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Pope Francis Urges Humanity to Cultivate and Care for Creation, Not Money June 6th, 2013
Pope Francis dedicated the catechesis of Wednesday morning’s general audience to the environment, noting that June 5th is World Environment Day promoted by the United Nations. The following is the summary of his address. The full text of the Pope’s catechesis is available in the link given below.
“When we speak of the environment, of creation, my thoughts go to the first pages of the Bible, to the Book of Genesis, where it is affirms that God puts man and woman on earth ‘to cultivate and care for it’. And the question comes to me:” the Pope said to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square, “What does it mean to cultivate and care for the earth? Are we truly cultivating and caring for creation? Or are we exploiting and neglecting it?”
“Cultivating and caring for creation,” explained the Holy Father, “is God’s indication, given not only at the beginning of history, but to each one of us. It is part of his plan. It means responsibly making the world grow, transforming it so that it becomes a garden, a place that all can inhabit.”
“Benedict XVI recalled many times that this tasked entrusted to us by God the Creator requires that we understand the rhythm and logic of creation. Instead, we are often guided by the arrogance of dominating, possessing, manipulating, and exploiting. We don’t ‘take care’ of it; we don’t respect it; we don’t consider it as a freely-given gift to be cared for. We are losing the attitude of wonder, of contemplation, of listening to creation. Thus we are no longer able to read in it what Benedict XVI called ‘the rhythm of the story of God’s love for humanity’. Why is this happening? Because are we thinking and living ‘horizontally’; we are drawing away from God; we are not reading his signs.”
“But cultivating and caring for doesn’t just refer to our relationship with the environment, the relationship between humanity and creation. It also concern human relationships. … We are living a moment of crisis. We see it in the environment, but above all we see it in humanity. The human person is in danger. … This is the urgency of human ecology! The danger is serious because the root of the problem is profound, not superficial. It isn’t just a question of economics but of ethics and anthropology. … The dynamics of an economy and finance that lack ethics are dominating.”
Speaking off the cuff, the pontiff added: “What is in charge today isn’t the human person but money. Money is in command. And God our Father has given us the task of caring for the earth not for the money, but for us: for men and women. This is our charge. Instead, men and women are sacrificed to the idols of profit and consumption. It is a ‘culture of waste’.“
The full text of the Pope’s remarks are available here… (Download PDF)
Fr. Darrell Rupiper, OMI – In Remembrance May 8th, 2013
“Heaven and earth are full of your glory.” This is the psalm response for today’s Mass, and was the title given by Fr. Darrell Rupiper, OMI to his seminar/retreat programs. Fr. John Cox wrote us to say that he offered Mass this morning in loving memory of Darrell, who passed away on February 10, 2009.
Remembering his life-giving spirit, Fr. Cox has shared these materials:
- The Great Work – one of Darrell’s group discussion handouts
- Tell the People I Love Them – song Darrell would teach the people (notes for guitar)
- Earth Care – The handout Darrell often gave at the end of a session, practical things people can do.
Heaven and earth are full of God’s glory. In memory of Darrell, please join us in being consciously aware of God in creation today, and doing some action that reverences the earth and promotes public awareness.
Lenten “Caring for Creation” Calendar January 23rd, 2013
“The environment is God’s gift to everyone, and in our use of it we have a responsibility towards the poor, towards future generations and towards humanity as a whole.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, n. 48)
The Archdiocese of Washington has developed a Lenten Caring for Creation calendar, a series of spiritual reflections and sacrificial actions everyone can consider during Lent. Please use these in your preparation for Easter, and share this useful resource with others.
Lenten “Caring for Creation” Calendar, Year of Faith 2013 (Download PDF)
Oblates Active in ICCR AGM in Boston June 10th, 2012
Simmons College, Boston, MA
The Oblates participated in the Annual General Meeting of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR) that met at Simmons College in Boston from June 4-8. The corporate engagements over the last proxy season were evaluated – with successes celebrated, and plans laid for the 2012-2013 season. Areas in which the Oblates are active include: access to finance, extractives, global access to health, water, human trafficking, toxic chemicals, corporate governance and supply chain (labor) issues. John Ruggie, Professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School and the UN Special Rapporteur behind the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Business was honored at a reception Wednesday evening.
The work on the financial services sector continues to be a high priority for ICCR members and has generated significant media attention. Resolutions and statements by religious investors continue to draw attention to the extensive moral and ethical responsibilities that corporate actors in this space assume. The enduring impact of the destruction of nearly 17 trillion dollars of wealth since the near financial meltdown of September 2008 is a clear justification of the need for such vigilance. This work by ICCR members has strongly supported the efforts of numerous homeowners in places like the San Fernando Valley CA and Prince William County in VA to stay in their homes and restore their communities.
Fr. Seamus Finn, OMI and Sr. Judy Byron, OP at ICCR
Click here to read more »
The Migration of Our Plastic… May 25th, 2012
Plastic found in the gut of a dead albatross on Midway Island; Photo Credit: Chris Jordan
The MIDWAY media project is a powerful visual journey into the heart of a deeply symbolic environmental tragedy. On an island 2,000 miles from the nearest continent, tens of thousands of baby albatrosses lie dead on the ground, their bodies filled with plastic from the Pacific Garbage Patch. A team of film makers and researchers visiting the island over a period of several years has produced a stunning film that captures both the immensity of this tragedy—and our own complicity—head on. In this process, they have found “an unexpected route to a transformational experience of beauty, acceptance, and understanding.”
Watch a trailer for the film….
Take Action: Use less plastic, and recycle what you do use. Never toss bottles into or near storm gutters. And support local efforts to ban polystyrene containers and plastic bags.
