In the Beginning

Genesis tells us that when the act of creation was finished God saw how good it was. The goodness that pervades all of nature “reveals the mystery of God who created and sustains it.” And by entering into communication with nature, we begin to understand “its rich and symbolic meaning…allowing us to enter into its realm of mystery…This realm opens the path of man to God, Creator of heaven and earth.”

(Paragraph #487 of the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, Chapter X, © Copyright 2004 Libreria Editrice Vaticana, Reprinted April 2005)

The church teaches us that nature plays an important role in our search for God. When we truly connect with nature, we have in some mysterious way found and connected with God. Yet, on the other hand, if we humans reject the presence of God in creation, “nature is stripped of its profound meaning and impoverished.” Devoid of its true meaning nature is then simply something to be exploited for its riches.

It is with these essential truths that we begin to see why the church places so much emphasis on “safeguarding the environment” in its recently released Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church.

In this article I will attempt to simply outline the major elements of the Compendium’s statements on the environment and highlight some of the critical teachings.

Biblical Aspects

Scripture reveals the relationships humans have with nature:

• God made all of creation, but only humans are made in God’s image. (#451)

Read It Yourself



Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church

 

• Humans are part of creation but they also take on duties to help make something of it. (#451)
• God “entrusted all of creation to their responsibility, charging them to care for its harmony and development.” (#451)
• Nature “is always an object of praise in Israel’s prayer.” (#452)
• God enters creation in the person of Jesus, the Son of God. (#453)
• “The whole of creation participates in the renewal flowing from the Lord's Paschal Mystery.” (#455)

Humans and the Universe of Created Things

The biblical vision inspires the behavior of Christians in relation to their use of the Earth, and also with regard to the advances of science and technology:

• Today, “especially with the help of science and technology, man has extended his mastery over nearly the whole of nature and continues to do so.” (#456)
• The results of science and technology are, in themselves, positive, when truly “used in the service of humanity.” (#458)
• “We cannot interfere in one area of the ecosystem without paying due attention both to the consequences of such interference in other areas and to the well-being of future generations.” (#459)
• In acting contrary to the good of nature, “instead of carrying out his role as a co-operator with God in the work of creation, man sets himself up in place of God.” (#460)

The Crisis in the Relationship between Humans and the Environment

Because of the powerful means of transformation offered by technological civilization, it sometimes seems that the balance between man and the environment has reached a critical point:

• The consumer culture mistakenly sees “an infinite quantity of energy and resources are available, that it is possible to renew them quickly, and that the negative effects of the exploitation of the natural order can be easily absorbed.” (#462)
• “With the progress of science and technology, questions as to their meaning increase and give rise to an ever greater need to respect the transcendent dimension of the human person and creation itself.” (#462)
• “Christian culture has always recognized the creatures that surround man as also gifts of God to be nurtured and safeguarded with a sense of gratitude to the Creator.” (#464)
• Humans have a responsibility “for the preservation of a sound and healthy environment for all.” (#465)

A Common Responsibility

Care for the environment represents a challenge for all of humanity. It is a matter of a common and universal duty, that of respecting a common good:

• “Responsibility for the environment, the common heritage of mankind, extends not only to present needs but also to those of the future.” (#467)
• Governments have responsibilities to care for the environment on the part of all. (#468)
• “An economy respectful of the environment will not have the maximization of profits as its only objective, because environmental protection cannot be assured solely on the basis of financial calculations of costs and benefits.” (#470)
• “The new possibilities offered by current biological and biogenetic techniques are a source of hope and enthusiasm on the one hand, and of alarm and hostility on the other.” (#472)
• “Entrepreneurs and directors of public agencies involved in the research, production and selling of products derived from new biotechnologies must take into account not only legitimate profit but also the common good.” (#478)
• “The environmental crisis and poverty are connected by a complex and dramatic set of causes that can be resolved by the principle of the universal destination of goods, which offers a fundamental moral and cultural orientation.” (#482)
• “Serious ecological problems call for an effective change of mentality leading to the adoption of new lifestyles, in which the quest for truth, beauty, goodness and communion with others for the sake of the common good are the factors that determine consumer choices, savings and investments.” (#486)

Catholic teachings on social justice have never been easy for society to accept and live by. The same is true with what the church is saying about protecting the environment and safeguarding nature. Many Catholics will find some of what the church teaches on the environment difficult to accept. But other non-Catholic faiths, governments, and secular organizations applaud the stand the church has taken on environmental issues. Instructing our young people on these important principles will strengthen the Catholic Church’s voice in protecting God’s creation.