Ksj writers forum august 2015

AUGUST 2015AUGUST 2015 Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg.02Pg.02

ope Francis reading the signs of the time,

has felt the need of reminding the faithful Pand the whole world about the state of our

mother earth. He has given a wake-up call through

the Encyclical 'Laudato Si' to help humanity

understand the destruction we are causing to our

mother earth.

The Care for Our Common Home remains the main

theme of this encyclical.

The Pope bearing the name of Francis Assisi,

recollects his words and says, “In this Encyclical, I

would like to enter into dialogue with all people

about our common home”. With all the pollution and

destruction all-

a r o u n d h e

questions as to

how we are

s h a p i n g t h e

future of our

planet . This

r e m a i n s a

major concern as it affects us all.

This concern for our common home is a

concern of all, and hence needs to be discussed

through a dialogue. The Pope presses those in the

Church and also those outside for an immediate

dialogue.

The ecological crisis needs to be addressed in a more

profound way. It needs an interior conversion. The

Pope also acknowledges that not all cooperate in this

process: some criticize and some others remain

passive. So all these need an 'ecological conversion',

wherein the effect of our relationship with Jesus

Christ is seen in our relationship with nature and the

world around.

Hence 'protecting our common home', is not an

optional task, but our duty, our vocation. We are all

stewards called to protect and preserve our mother

earth.

The earth with all its resources is a precious

gift, which existed before us. But very often we have

misinterpreted the scripture. When we were created,

we were given dominion over this creation. But this

dominion has been misused by humans for their

selfish purposes. God ordered them to 'Till the earth,'

meaning cultivate and be the 'keepers of the earth,'

that is, to care for, and to protect it. This demands a

mutual relationship between human beings and

nature. Besides

that, they have

to realize that

one has to use

the resources of

this earth for

one's need and

not for one's

greed, thus preserving the earth for the forthcoming

generations.

If this earth has to be preserved for the future,

many things have to change, beginning with human

beings. This can be ensured only when we have the

awareness of our common origin, mutual belonging

and of a future to be shared with everyone. This will

help us develop new convictions, attitudes and new

forms of life.

In this issue of Writers' Forum on Pope

Francis' encyclical, 'Laudato Si', quite a few writers

have tried to critique it and some have expressed their

opinion on this encyclical. Enjoy reading this issue.

EDITORIAL

EDITORIAL

Vishwas Misquith SJVishwas Misquith SJ

CARE FOR OUR COMMON HOMECARE FOR OUR COMMON HOME

POPULAR ECOLOGISMPOPULAR ECOLOGISMLumnesh Swaroop SJLumnesh Swaroop SJ

Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg.03Pg.03

Introduction

In recent days ecologism or environmentalism is

viewed as a popular agenda for many organizations.

Ecological issues are grave and intense. After the

Stockholm Conference in the 1970's, (an

international conference of world leaders which

discussed human solidarity and ecology), countries

of the world realized the importance more than ever

to tackle the growing environmental problems.

Industrializatio

n has left the

w o r l d n o t

economically

r i c h b u t

eco log ica l l y

poor. In this

p r o c e s s o f

c o m b a t i n g

v a r i o u s

environmental

issues many

people came to

b e

revolutionary

ecologists or

environmentali

sts. It gave rise to the emergence of various NGO's

and other governmental organizations working for

these issues. Environmental awareness, and many

other initiative programmes were started by both

governmental and non-governmental organizations

throughout the world. Many countries came up with

policies which are yet to be implemented;

conferences of world leaders every year (COP) are

also being held to discuss and deliberate on

ecological issues and to arrive at feasible action

plans. Meanwhile, some parties and organizations

have taken possible gain out of the issue.

Popular Ecologism brings to light various problems

that surround ecology. like Politics of Ecology,

Pseudo-development, and Business of Sustainable

Development, which is often a mirage.

Mirage

Ÿ Politics of Ecology

Most political decisions made in democracies result

from bargaining, accommodation and compromise

a m o n g

leaders of

competin

g elites, or

p o w e r

brokers .

T h e

disadvant

a g e o f

deliberate

design for

s tabi l i ty

i s t h a t

democrati

c governments tend to react to crises instead of

acting to prevent them. In other words, the emphasis

is on narrow, short-sighted approach instead of the

broad (holistic), long–sighted approach needed to

deal with environmental problems.

Ecological concerns in the recent past are

used in electoral manifestos of many political

parties in the West. There is also emergence of green

political parties. These indeed promote awareness

on ecological issues, but most of the time it is

misused by the politicians. Ecology is used to gain

vote banks by the politicians.

AUGUST 2015AUGUST 2015

Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg. 04 Pg. 04

Major decisions taken by the leaders of the

developed countries as well as the developing

countries are all with hidden agenda of keeping their

party in power. Thus many ecological issues are

suppressed and shoved to the corner. The actual

problems as well as the solutions never emerge in

any national or international conference regarding

ecology. Green political parties at times like any

other political party play their game of deceiving

people in the name of protecting and saving nature,

but when they come to power they do not save

ecology, but only

their economy.

Here we must be

clear that ecology

and economy are

not contradictory,

b u t

complementary.

Ecology is

used in politics for

political agendas;

hence it is not

p o l i t i c s f o r

e c o l o g y , b u t

politics of ecology.

We see ecological

issues arising in the

recent electoral campaigns of developed countries,

the term ecology being played off and a neo-

anthropocentric approach creeping in. It is

anthropocentrism in the guise of biocentrism.

“Politicians use researchers and experts to publish

conclusions which are highly compatible with

continued economic growth.” Politics thus remains

a mirage.

Business of Sustainable Development

In 1987, the World Commission on Environment

and Development defined and elaborated the

concept of sustainable development. The report

states that the limiting factor for sustainable

development is not the state of technology or social

organization, but the inability of the biosphere to

sustain human activities. Thus sustainable

development is “Development that meets the needs

of the present without compromising the ability of

future generations to meet their own needs.”

Many feel sustainable

development is the better

option and alternative to

ecological issues, but in reality

it has become a business. The

idea of bringing in new

employment opportunities to

the poor which at times is not

compatible with their culture

and tradition makes them face

more problems. For example,

the people of rural India who

a l w a y s d e p e n d e d o n

agriculture for their survival

have to give away their land to

the multinational companies,

highway projects or SEZ's;

then they are forced to migrate and look for jobs in

the cities which could be in construction firms as

coolies or as daily wage labourers.

Some more examples of how sustainable

development and equity issue have become a

business with mere economic outcome as a goal are

as follows.

POPULAR ECOLOGISMPOPULAR ECOLOGISMLumnesh Swaroop SJLumnesh Swaroop SJContd. from pg. 3Contd. from pg. 3


Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg.05Pg.05

· The UNDP (United Nations Development

Programme) –inspired 'mainstreaming of human

rights mission' envisioning the rising of a billion-

dollar proposal for the Global Sustainable

Development facility, stands already subscribed to

by way of seed money from some of the most

egregious multinational enterprise corporate

human rights offenders.

Sustainable development is now a business; it is

used to cater to the needs of the elite and capitalists.

It is a disguise.

Chameleons of Ecology

NGO's are another place where ecologism is just

seen as a means of occupation or popularity. In the

r e c e n t p a s t a

number of NGO's

(not all) have

emerged fighting

f o r v a r i o u s

e c o l o g i c a l

concerns . The

c r e d i b i l i t y o f

many of these

NGO's who often

get funds from

v e r y m a n y

countries or from

the government is

questioned. Some

of them use the

funds, prepare a

report that could satisfy the country which funded or

the department that asked it for and try becoming a

better NGO than the other. Hence ecologism is also

seen as business by some of the NGO's. Manipulated

statistics and contorted scientific and social results

lead to distorted conclusions.

· War against hunger gets transformed

into the 1998 Rome Declaration on the Right

to Food into free market-oriented state and

international management of food security

systems managed by a handful of

multinational food corporations.

· Struggle against homelessness and

shelter, in the 1998 UN Social Summit at

Istanbul becomes a series of mandates

authorizing a whole range of human rights-

violated practices of the construction

industries and urban developers.

'

· Sustainable development' becomes a

double-edged sword of state conducted

corporate

governan

ce in ways

in which

m a s s i v e

p u b l i c

projects,

including

l a r g e

irrigation

projects,

proliferat

e in order

t o

primarily

serve the

infrastructural imperatives of direct foreign

investment and promotion and protection of

corporate governance 'greenwashing

practices'.



Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg. 06Pg. 06

1. Blessed are those whose every act is a prayer for

harmony in the Universe, for they restore the

balance on our planet.

2. Blessed are those

w h o w i s h t o

c o n t r i b u t e

p o s i t i v e l y t o

Mother Earth, for

t h e y s h a l l b e

fruitful.

3. Blessed are those

who love the entire

cosmos, for they

will be connected

a n d

interconnected.

4. Blessed are those who listen to the cry of nature,

for they shall acknowledge the worth of a poor

person.

5. Blessed are those who forgive, for they visualize a

new heaven and a new earth.

6. Blessed are those who love the broken hearted, for

they promote wholeness in

life.

7. Blessed are those who

support the diversity of life,

for they shall live in harmony.

8. Blessed are the stewards of

this Mother Earth, for they

make it a better place for the

future generation to live.

9. Blessed are those who

practise the little way of love,

for they shall be a counter

witness.

10. Blessed are those who are interrelated, for they

promote integral growth.

BEATITUDES OF LAUDATO SIBEATITUDES OF LAUDATO SICyril Castelino SJ Cyril Castelino SJ

which asserts with evidence and calls for a radical

creative action to preserve and protect the

degrading environment. Nevertheless, there is an

emerging popular view of ecology that makes

ecologism mere business and another means of

making money. In the bargain a lot of issues are

s i d e l i n e d a n d s i n c e r e e c o l o g i s t s o r

environmentalists or activists are often blamed.

Apart from the ones mentioned in this paper there

are so many other organizations like the media,

educational institutions, research institutes and

corporate world who offer alternative energy forms,

etc who nowadays use ecologism as economic

opportunity. Ecology is not just a issue now but

gaining popularity; it is not just ecologism but

popular ecologism.

Many come on streets and raise objections to every

developmental project even before analyzing the

causes and effects of it and gain popularity. We are

critical, not cynical, of these efforts of some NGO's

who just work for money using ecology as a means.

However we must admit that there are a good number

of honest and sincere people who commit themselves

to the ecological issues and for the poor who are

affected by it. In this process of fighting for eco-

justice, because of some of these corrupt NGO's or

governmental organizations the truth and the gravity

of ecological issues go buried.

Conclusion

Environmental degradation is a scientifically proved

fact. This is revealed in the IPCC (Intergovernmental

Panel on Climate Change) fourth panel report,



Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg. 07Pg. 07

n the light of 'Laudato Si' the encyclical by

Pope Francis, it is very relevant to ask 'What is Igood governance?' According to Pope Francis,

Everyone who governs must ask themselves two

questions: 'Do I love my people in order to serve

them better? Am I humble and do I listen to

everybody, to diverse opinions in order to choose the

best path?' These

questions shed light

o n t h e i s s u e s

affecting a good

policy making in the

m o d e r n d a y

governance. These

days p rac t ica l ly

every decision of the

g o v e r n m e n t s i s

viewed scrupulously

by the people. The

media is abuzz with

issues of conflict of

interests, corruption

c h a r g e s , b i g

corporate houses influencing the policy decisions of

the governments and the list goes on. And Pope

Francis further asserts it when he says, 'some

economic sectors exercise more power than states

themselves and the responsibility of the

Government for the common good has been lost

sight of. (Laudato Si 196).'

A few days ago in my Facebook page I came

across an alarming statement made by the Chairman

of Nestlé Group, Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, that

“access to water is not a public right.” It is indeed

very shocking because the person who holds such an

opinion is also capable of enforcing it through the

government which such people indirectly control!

The governments are no more than a pawn in

the hands of these few handful of corporate business

entities who decide who would form the government

and the corporate friendly policies. And this

phenomenon can be found everywhere as Pope

Francis himself states, “The failure of global

summits on the environment makes it plain that our

politics are subject to technology and finance. There

a r e t o o

m a n y

s p e c i a l

in teres ts ,

a n d

economic

i n t e r e s t s

easily end

u p

t r u m p i n g

t h e

c o m m o n

good and

manipulati

n g

informatio

n so that their own plans will not be affected”

(Laudato Si 54). The FDI, Land Acquisition, SEZ,

Industrial corridors, Nuclear plants, coal, iron-ore,

gas mining policies etc. are only a few among many

other policies which are being influenced with

relative ease by these corporate houses in India.

The brunt of the corporate friendly policies

is mostly felt by the unopposing marginalized

people and mother earth. As Pope Francis puts it,

“The 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.

CAPITALISTS, GOVERNMENTS,

THE POOR AND THE MOTHER EARTH


THE POOR AND THE MOTHER EARTHHarry Noel Terry SJHarry Noel Terry SJ


O dear mother, how lovely is thy look!

Strong I grew with thy care for me

You showed gardens,

fields and the mighty sea

But now I can't believe

what I see.

Tell me, mamma, who

did it, who did it?!

Now your children, some

rich and others poor,

The rich at the poor like a

lion roar

The poor see nothing but

terror.

My heart groans to see

this horror.

Tell me, mamma, who

did it, who did it?!

How can I tell you, my terrible pain

For my own children used me for lustful gain

Their lust and greed bear I cannot;

An ungrateful is their whole lot

What else can I say,

what else?!

Like a tinsel they sold

me at a cheap rate.

No more beautiful and

loving is now my state

In tears for their

repentance I wait

Hope they don't realize

it too late

What else can I say,

what else?!

Mamma, man took

Science to a great height

But son, soon he lost his heart's sight

And lost his sense to judge what is right

Son, hope now you know who did it.

Pg. 08Pg. 08 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum

Both everyday experience and scientific research

show that the gravest effects of all attacks on the

environment are suffered by the poorest (Laudato Si

48).” In our Indian context we can see this

happening to the poor, dalits and tribals. They are

forcefully displaced due to construction of dams,

factories, mining, townships etc. I wonder why

development has to take place only on the tomb-

stones of the powerless agrarian, tribal and Dalit

masses. Why is that only they have to sacrifice their

land, cultural, social and creative heritages?

In such an unequal and unjust reality I only wish and

pray that, all of us and especially the policy makers

would be able to hear the words of the Creator:

“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you” (Jer

1:5). Hence “each of us is willed, loved, and is

necessary (Laudato Si 65).” May we value the

words of St John Paul II, “God gave the earth to the

whole human race for the sustenance of all its

members, without excluding or favouring anyone

(Laudato Si 93).”


THE POOR AND THE MOTHER EARTH


THE POOR AND THE MOTHER EARTHContd. from pg. 7Contd. from pg. 7 Harry Noel Terry SJHarry Noel Terry SJ

THEY DID ITTHEY DID ITPOEMPOEM

Sandy Gonsalves SJSandy Gonsalves SJ


hat an encyclical! A Signature

encyclical! This was what I Wspontaneously expressed when a

priest briefed us about it and when I read the

reactions of people on June 19, 2015. Then when I

began to read it, I felt that Pope Francis has set a

revolution rolling by speaking about things that

were considered bitter and dare-not-mention by the

world. It has shaken everyone for good.

It is an encyclical flowing from the heart of the Pope

and the Church. It is the

first time a Pope has

b e e n f r a n k a n d

s t r a igh t fo rward in

communicating factors

that lead to the limping

scenar io of unjust

choices that curtail life

promoting steps on the

path to progress and

goodness of humanity.

He has clearly outlined

the need to accept

collective responsibility

for the ecological crisis

beginning with the target group, the global

leadership. The Pope ultimately wants to say that we

are to be God's instruments in the second redemptive

work of Christ on earth. In other words we need to

have ecological conversion to refresh nature anew.

Revolutionary Encyclical:

o He has taken several insights from theologians and

philosophers.

o Several Bishops' conferences and other secular

personalities have been quoted.

o The views have a scientifically verified base.

o It is informative and reflective.

o Many addresses to FAO's are quoted.

o Patriarchs of other churches have been quoted.

Renewed Perspectives of the Church at right

junctures?

Church has spoken outright at key moments th

in history. Towards the end of the 19 century, the

Catholic Church was confronted with the

unprecedented crisis of the brutal impoverishment

of the working

classes in Europe as

a consequence of

t h e I n d u s t r i a l

Revolution. Pope

L e o X I I I ' s

encyclical Rerum

Novarum “On New

Things” , 1891)

e n c o u r a g e d

C a t h o l i c

participation in the

emerging labour

unions of the day. In

1967, when the

global development debate was getting increasingly

disheartening with the distorted model of mere

economic development, Pope Paul VI promulgated

his encyclical Populorum Progressio, “On Human

Development.”

Thus Rerum novarum and Populorum

Progressio are among the great encyclicals of the

Church. But none of them has been so powerful and

effective as this encyclical on ecology, Laudato Si

“Praise be to you My Lord” (an expression from St

Francis' Canticle to the Sun). This is destined to have

the same potential for a movement like the other two

if only all of us co-operate and strive together.

“LAUDATO SI”AN ENCYCLICAL

WHOSE HEART BEATS FOR THE EARTH


WHOSE HEART BEATS FOR THE EARTHLancy Fernandes SJLancy Fernandes SJ

Pg. 09Pg. 09 Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumAUGUST 2015AUGUST 2015

Special features:

Several features have stunned the global leadership.

I wish to highlight a few of them. It focuses on

1) Renewal of Christian perspective: The very title

“Praise be to God” clearly bids every Christian to

the basic purpose of life, namely praise and

reverence to God

A l m i g h t y, f o r

w h i c h w e a r e

c r e a t e d . A

reminder of our

S u n d a y

Catechism?

2) Signals out the

battered Cry: All

t h r o u g h t h e

encyclical the cry

of the poor and cry

o f n a t u r e a r e

p o r t r a y e d i n

unison. She groans

along with the poor

because it is the

poor around us that

are affected most

by the ecological

cr is is . Thus i t

seems that this is a unique encyclical that speaks

for the voiceless and the despised throughout.

3) Going back to the authentic Interpretation of

Genesis: I t clar if ies the manipulated

interpretation of Genesis. All these centuries the

Genesis invitation to fill the earth and subdue it

(gen 1: 28) has been taken as a call to dominate and

manipulate the earth rather than an opportunity

given by God to preserve and protect. (No 66-67)

4) Counter-cultural approach: Over the years,

Christianity's basic problem has been its

anthropocentric worldview – that everything

revolves around man, entirely focused on

humankind and its needs and aspirations, to the

extent of exclusion of all other species and

priorities. It is this

u n c o n s c i o u s

assumption that the

E a r t h e x i s t s f o r

humans and that its

to ta l meaning is

derived from us has

never helped nature's

revival. Thus the

encyclical tries to

propose a cosmo-

cent r ic paradigm

cautioning us not to

m i s t a k e i t f o r

biocentrism.

5) Element of urgency:

It has the element of

urgency with a clear

roadmap for good. It

is calling all people,

g l o b a l l e a d e r s ,

business people and all people of good will to come

up with concrete suggestions for the well-being of

human communities.

6) Calls for radical spirituality: It has made a

clarion call for developing a spirituality of

renewed living. All these years we have looked at

ecology or care for nature as an activity outside

ourselves – to do something, working out with

measures to prevent the crisis.

Pg.10Pg.10 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum




WHOSE HEART BEATS FOR THE EARTHLancy Fernandes SJLancy Fernandes SJContd. from pg. 9Contd. from pg. 9


But the encyclical invites for a serious change of

lifestyle. It advocates simple life-style, that which

helps preserve and care for the resources of the

earth and that which promotes greater justice for

all. The cry of the poor, the exploited, the

marginalized people and planet earth itself, is to be

seen as the voice of God today, stirring us to action

in redeeming the earth.

7) Outspoken

style: The

P o p e h a s

been outright

i n

condemning

t h e

oppress ive

s t r u c t u r e s

and systems

that seem to be clouded with good intentions. He

has highlighted the core issues with hope. The

three major and fundamental issues of today,

namely the rights of the people, oppression of the

poor (common good) and transgenerational justice

are the focal points.

8) Well integrated and reflective: It is a well

integrated and reflective encyclical because it has

pinpointed clearly the ethical and spiritual roots of

the ecological crisis, namely the need to replace

consumption with sacrifice, greed with generosity,

wastefulness with a spirit of sharing (no 9).

Various issues like population explosion,

migration, poverty, pollution, exploitation,

degradation, human trafficking, organized crime,

drug trade etc find their link to the ecological

crisis of today. That there must be no more

compartmentalization is clearly spelt out.

9) Harmony as the goal: It speaks of establishing

harmony through sus ta inable in tegra l

development and change of attitudes. Ex: Climate,

water, biodiversity and distribution of goods (no

23) are exclaimed as elements of common good.

No one ever mentioned them as components of life

that should promote the good of all.

10) Down to earth

Approach: It clearly

highlights the task at

hand, namely to keep up

the dignity of humans in

collaboration with all

people, because God has

conferred it on humans.

Ex: Decline in the

quality of human life (no

43), Global inequality and ecological debt (no 51)

11) Dialogue as a means of change: Human

fulfilment needs politics and economics to

dialogue in order to help fruitfulness of life. Profits

alone must not count but human values for things,

persons and cultures is a must (no 190). Therefore

the encyclical lays emphasis on the need for

farsighted politics.

Conclusion:

Firstly, it is academic, scientific and spiritual in its

content. The model of St Francis Assisi itself is an

attempt to revisit and emphasize the rich Church

tradition and to marvel at the saint's message for the

world even today. The call of St Francis of Assisi for

a mystical vision, offers us the clue to giving equal

importance to all created beings and their

inextricable inter-connectedness and inter-

dependence with humans.





WHOSE HEART BEATS FOR THE EARTHLancy Fernandes SJLancy Fernandes SJContd. from pg. 10Contd. from pg. 10


Give me a chance

To mend my ways

Give me a chance

To care for you always

Remember the day of

creation

It's beyond our imagination

You were the first to exist

From the clay I was created

Please! Give me a chance

To live again

Give me a chance

To love you again

Dependency is part of life

I depended on you more than you

did

But took for granted all your help;

That made me so ungrateful

Give me a chance

I will not do it again

Give me a chance

Mayn't your boundless love go in

vain.

Contd. from pg. 11Contd. from pg. 11


GIVE ME A CHANCEGIVE ME A CHANCE

Secondly, ecological conversion is portrayed as the

only option. It points to the need of a new lifestyle

which involves reverence for life, justice, peace and

a life free from self-absorption and self-

centeredness. This requires that all religions must

dialogue with science and connect humans back to

nature, because nature also has the spirit and the will.

Thirdly, we need a great renewal, the renewal of the

covenant. We need to embrace a higher citizenship,

namely ecological citizenship that reminds us of our

duty to preserve it. It also stresses the need to focus

on aesthetic education.

Fourthly, according to the encyclical, human power

needs to be considered a responsibility rather than an

opportunity to practice dominion (no 105). This

requires that each organism be admired in itself .

Friends, God sent his son to redeem the world from

sin. Now we are called to be saviours to redeem the

earth from its evils. The Earth is our common home

and attack on our home is an attack on Gods' anawin

(the poor). Let us give heed to this invitation to lead

a satisfying life, not a consumerist life, a moral life,

not an unlawful choice based one. In the words of

the Pope, let us contribute to build a civilization of

love – a culture of 'caring,' not just 'using.'

Yes, we are called to sing the praises of God not

alone but along with creation. We are called to gaze

at the universe with awe and wonder as St Francis of

Assisi did. Thus we'll be able to sing with the Eco

Pope the Eco song of the Eco saint of Assisi.





Lancy Fernandes SJLancy Fernandes SJ

Marvin Apose SJMarvin Apose SJPOEMPOEM


EMPTINESS OF HEART,

CAUSE FOR DESTRUCTION

EMPTINESS OF HEART,

CAUSE FOR DESTRUCTION

od created everything beautiful and good.

He blessed everything and gave it to the Gcare of human beings, so that they might

help the earth to blossom. But as sin entered into the

world, due to the emptiness in the heart, humans

began to exploit nature, thinking they would gain

happiness thereby.

T o d a y

l o o k i n g f o r

happiness, we have

landed in a fast-

m o v i n g a n d

consumerist world,

where everything is

instant and fast;

people fail to be

patient. They try to

be as quick as

possible in doing

things, even at the

cost of harming

nature. The present

scenario shows us

that human beings

s e e m t o h a v e

forgotten that they

a r e o n l y t h e

stewards and not the owners of the earth.

Human greed and selfishness have

increased so much so that instead of enjoying God's

beauty in creation we are destroying it by our 'use

and throw culture'. As a result, thousands of species

of animals, birds, insects and plants are getting

extinct. Also there is a drastic change in atmospheric

climate and rise in temperature. This directly affects

the poor and the farmers due to uncertainty of rain.

This was very much evident this year when many

poor people lost their lives due to rise in temperature.

Moving on to the issue of water and air, industries and

excessive use of fossil fuels, we find the effect of the

polluted air and water is mainly on the poor and the

people living in slums.

D u e t o

increase in the

emission of green

house gases, the

s e a l e v e l i s

increasing. This

directly affects

t h e p o o r

fishermen and the

people in the

coastal area in

general. And one-

fourth of the total

population lives

in the coastal

area. By their

i r r e s p o n s i b l e

activities human

b e i n g s a r e

damaging and

destroying not

o n l y m o t h e r

earth, but themselves and others too.

Tired of bearing all such abuses, mother earth along

with her poor children is crying out for help. We can

help to improve this situation only if we realize that

“God is the source of all happiness,” and we change

our lifestyle, the role of production and consumption.

By doing this, at least what is existing and is on the

verge of destruction can be saved and the future

generation may be able to praise God for it.

Larren Joy Menezes SJLarren Joy Menezes SJ


he environment and the poor have one thing

in common: They are de-fence-less. Be a Tfence when the poor and environment are

de-fenced.”

This is a strong feeling I had when I read the

encyclical. The holy father says the young people

who demand change, “...wonder how anyone can

claim to be

bu i ld ing a

better future

w i t h o u t

thinking of

t h e

environmenta

l crisis and the

sufferings of

t h e

excluded,”[1]

This wonder

in the minds

of the youth

shows that

there is an indelible link between the environment

and the poor.

In view of this statement one dominant

common element I see between the poor and the

environment is that they are defenceless. The word

defenceless, 'de-fenced,' 'fence-less, 'which means

they are left without any boundary, and unprotected.

The following adjectives weak, frail, powerless,

unprotected, unarmed, exposed, unguarded,

vulnerable, helpless, fragile, delicate, isolated, at

risk, etc., will support the word defenceless. These

words are but a broad perspective of the injustice

done to them, and they cry out for justice.

In their defencelessness they are caught up in the

web of global inequality. The inequality on the one

hand exploits the environmental resources for the

sake of the rich, leaving the poor empty handed. The

resources further make the lives of the rich secure

while leaving the poor insecure. This disparity

arisen from the inequality has totally downtrodden

the poor and deprived them of the resources which

belong to

t h e m

e q u a l l y .

Therefore a

t r u e

ecological

approach is

a s o c i a l

approach[2

] w h e r e

o n l y

equality in

t e r m s o f

r e s o u r c e s

will bring in

a balance

between the rich and the poor.

In the wake of this catastrophe, Laudato si is

a song of praise. It has come in favour of the lowly

and the defenceless. It is a clarion call to introspect

our stand with respect to the care for the

environment and the poor. The manifesto of Jesus

calls each one of us to a metanoia, a change of heart

where we become the fence i.e. the protectors of the

poor, to bring in justice and equality among all

people of God to live in a world full of caring and

sharing.

ENVIRONMENT AND THE POOR:

DE-FENSE-LESS

ENVIRONMENT AND THE POOR:

DE-FENSE-LESSRoyston Madtha SJRoyston Madtha SJ


n Encyclical is a Teaching Document

issued by the Pope. This is the second AEncyclical written by Pope Francis,

coming after Lumen Fidei. It is the only Encyclical

devoted to Environment All previous Encyclicals

were addressed to Bishops, Priests, Religious or

Catholic Faithful unlike this one addressed to Every

Person on the Planet –

Catholics are only a

minority… [3] Including a

brief introduction, the

document comprises six

chapters and the document

c o n c l u d e s w i t h t w o

prayers, one that can be

said by all who believe in

God as the all powerful

Creator, and the other

m e a n t t o b e s a i d

specifically by Christians.

The method that the Pope

uses through this encyclical

is different from the ones

used by his predecessors.

From an otherwise deductive approach the Pope

turns to an inductive one. Through this remarkable

breakthrough he shows to us how a true shepherd

knows the smell of his sheep and that is what matters

most to him. This article contains ten points of

critical appraisal of 'Laudato Si.’

Firstly, I was captivated by the concept of

Ecological Debt [50] that the Pope brings in. In a nut

shell it states that the Northern Hemisphere on the

map of the world which comprises mostly the so

called first world countries which indeed are

developed; they are ecologically indebted to the

South.

This smells good news for the poor and bad news for

the affluent; however are there any takers for it? If

the Pope were to have his way, he would transform

the world of the haves to care for the have-nots.

Secondly, preaching the message of equality itself is

counter cultural. It is dead against profit making and

power structures; it smells bad news to those who

want to dominate and

take control, and if this

message has to go

across, a lot of hearts

have to be won over, a

lot of ways have to

change , a l o t o f

personal ego has to go

away. It means that we

have to develop a

newer attitude and

newer convictions that

can enhance the quality

of life. [232]This is the

c h a l l e n g e t h e

encyclical offers.

Thirdly, moving into newer paradigms [16,

203] involves a conscious slowing down, a

responsible reflection, breaking down existing

structures, even sacrificing to a large extent the pace

with which we progress. This would mean we have

to redefine a lot of things and create newer

definitions to replace the existing ones.

Fourthly, the poor who find a mention about

60 odd times in the encyclical are the insignificant,

the oppressed, the unemployed, the migrants and the

anawim, and a lot of importance has been given to

them. Pope Francis gives a voice to the voiceless

poor and reaches out to them to hear their cry [49].

Ryan Rodrigues SJRyan Rodrigues SJ

A CRITICAL APPRAISAL ON 'LAUDATO SI'A CRITICAL APPRAISAL ON 'LAUDATO SI'


Eighthly, the human being is at the centre of this

encyclical because it is human inhabitation that adds

life to this planet and life to the full [223]. The

human being is that rational entity existing here,

who must do something so that we can make a better

world. In the words of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin,

w e a r e a l l

invited to march

together to that

omega point,

the u l t imate

destiny which is

awaiting us. It is

an invitation to

us to set right

o u r

re la t ionships

with God, with

ourselves, with

one another and

with creation. Then we can surely march forward.

Ninthly, the hallmark of Christian

Spirituality is to be happy with a little. It is not to be

mistaken for being happy with mediocrity, rather to

be satisfied with whatever little one has [222]. The

less is more. It invites us to grow in simplicity, to be

grateful for every opportunity that life throws up to

us and not to succumb to sadness for what we lack.

Lastly, integration is the central message of

this document [137 – 162]. This document invites us

to integrate our lives, our work, our prayer and our

environment, not forgetting the insignificant, the

poor and the unwanted in society. Together we can

take charge to build our common home. [244]. It is

possible that we do not grasp the reality that is before

us [105], yet let's wake up.

Fifthly, this encyclical is multi-dimensional in

nature. It calls for an interdependent approach to

reality [164]. Therefore there is something in this

encyclical for an ecologist, an ethicist, a cultural

enthusiast, a spiritual guru, an economic giant and,

of course, for a moralist. Pope Francis reiterates that

we are all

related to

one another

a n d i t i s

mother earth

that binds us

together.

Sixthly, this

encycl ica l

invites us to

a dialogue at

the level of

Science and

R e l i g i o n

[ 6 2 ] . We

have come across the age-old saying of Einstein,

“Science does not need Religion, neither does

Religion need Science, but we humans need both.”

The concern for our mother earth can lead to a

fruitful dialogue between Science and Religion in

their respective spheres and through their own ways.

Seventhly, we see a dichotomy in our world

today. The poor and the rich, the powerful and the

weak, the haves and the have-nots etc; this is the

order of the day. This is what drives society forward.

We cannot think of an absolute classlessness, for that

would be too idealistic and not even practical.

However this encyclical brings in an opportunity to

restore hope [78, 210] and wholeness, diminish

oppression and uphold dignity.


Contd. from pg. 15Contd. from pg. 15

A CRITICAL APPRAISAL ON 'LAUDATO SI'A CRITICAL APPRAISAL ON 'LAUDATO SI'Ryan Rodrigues SJRyan Rodrigues SJ


He has forgotten that his clothing and shelter are all

from nature. Truly man is a dependent creature.

According to the biblical adage, the life span of a

human being is three score and ten, i.e,.70 years.

Now, however, the life span of a human being is

decreased considerably to 60 or even 50. If a man

crosses this age, it is a miracle.

So, my dear friends, go and speak to nature,

listen to her

g r o a n i n g .

She is crying

e v e r y d a y

and fighting

for her right

to live. As

you expect

freedom to

live your life

happily, in

t h e s a m e

way allow

t h e s a m e

jus t i ce to

nature. God

has created

everything good. As saint Francis and St. Ignatius

said, all creatures are our brothers and sisters

Take some initiative regarding this.

Remember that nature is your mother. When you

were a small child, your mother nourished you.

Nature, your mother, helped you in your growth.

Finally, keep clean your surroundings. Do not use

plastics, and dissuade others too from using them.

Keep your things and your surroundings clean and in

order. Thus you will prove a great consolation to

mother earth.

ature never did betray the heart that

loved her.” Tintern AbbeyN God is the fundamental ruler and the

creator of the earth, the sky, the stars, the moon, the

sun, water, fire, the trees and the plants, the different

species of animals and birds, the insects and human

beings and

every other

creature. All

are touched

b y H i s

loving hands

and all live

by His life.

When God

c r e a t e d

h u m a n

beings, He

created them

e n d o w e d

w i t h

knowledge.

They could reason out and take care of His creatures.

Thus, they could give Him praise, reverence and

service. Man also received the grace and power to

give life and to cultivate his own qualities. Man,

however, was often more ungrateful than grateful to

God. He is sometimes selfish, greedy for power and

authority. He does not take responsibility for his

behaviour and actions. He seeks a comfortable life.

Rather than becoming a faithful servant of God, he is

dominating and senselessly destroying nature and

polluting it regularly.


NATURE IS OUR MOTHER NATURE IS OUR MOTHER Sunil Kumar SJSunil Kumar SJ


ope Francis' Encyclical 'Laudato Si: On

Care for our Common Home' was thPreleased on June 18 . In the opening

statements to the Encyclical, Pope Francis makes his

intention clear “to address every person living on

this planet” (#3). He says “this sister (mother earth)

now cries out to us because of the harm we have

inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse

of the goods with which God has endowed her. We

have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters,

entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present

in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the

symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water,

in the air and in all forms of life” (#2).

I n

the first

Chapter,

he states

that “we

c a n n o t

adequatel

y combat

environm

e n t a l

degradation unless we attend to causes related to

human and social degradation” (#48); he deals here

with several “aspects of the present ecological

crisis”: pollution, waste and the throw-away

culture; climate as a common good; displacement

and migration caused by environmental

degradation; access to safe drinking water as a basic

and universal human right; loss of bio-diversity;

decline in the quality of human life and break down

of society; global inequality. He also denounces

pesticides and genetically engineered (GE) crops.

Pope Francis blatantly notes that “the earth's

resources are also being plundered because of

short-sighted approaches to the economy,

commerce and production” (#32). In making such

statements, in taking a stand for the 'care of our

common home', Pope Francis has indeed created

several enemies among the rich and powerful, the

vested interests and those who are bent on

profiteering by plundering very precious and scarce

natural resources. This is indicative from the fact

that a new Gallup Poll conducted in the United

States after the Encyclical was released shows that

his ratings had dropped by more than 18% points

among fairly large sections of Americans and

particularly

the rich and

t h e

conservativ

es.

B u t

P o p e

F r a n c i s

c e r t a i n l y

d o e s n o t

care. Throughout the Encyclical, he has been

insisting that we have been called to be stewards of

the creation God has entrusted to us. He ensures that

'Laudato Si' focuses on human rights violations and

injustices. He does not mince words when he says

“in the present condition of global society, where

injustices abound and growing numbers of people

are deprived of basic human rights and considered

expendable, committing oneself to the common good

means to make choices in solidarity based on a

preferential option for the poorest of our brothers

and sisters” (#158).

Fr. Cedric Prakash SJFr. Cedric Prakash SJ

'LAUDATO SI': POPE CHALLENGES

THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY!




GUEST

CLUM

NGUEST

CLUM

N


What is needed ultimately, emphasizes Pope

Francis, is a radical commitment to ensure that

positive change which is the need of the hour. For

this he says, every section of society must play a

definite role. The Pope does not spare the priests of

the Catholic Church and he calls upon them to

engage with the faithful on environmental issues. He

calls upon international and national Governments

and mechanisms: “the same mindset which stands in

the way of making radical decisions to reverse the

trend of global warming also stands in the way of

achieving the goal of eliminating poverty. A more

responsible overall approach is needed to deal with

both problems: the reduction of pollution and the

development of poorer countries and regions”

(#175)

There is always the danger that several

would like to keep 'Laudato Si' at the level of

cosmeticization; to tinker with bits and parts, to be

selective and comfortable in its reading; but

'Laudato Si' is indeed path-breaking, radical in

nature, it makes one uncomfortable and touches

every single dimension of our human existence. The

Pope invites all to an ecological conversion, to

change directions so that we can truly care for our

common home; he challenges all: “what kind of

world do we want to leave to those who come after

us, to children who are now growing up?” (#160).

Not to pay heed to Pope Francis' prophetic words, to

rubbish this timely and important message or to

relegate it to mere tree-planting would certainly be a

great disservice not to the Pope but to Planet Earth!

(* Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of

PRASHANT, the Ahmedabad-based Jesuit Centre

for Human Rights, Justice and Peace.)





THE WHOLE OF HUMANITY!Fr. Cedric Prakash SJFr. Cedric Prakash SJContd. from pg. 18Contd. from pg. 18


Every being is created,

In tuning with the voice of God,

Yes! Everything is awesome and good,

Even sometimes far beyond imaginations

can blend.

Everything grew with the notion of being

intertwined ,

And had enough and more than one's need,

It was like a real Kingdom of God,

Where everything was loved and dignified.

As human mind evolved,

Did anyone think of cancerous selfish

greed?

Of course! Everything is grabbed,

To feed one's consumerism weed.

Though whole world is globalized,

Gap between races not a bit lessened,

Corruption and mutilation is doubled,

Still worse! Millions die sans food.

With air and water highly polluted,

Sewage gives stench and is overfilled,

You know now why diseases have

increased,

Alas! Future generation is fully threatened.

Come on... wake up your inside world,

Let's change our attitude,

It's a dwelling place with mutual care,

Where everyone goodwill and love shares.

BEFRIENDING THE UNIVERSE!!!BEFRIENDING THE UNIVERSE!!!Prashanth Saldanha SJPrashanth Saldanha SJ

POEMPOEM

AUGUST 2015AUGUST 2015 Pg.20Pg.20 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum

TOWARDS AN 'INTEGRAL ECOLOGY’

Religions have played a great role in the

development of nations. In this sense the encyclical

Laudato Si can contribute positively to the global

debate on ecological crisis. We are aware that this

crisis is extremely serious.

Pope Francis highlights in particular, the

irreversible changes that the lifestyle and the

production of the richest inflict on the bio-diversity

and eco system, which is at the same time fragile and

precious. Pope underscores that most affected due to

these changes are the poor. Thus he feels that the rich

North has an Ecological debt towards the poor

South.

This makes us conscious that the ecological

disorder is largely due to the irresponsible human

activity in the nature. It is the 'throw away' culture of

human beings of today is the cause for this disaster.

Science and technology, economy based on

production and consumption without limit are the

important evils at the root of this problem. Thus,

Pope calls us to progress towards a humanity

reconciled with itself and with creation.

Above all, Pope invites Christians and Non-

Christians to live a relational anthropology, where

the humanity is called to distance itself from the

misinterpreted Biblical vision of man as 'master'

and owner of nature and is rather invited to be the

'guardian' of it.

Each and every one is called therefore to

play their role in favour of an 'integral ecology', that

ecology which deeply touches our lives, our

civilization, our ways of acting and our thoughts.

SCHOLASTICS’ OPINIONSCHOLASTICS’ OPINION

Pg.21Pg.21 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum

Through this 'integral ecology' we can hope for a just

world wherein we live in harmony with the creation

and respect the poor.

MY OPINIONPope Francis, from the time of his election, has

never ceased to surprise us and at the same challenge

us. The Encyclical Laudate Si is one such surprise and

challenge that he has offered to the humanity. For a

very long time the Church did not show much interest

to address the issue of ecology. We needed someone

to tell the world that the care of our cosmic home is the

responsibility of everyone, including the Church.

Pope Francis in this Encyclical identifies the agents

that are causing the degradation of the environment

and he offers concrete suggestions to heal the wound.

He clarifies that he is not at all against technology; in

fact, he acknowledges the tremendous contributions

that the technology has brought into the world. At the

same time, he subtly points out its negative effects as

well. It is our home and it is our responsibility to

protect it. We can no longer be indifferent to our

reality. There is a need for paradigm shift from

anthropocentrism to cosmocentrism. In my opinion,

this Encyclical has raised many relevant questions,

which many did not want to raise and it has proposed a

way of proceeding. It is the right time that the entire

humanity joins this task of caring and protecting our

home.

Alwyn D’Souza SJ Alwyn D’Souza SJ

Praveen Kumar SJPraveen Kumar SJ


'LAUDATO SI'- A GUIDE TO HEAL THE EARTH

As our mother earth has turned out to be a

laboratory for un-reflected and selfish experiments,

it has become a dumping yard for human beings. Due

to which, the increase in pollution level has

adversely affected the health of millions of the poor.

Today, more than ever the 'throw away' culture has

become part of us. The unborn are treated with

indifference. Huge populations have little access to

clean drinking water and thousands of animal

species are permitted to fall into extinction and the

list goes on… Laudato Si is a fitting and apt response

to the context, by the church. It is a well-integrated

encyclical. I appreciate the healthy blend of insights

from theology and spirituality, human and physical

sciences, with an appealing lively secular language

and practical suggestions. I wish that this encyclical

may not remain a mere document in our libraries,

but a practical guide for those who are victims of

consumeristic culture.

WAKE UP With “Laudato si” I think, once again The

Holy Spirit is working in the Church which is

responding to the signs of our times very critically

and radically. Pope Francis has yet again given the

world the wake up call on saving The Earth for the

welbeing of us and our future generations with the

sense of 'now or never'. After all, Nature is our

mother and we all love our mothers is'nt it? Cheers…

to that Papa!

SCHOLASTICS’ OPINIONSCHOLASTICS’ OPINION

Dheeraj D'Souza SJDheeraj D'Souza SJ

Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg.22Pg.22AUGUST 2015AUGUST 2015

Joseph Vaz SJ Joseph Vaz SJ

Youth Gathering Vidyaniketan

Youth Gathering Vidyaniketan

“YUVA”“YUVA”