails social peace, stability and security achieved by a form of distributive justice
● summons to solidarity and a preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters – implications of
the universal destination of the world’s goods

Justice between the generations

integral ecology is marked by the vision that an environment is on loan to each generation, which must then hand it
on to the next

● the notion of the common good extends to future generations; what kinds of world we will leave to the
generations that will come after us
● intergenerational solidarity is not optional, but a basic question of justice, since the world we have received
also belongs to those who will follow us
● our perception must frame the environment as part of a logic of receptivity; it is on loan to each generation,
which must then hand it on to the next
● This not only leads us to ask questions like “what kind of world we will leave behind” that allows us to think
of the life we want for our children but also questions such as: “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?” that makes one think of his own dignity
● intergenerational solidarity also calls us to another urgent need for a renewed sense of intergenerational
solidarity or solidarity with the poor in our own generation

CHAPTER 5: Lines of Approach and Action [NORBS & JAYSON]

● This chapter contains the major paths of dialogue which can help us escape the spiral of
self-destruction which currently engulfs us.

I. Dialogue on the Environment in the International Community

● In order to come up with sustainable solutions for the social and environmental problems we face
today, we must be able to reach a consensus as ​one world with a common plan​ ​with the
recognition that we are all interdependent with one another.
● The ecological movement has been recognized worldwide; however, due to the lack of political
will, we are unable to reach truly meaningful and effective global agreements on the environment.
An example of which would be the ​1992 Earth Summit ​in Rio de Janeiro whose calls for
international cooperation, limitation on greenhouse gases and protection for biodiversity still await
their fulfillment up until today.
● On lowering pollutant gas emissions, there must be an internationalization of environmental
costs so as to not burden countries with fewer resources compared to those that are more
industrialized. The countries which have benefited more from a high degree of industrialization
have a greater responsibility for providing a solution to the problems they caused. Strategy of
buying and selling “carbon credits” does not seem like a sustainable strategy.
● Enforceable international agreements are urgently needed since local authorities are not always
capable of effective intervention. This is to avoid regional disasters which could have worldwide
repercussions e.g. powerful countries dumping contaminated waste or offshore polluting
industries in other countries. Stricter implementation on international and regional conventions on
marine waste and the protection of the seas should be upheld.
 ● Radical decisions must be made in both reversing the trend of global warming and eliminating
poverty. We need stricter and more efficiently organized international institutions whose
management is agreed among the countries. Diplomacy would also play a new importance in
developing international strategies which can anticipate serious problems affecting us all.

II. Dialogue for New National and Local Policies

● Every state must utilize their laws in coming up with political and institutional frameworks that
could solve the environmental problems they are facing. However, states are hesitant to do so
because of the fear of upsetting the public for affecting consumption levels, short-term economic
growth and even foreign investment.
● Cooperatives in the community level have also been helpful in promoting clean and renewable
energy sources. This is particularly true for the indigenous people. Local legislation becomes
more effective if agreements exist between neighboring communities to support the same
environmental policies.
● Every country has their own problems and limitations when it comes to addressing environmental
issues. And together with this, it is important to ensure continuity on existing climate change and
environmental protection policies. With these, we need leaders who would not succumb to the
pressures of capitalist objectives and short-term economic growths and instead, leave a lasting
testimony of selfless responsibility towards the environment.

III. Dialogue and Transparency in Decision-making

● An assessment of the environmental impact of business ventures and projects demands
transparent political processes involving a free exchange of views. Corruption in the government
may also prevent full discourse as to the full environmental impact of a business venture.
● Environmental impact assessment should be a part of every business venture proposal from the
very beginning. It should be holistic by taking into consideration the welfare of the people, and
must be free of any economic or political pressure. All stakeholders particularly the local
population where the business would be constructed should also be given a say in
decision-making and an unbiased environmental impact assessment allows them to make
fully-informed opinions and decisions towards it.
● Some questions that should be asked about a proposed venture as to 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?
● The precautionary principle in the Rio Declaration of 1992 provides that if serious or irreversible
damage would result from a business venture, it must be halted or modified. This does not mean
an absolute opposition against any technological innovation BUT it is a declaration that profit
should not only be the sole criterion as to whether or not a business venture should be pushed
through.

IV. Politics and Economy in Dialogue for Human Fulfillment

● Politics must not be subject to economy, nor should the economy be subject to the dictates of an
efficiency-driven paradigm of technocracy. Politics and economy should work hand-in-hand not
only to promote the welfare of humans but also in coming up with solutions to our environmental
problems that would truly be for the benefit of all.
● Environmental protection cannot be assured solely on the basis of financial calculations of costs
and benefits. Biodiversity is not only a deposit of economic resources available for exploitation
but it has a real value of things that is of significance to persons and cultures, and has an effect
on the concerns and needs of the poor.
 ● Considering other means of production and consumption could bring about another form of
progress and development that is sustainable and long-term. Seeking other creative ways of
product development could be a great means of human expression and in improving the quality of
life. However, this, too, should be done in moderation and that we must already accept the fact
that we have to decrease our production and consumption in order to ensure sustainable
development.
● The current models of global development especially the maximization of profits must be
abandoned. The current model, with its emphasis on success and self-reliance, does not favor
the weak or the less talented to find opportunities in life. Medium-term solutions are not enough
anymore. We need solutions that are truly long-term and progressive. In order for this to be
possible, we need a type of politics that is capable of asserting itself over the economic pressures
coming from sectors of society with self-serving interests.

V. Religions in Dialogue with Science

● Empirical science would always be limited and incapable of grasping the ultimate meaning and
purpose of things.
● Religion is essential as it serves as “humanity’s compass,” which gives us motivations to live in
harmony, to make sacrifices and to treat others well.
● As we participate in dialogues geared towards addressing the gravity of the ecological crisis
before us, it must be done with patience, self-discipline and generosity keeping in mind the
common good of all and at the end of the day, “realities are greater than ideas.”

CHAPTER 6: Ecological Education and Spirituality [DANELLA & LJ]

● Many things have to change course, but it is human beings above all who need to change
● There is a lack of awareness of our common origin, mutual belonging and a future to be shared
with everyone. Awareness of these things would enable the development of new convictions,
attitude and forms of life.
● A great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge stands before us, and it will demand a long
path of renewal

I. Towards a new lifestyle

● Compulsive consumerism ​(needless buying and spending) is an example of how the
techno-economic paradigm affects individuals.
● The paradigm makes people believe that they are ​free as long as they have the freedom to
consume​, but those who are really free are the minority who wield economic and financial power.
● Postmodem humanity has not yet achieved a self-awareness capable of changing the
consumerist lifestyle which is a source of anxiety. The feeling of instability and uncertainty leads
to collective selfishness​. People become more greedy and cannot accept limits imposed by
reality.
● Obsession with the ​consumerist lifestyle can lead to ​violence and mutual destruction​. Yet
this is not the end, no system can completely suppress our openness to what is true, food and
beautiful.
● A ​change in lifestyle could bring healthy pressure to bear on those who wield political, economic
and social power. People are always capable of going out of ourselves towards the other.
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 other people and the natural
environment.
● If we overcome individualism​, we will develop a different lifestyle and bring about significant
changes in society.
II. Educating for the covenant between humanity and the environment
● Environmental education has broadened its goals. It now includes being a critique of the
“myths” of a modernity grounded utilitarian mindset (individualism, unlimited progress,
competition, consumerism, the unregulated market). It now seeks to restore ecological
equilibrium which establishes harmony within ourselves, others, nature, other living creatures and
God.
● Yet, this education, aimed at creating an ​“ecological citizenship​”, is at times limited to providing
information and fails to instil good habits. If laws are to bring long lasting effects, the majority
must be motivated to accept these laws and respond to it.
● Ecological education can take place in a variety of settings: at school, in families, in the media, in
catechesis and elsewhere.
● “The relationship between a good aesthetic education and the maintenance of a healthy
environment cannot be overlooked”. By learning to see and appreciate beauty, we learn to reject
self-interested pragmatism.
● Our efforts at education will be inadequate and ineffective unless we strive to promote a new way
of thinking about human beings, life, society and our relationship with nature
III. Ecological Conversion
● 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 like motivating us to
a more passionate concern for the protection of our world.
● People need ​“ecological conversion”​, where the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ
become evident in their relationship with the world around them.
● 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 de-
sire to change.
● 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.
● Ecological conversion needed to bring about lasting change is also a community conversion
IV. Joy and Peace
● 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.
● Christian spirituality proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with
little.
● 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.
V. Civic and Political Love
● 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 Fathe​r and that this makes us brothers
and sisters.
● We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared re- sponsibility
for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it.
 ● 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.

VI. Sacramental Signs and the Celebration of Rest

Mystical meaning can be found everywhere as the universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. The
ideal is not only to look into the interior and the exterior of things to discover the action of God in the soul,
but also to discover Him in all things.
● St. Bonaventure: 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.

St. John of the Cross: all the goodness present in the realities and experiences of this world is present in
God or more properly, is God. This is because the mystic experiences the intimate connection between
God and all beings. All things are God.

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.

Encountering God does not mean fleeing from this world or turning our back on nature.
● 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

It is in the Eucharist that all 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.
● 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. 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.

Christian spirituality incorporates the value of relaxation and festivity.

● 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”.
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.
● 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: The Trinity and the Relationship between Creatures

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. Hence, when we
contemplate with wonder the universe in all its grandeur and beauty, we must praise the whole Trinity.
● The Father: the ultimate source of everything, the loving and self-communicating foundation of all
that exists.
● The Son: the Father’s 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.

For Christians, believing in one God who is trinitarian communion suggests that the Trinity has left its
mark on all creation.
● St. Bonaventure: Human beings before sin were able to see how each creature testifies that God
is three.
○ Each creature bears in itself a specifically Trinitarian structure, so real that it could be
readily contemplated if only the human gae were not so partial, dark and fragile. The
challenge then is to read reality in a Trinitarian key.

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.
● 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: Queen of All Creation

Mary, the Mother who cared for Jesus, now cares with maternal affection and pain for this wounded
world. She grieves for the sufferings of the crucified poor and for the creatures of this world laid waste by
human power.
● 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.
 ● As she treasures the entire life of Jesus in her heart, she understands the meaning of all things.
Hence, we can ask her to enable us to look at this world with eyes of wisdom.

Beside Mary is Saint Joseph, Through his work and generous presence, he cared for and defended Mary
and Jesus from the violence of the unjust by bringing them to Egypt.
● A just man, hard-working and strong and 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.
● 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: Beyond the Sun

At the end, we will find ourselves face to face with the infinite beauty of God. Even now we are journeying
towards the sabbath of eternity, the new Jerusalem, towards our common home in heaven.

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.

For now, 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.

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.