The created world is a gift of God and a common good. To be in right relationship
with God and with others, including future generations, we need to respect
the integrity of creation rather than treating the environment as simply
an economic resource to be used for our own interests.
"In his desire to have and to enjoy rather than to
be and to grow, man consumes the resources of the earth and his own life
in
an excessive and disordered way. At the root of the senseless destruction
of the natural environment lies an anthropological error, which unfortunately
is widespread in our day. Man, who discovers his capacity to transform
and in a certain sense create the world through his own work, forgets
that this is always based on God’s prior and original gift of the
things that are. Man thinks that he can make arbitrary use of the earth,
subjecting it without restraint to his will, as though it did not have
its own requisites and a prior God-given purpose, which man can indeed
develop but must not betray."
Pope John Paul II, Centesimus Annus, n 37
Catholic Social Teaching
Let the Many Coastlands Be Glad! This Pastoral Letter from the
Catholic Bishops of Queensland was issued for World Oceans Day in 2004.
Pope’s
Message for World Water Day In a message for World Water
Day 2007 Benedict XVI said "Water, a common
good of the human family, constitutes an essential element for life; the
management of this precious resource must enable all to have access to
it, especially
those who live in conditions of poverty, and must guarantee the liveability
of the planet for both the present and future generations."
Compendium
of the Social Doctrine of the Church Ch 10 The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace’s synthesis of Catholic
Social teaching includes a whole chapter on safeguarding the environment.
Peace With God the Creator, Peace With All Creation
This World Day of Peace Message for 1990 was the first significant Papal
teaching document dedicated entirely to the issue of the environment.
A
New Earth: The Environmental Challenge In this Social
Justice Sunday Statement for 2002, the Australian Bishops take up Pope
John Paul II’s call for 'ecological conversion'.
Christians & Their
Duty Towards Nature This 1991 discussion paper from the Committee for Justice, Development
and Peace of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference reflects
on the Christian call to contemplate and care for God’s creation.
It draws particularly from Scripture.
Stories & Reflections
Food Security & Climate Change
Over 270 faith based organizations signed a statement to the High-Level Conference On World Food Security And The Challenges Of Climate Change And Bioenergy held in Rome 3-5 June 2008. Click here for the statement. Click here for the message of Pope Benedict XVI to the FAO.
WCC Minute on Climate Change In February 2008 the World Council
of Churches adopted a minute on climate change which built on its previous
statements on the environment.
We Live in a Broken World This international Jesuit document on
the environment was issued in 1999.
The Water
of Life Robin Koning SJ takes the story of the woman at the well in John 4 as his
starting point for this reflection on water.
The Gift of Water This statement from Catholic Earthcare
Australia was endorsed by the Bishops of the Murray-Darling Basin.
Aussie Bishop at Vatican Climate Change Conference
Bishop Christopher Toohey recently told a conference convened by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace that celebrating and giving thanks for this amazing planet is vital to motivating people to do something about climate change.
Prayer & Liturgy
Pacific Climate Change Resources
The World Council of Churches’ Decade to Overcome Violence has adopted a Pacific focus for 2008. Prayers, poems, worship resources, a poster and news items prepared by the Pacific Conference of Churches can be downloaded at http://overcomingviolence.org/en/about-dov/annual-focus/2008-pacific/resources-for-the-pacific.html#c20898
Ignatian Spirituality & Ecology This PowerPoint
presentation provides points for reflection drawing on the Spiritual
Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola.
Tools for Action
World Environment Day
The United Nations marks World Environment Day on 5 June. Check out the UN’s Environmental Program’s website for more information http://www.unep.org/
Share Your Eco Story
Church Resources initiative, Greening Communities is inviting Church and not for profit organizations to share stories of how they have made a difference for the environment. Fill in this template and email it to greeningcommunities@churchresources.com.au.
On Holy Ground This environmental vision document produced by
Catholic Earthcare Australia for Catholic schools provides pathways towards
more ecologically sustainable practices. Click
here
for the NSW version and
here for the
Queensland version.
Saving Creation This PowerPoint presentation from the NSW
Ecumenical Council explains what churches are doing together to respond
to environmental issues.
Sustaining
Creation This 2002 ecumenical resource kit provides background information, material
for prayer and worship, along with action resources.
Greening Communities
The Greening Communities initiative will help church and not for profit organizations to share knowledge and expertise, and access
product and services to enable them to become more environmentally sustainable.
Watermark
The Social Justice Committee of the NSW Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes has published
a new edition of Watermark. It covers electricity privatization issues, action on climate change by the
Pacific Calling Partnership, and Earth Hour.
Background Information
Draft Garnaut Report Released
The draft report of the Garnaut Climate Change Review can be downloaded by clicking here. It backs the inclusion of transport in carbon emissions trading scheme.
Climate Change & Human Rights This Background Paper from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission provides a rights analysis of the impact of climate change, and demonstrates how a human rights approach to adaptation policies might function.
Garnaut Climate Change Review Interim Report Issued in February
2008, this report indicates that the situation is more serious than had been
previously thought.
Climate Change and Conflict This paper from the Edmund Rice
Centre explores how climate change and conflict are linked.
Reflecting on Earth Hour In its publication Watermark, the
Social Justice Committee of the Conference of Leaders of Religious Institutes
NSW reflects on the experience of ‘Earth Hour’ in which Sydneysiders turned
off lights and electrical appliances for an hour.
Climate Change Podcasts Audio downloads of talks by Don Henry, Michael Raper, Maryanne Loughry and Michael Kelly SJ given as part of the Jesuit Lenten Series are now available from the Loyola Institute website.
Organisations
Catholic Earthcare
Australia
