 Gaudium et Spes.

s. It is a very document speaking to the Church and to all the people about the hopes and dreams
of the human family. This document was promulgated by Pope Paul VI which means “Joy and Hope”.
 Based on Gaudium et Spes human invent things but along the way they also produce contradictions
 Gaudium et Spes is an overview of the Catholic Church's teachings about humanity's relationship to society
 Gaudium et Spes methodically speaks about this human limitation: about every person’s ability to plumb into one’s
depths as well as one’s inability to see the profundity of longings and afflictions
 As stewards of God, every individual should realize that all of God’s creation is a gift.
 It is unfortunate that in human history, humanity has been marked by sin and evil.
 The creations have intended functions with immediate and direct effects on us-effects which are usually visible and
beneficial
 In this Creationist’s Understanding, human beings are given a special place in the whole creations
 Humanity is the most special among God’s other creatures because they share in the image and likeness of God
who creates. Humanity have the capacity for building up relationship with God and other creations
 God confers to a human person a dignity of life
 God gave us option to rule over the creation and not license to abuse the nature. Be stewards over nature!
 Human presence is very special among God’s creation
 Human activity does not only produce benefits, they also produce unintended negative consequences or losses.
One of them is the extinction of animals, plants and other organisms.
 We Christians believe in a God whom we consider as the Creator of all things.
 The doctrine of salvation is a Catholic Church doctrine that emphasizes the strong connection between human
tendencies towards depravity and the human efforts to choose what is good.
 GENESIS 1:26-27 NIV is our main basis in understanding the environmental destruction
 Christians and non-Christians have their own versions of the origin of life and the cosmos.
 We are co-creators with God!
 Nature cannot be considered as an adjunct or mere extension of humanity. The whole creation must be considered
as alive with humanity and God.
 Humans are created to be creative and be responsible in God’s creation.
 When people work and produce things, nature is altered or disturbed. Nature is always impinged upon as humans
adapt themselves to or exploit their environment.
 Our lack of recognition and appreciation of God as a Creator is the main problem why we cannot protect Earth
 There are 5 worst mass extinctions that happened before human activities have been implicated (see the details of
the 5 mass extinction in the book)
 Mass Extinctions is a sharp decrease in the number of species in a relatively short period of time.
a. Cretaceous-Tertiary d. Ordovician-Silurian
b. Late Devonian e. End Triassic Extinction
c. Permian-Triassic
 E.O Wilson of Harvard has calculated the current rate of disruption of the biosphere. If this situation continues, one
half of earth’s higher life forms will be extinct by 2100.
 The sixth mass extinction would also include humans and could possibly be called “The Mankind Event”
 Environmental Education is the process of promoting effective teaching and learning, helping people to acquire
values to accept stewardship of the natural resources that God created
 All Filipinos have to develop a sympathetic attitude towards the diversity and sustainability of resources on Earth for
survival and stability of life
 Gina Lopez has been adamant in the advocacy of putting the mining industry to stop because of its detrimental
effects in the environment. (see the RA discussed in the book)
 Laudato Si is the encyclical of Pope Francis talks about taking care of the environment that God has created
 The major problem according to Laudato Si is It is our lack of recognition and appreciation to God
 Pope Francis said that instead of viewing humans as having power and lordship over the earth, we have to realize
that everything I interconnected and that all creation is a “kind of universal family”