24 Intercom • September 2015

Laudato Si’Caring for our Common Home

When naming his recentencyclical, Pope Francis tookinspiration from a hymn

written in the 13th century by St Francisof Assisi. However, it was his use of moremodern terminology that really grabbedthe headlines.

Pope Francis’s well-measuredstatements and pronouncements alwaysattract attention but when the Popewarns that the world ‘is beginning tolook more and more like an immense pileof filth’, people really sit up and takenotice.

The unusually strong and directlanguage was reflective of Pope Francis’sexacerbation at the current condition ofour planet and of the likely impacts forlife on earth unless immediate action istaken to address humanity’s currentrelationship with it.

In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis calls foraction at local, national and internationallevels to combat ecological destruction,and in particular the future threat andcurrent reality of climate change. TheEncyclical, which is addressed to ‘everyperson who lives on this planet,’ clearlyaligns the Catholic Church with thegrowing movement calling for urgentchanges to lifestyles and energyconsumption in order to safeguard thefuture of the planet.

Speaking in the strongest terms yet indefence of the environment as ‘ourcommon home’, Pope Francis warns ofthe unprecedented destruction ofecosystems as a result of human activity,clearly outlining the threats to futuregenerations as a result of our actions.

Calling for an ‘integral ecology’, PopeFrancis underscores the human roots ofthe current ecological crisis in social,political and economic structures. Hepoints to the need for a radical shift indirection in political and economicpriorities in order to meet the needs ofthe poorest, while also warning that ourcurrent lifestyles and consumptionpatterns are unsustainable.

The Encyclical, which is one of themost important Church documents in ageneration, should mark a turning pointin the global response to environmentaljustice, and particularly climate change.It is a powerful wake-up call to a worldsleep-walking into disaster. Pope Francishas clearly aligned the Catholic Churchwith calls for urgent political action toreduce carbon emissions and set theworld on the path to a sustainablefuture.

Trócaire is dealing with theconsequences of climate change on adaily basis. Drought, flooding, stormsand forced migration are all on the rise.Although we are insulated from theworst impacts in Ireland, we must notforget that hundreds of millions ofpeople around the world are strugglingto survive in great part due to thechanging climate.

The release of the Pope’s encyclical wasextremely timely. 2015 is a vital year forthe future of our planet, with a numberof extremely important internationalsummits taking place.

In September the UN hosts theSustainable Development Goals summit,

which will outline global anti-povertypriority areas. Climate change is set tofeature highly on the list in recognitionof the fact that it is a dominant driver ofpoverty across the developing world. That meeting will be followed inDecember by a meeting of world leadersin Paris at the UN Climate Summit. Withexperts warning that the window foraction is rapidly closing, we needpoliticians in December to take the bravesteps necessary for progress to avoid theworst effects of climate change.

Through his recent encyclical, PopeFrancis has added the voice of the globalCatholic Church to the calls foragreement on a legally-bindingframework to decarbonise our societiesas a matter of urgency.

At a recent conference in Maynoothorganised by Trócaire, MaynoothUniversity and St Patrick’s College,experts and scientists clearly outlinedthe dangers of doing nothing. Professor Jean Pascal van Ypersele, Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel onClimate Change (IPCC), warned that

25Intercom • September 2015

levels of carbon in the atmosphere todayare unprecedented. The Professoroutlined how for 800,000 years thelevels of carbon in the atmosphere variedbetween 180-280 parts per million (ppm)but now stands at 400ppm.

Professor van Ypersele described the‘hidden message’ of the IPCC reports asbeing the complete lack of political willto tackle an issue that presents a threatto all forms of life on earth. Limitingglobal temperature rises to 2 degreesCelsius would be an enormous challengegiven that two-thirds of the level ofcarbon compatible with restrictingtemperature rises to 2 degrees hasalready been emitted, he said.

Bishop Theotonius Gomes, AuxiliaryBishop of Dhaka in Bangladesh, outlinedthe threats facing his country as a resultof climate change. It is estimated that aone metre sea level rise would displace30 million people in Bangladesh. BishopGomes warned, ‘we will have to returnmuch of Bangladesh to the sea’ unlessthere is an urgent change in attitudes totackling the climate problem.

‘We must face the reality thatindustrial activity is disturbing masses ofpeople in places like Bangladesh,’ saidBishop Gomes.

Father Sean McDonagh spoke aboutthe ecological impacts of climatechange, warning that vast numbers ofspecies are going extinct as a directresult of human behaviour. Father Seanquoted research published recentlywhich showed that the earth is currentlyexperiencing its sixth extinction phase.He warned that humanity was changingthe planet faster than evolution couldadapt, which was driving vast numbersof species into extinction.

The science on climate change isalready clear. Pope Francis has nowclearly outlined the moral and spiritualarguments for taking action. ThisEncyclical tackles the lethargy that is feltby many people when faced with thismost pressing of crises. Pope Francismakes clear that everything is inter-connected. We are custodians of thisplanet and we have a clear moralobligation to ensure that everyone hasaccess to its abundant resources, andthat we hand it to future generations in acondition that is compatible with life.

For further information please visittrocaire.org/climatejustice

Éamonn MeehanTrócaire

Practical Ideas for an Irish Church response

In 2014, the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference issued The Cry of theEarth, a pastoral reflection on climate change. In this document theBishops noted: ‘in addressing the challenge of climate change, everyonehas a part to play. Every action taken in favour of a just and moresustainable environment, no matter how small, has an intrinsic value.Action at a global level, as well as every individual action whichcontributes to integral human development and global solidarity, helpsto construct a more sustainable environment and, therefore, a betterworld.’

Trócaire issued Glas, a pastoral resource, to accompany The Cry of theEarth. This resource has been distributed to parishes throughout Irelandin order to give communities ideas of practical steps that can be taken topromote a healthy environment.

The Glas resource contains practical steps parishes can take towardsfostering a greater spirit of care for our planet. These include:

• Form a group within your parish to examine the implications ofLaudato Si’.

• Suggest that your parish pastoral council should have anenvironmental officer.

• Hold a parish Novena / Mission during September or October focusedon the theme of ‘creation and climate justice’.

• Invite the local primary school to share their ‘green school’ story tosee what you can learn from their initiatives.

• Invite a Trócaire speaker to your parish to give an insight of howclimate change isimpacting the world.

• Screen ‘A Drop In TheOcean’, Trócaire’s shortdocumentary on climatechange(trocaire.org/drop).

• Work with your localtown council to look atenvironmental issues inyour community.

• Create an eco-space inyour parish wherepeople can enjoy thebeauty of nature.

• Study passages ofscripture that deal withenvironmental issues.These includeColossians 1:16-17, John1:3, Isaiah 43:20-21, Job12:7-10, Psalm 104 andPsalm 54.