This is the night when Jesus Christ broke the chains of death and rose triumphant from the grave.
The power of this holy night dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence, brings mourners joy;
it casts out hatred, brings us peace, and humbles earthly pride.
Night truly blessed, when heaven is wedded to earth and man is reconciled with God!
Accept this Easter candle, a flame divided but undimmed, a pillar of fire that glows to the honor of God.
Let it mingle with the lights of heaven and continue bravely burning to dispel the darkness of this night!
May the Morning Star which never sets find this flame still burning:
Christ that Morning Star, who came back from the dead, and shed his peaceful light on all humankind,
Your Son who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
~ from the Exultet, the prayer sung at the Easter Vigil
FAQ: Does the Catholic Church have anything to say about the environment?
<![if !supportLists]>· <![endif]>Of course! J While the environment has not been the focus of much theological discussion until recent decades, it is considered a major area of theological and ministerial activity today. In fact, Pope Benedict was referred to as “the green pope” because of his repeated emphasis on ecological themes and actions he took to implement them, like installing solar panels at the Vatican and making Vatican City the first carbon-neutral state in Europe.
<![if !supportLists]>· <![endif]>When most of us think about the Church’s teachings about how we live (ethics), we tend to think of what it has to say about things like birth control or premarital sex—that is, personal ethics or how individuals should behave. We are less familiar with the Church’s teachings on social ethics, how society should be structured. Especially around election time you often hear people say things like “The Church has no business talking about the economy…about health care… about unionization…it should just stick to religion.” But the truth is that life is not so easily compartmentalized into ‘religion/spirituality’ and ‘everything else.’ Scripture, our Tradition, and our discipleship of Christ demand that we apply our faith to all areas of life, including the environment.
<![if !supportLists]>· <![endif]>Catholic Social Teaching is the name given to this body of Church teaching. There is no definitive list of the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, which include things like solidarity, the option for the poor, the common good, and the dignity of the human person. Here is a link where you can learn more: http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/projects/socialteaching/excerpt.shtml .
<![if !supportLists]>· <![endif]>Care for creation is one of the principles, and is rooted in God’s command to Adam and Eve to tend to the world that God created and gave to them. It is important to note that the Catholic ethical approach to the environment encompasses more than the preservation of the landscape and of wildlife. There is a strong focus on the importance of a healthy natural environment for a healthy and dignified human life, and environmental degradation is linked to social and economic justice—pollution and poor environmental policies usually have a disparate impact on racial minorities and on the poor, for example.
<![if !supportLists]>· <![endif]>This is why environmentalism cannot just be a personal choice that we make depending on our individual inclinations and whether or not it is convenient for us. Decisions made about how we treat our garbage, how we grow our food, how we get to work, etc. all have ramifications that extend far beyond our individual situations. They impact brothers and sisters in all our communities and around the world. The ethical principles of promoting the common good, making an option to help the poor, and living in solidarity with others demand that calls for conversion are directed to both individuals and their practices, but also to public policies; they are directed primarily to affluent societies but also to poor ones.
<![if !supportLists]>· <![endif]>Here is a link to the US Bishop’s statement on the environment, Renewing the Earth: An Invitation to Reflection and Action on Environment in Light of Catholic Social Teaching (1992): http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/bishopsstatement.shtml. Here’s a link to a brief summary of the US Bishops’ teachings on climate change: http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/USCCB-2010-global-climate-change.pdf .
<![if !supportLists]>· <![endif]>You might also be interested in the St. Francis Pledge. Developed by the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, you can take the pledge and find more resources here: http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/the-st-francis-pledge/. “The St. Francis Pledge is a promise and a commitment by Catholic individuals, families, parishes, organizations and institutions to live our faith by protecting God’s Creation and advocating on behalf of people in poverty who face the harshest impacts of global climate change.”
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Karen Soos
Associate Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister
Davidson College
Campus Box 7196
Davidson NC 28035
704. 894. 2423
Associate Chaplain and Catholic Campus Minister
Davidson College
Campus Box 7196
Davidson NC 28035
704. 894. 2423
