LAUDATO SI ON CARE FOR OUR COMMON

HOME Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis

Summary and Discussion

Introduction

“LAUDATO SI, mi Signore” – Praise be to you, my Lord. From Saint Francis of AssisiOfficially Pope Francis’s second encyclical (Lumen Fidei was the first, but mainly the work of Pope Benedict)Dated May 24, 2015, published on June 18, 2015

Brief Summary

Pope Francis addresses ALL people, not just Christians, calling on them to save the earth’s environment (our common home) while helping the poor. The main cause of the environmental crisis is the “technological paradigm” coupled with excessive consumption (i.e. modern capitalism). We in the rich “North” need to change our lifestyles, models of production and consumption (i.e. repent).

Presentation Outline

1. Overview of Laudato Si2. Reactions to Laudato Si3. Climate change and alternative energy

Overview of Laudato Si

The encyclical is 82 pages long with 246 numbered paragraphs. - More than just a call to save the environment- More than a critique of modern capitalism- Discusses society, family, and our obligation to the poor- Deep theological, moral, and spiritual insights

Overview of Laudato Si

Introduction (par. 1 – 16) Invokes the writings of recent Popes, Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew, Saint Francis of Assisi. Consistent with Catholic social teaching.

Chapter One: What Is Happening to Our Common Home (par. 17 – 61)Pollution and climate change, water, biodiversity, decline in quality of human life, breakdown of society, global inequality. Responses have been inadequate. Recognizes there are different opinions about what to do.

Overview of Laudato Si

Chapter Two: The Gospel of Creation (par. 62 – 100)Every man and woman is created out of love and made in God’s image and likeness: immense dignity of every person

Human life is grounded in three fundamental and closely intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbor and with the earth itself. But we disrupted these by “presuming to take the place of God and refusing to acknowledge our creaturely limitations.”

We are responsible for the earth – tilling, but also caring, protecting, overseeing and preserving it

Overview of Laudato Si

Chapter Two: The Gospel of Creation (par. 62 – 100)Though humans are above the other creatures, we are “linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, a sublime communion …”“A sense of deep communion with the rest of nature cannot be real if our hearts lack tenderness, compassion and concern for our fellow human beings.”How we treat our fellow creatures ultimately reflects how we will treat our fellow human beings.

Overview of Laudato Si

Chapter Two: The Gospel of Creation (par. 62 – 100)Common destination of goods: “The earth is a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone.”Ecological approaches must take social aspects into account. The right to private property is not absolute or inviolable. It has a “social mortgage”.

Overview of Laudato Si

Chapter Three: The Human Roots of the Ecological Crisis (par. 101 – 136)Technology has brought great benefits. When properly directed, it improves the quality of human life. But it also gives humans great power. Specifically, the few have great power over the many. This power is often not used wisely.

The technological paradigm dominates society, including economic and political life (109)Modern anthropocentrism causes us to view everything and everyone in terms of their benefit to us. Consumerism.But: “Business is a noble vocation, directed to producing wealth and improving our world.” (129)

Overview of Laudato Si

Chapter Four: Integral Ecology (par. 137 – 162)Everything is closely interrelated. Environmental, economic and social ecology – must consider the interactions between themCultural ecology – must protect cultures (e.g. indigenous communities) from the leveling effect of globalized consumerism.Ecology of daily life – cities must be livablePrinciple of the common good – preferential option for the poorJustice between the generations – what kind of world will we leave our children?

Overview of Laudato Si

Chapter Five: Lines of Approach and Action (par. 163 – 201)Calls for dialogue to solve environmental problems• in the international community to reach binding commitments • for new national and local policies (planning, coordination, oversight , enforcement)• in decision-making with greater transparency• between politics and economy for human fulfilment• between religion and science

Overview of Laudato Si

Chapter Six: Ecological Education and Spirituality (par. 163 – 201)We face a great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge• A new lifestyle, away from “extreme consumerism”• Ecological education for the covenant between humanity and the environment (also esthetic education) • Ecological conversion: for Christians, an ecological spirituality grounded in the convictions of our faith• Joy and peace, be serenely present to each reality• Civic and political love

Overview of Laudato Si

Chapter Six: Ecological Education and Spirituality (par. 203 – 246)• Sacraments and celebration of rest• Seeing the Trinity in nature: a web of relationships• “Queen of all creation” • “At the end, we will find ourselves face to face with the infinite beauty of God”• Closing prayers – one for all theists, one specifically Christian

Responses to Laudato Si

Public reaction has focused on climate change and the critique of consumerism and the technology paradigm.

Those concerned about climate change strongly approve of the encyclical (often with caveats about the stance on population control and abortion)

Archbishop Justin Welby and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew issued their own statement calling on Christians to fight climate change.

Responses to Laudato Si

Neoconservatives, “climate change skeptics” and representatives of the fossil fuel industry were unhappy.

Conservative columnist George Will wrote of the Pope’s “fact-free flamboyance”

In First Things, R.R. Reno (a conservative Catholic and former Episcopalian) reacted to the encyclical with an article “The Return of Catholic Anti-Modernism”.

The encyclical will probably influence the Paris Climate Change Conference (starts Nov. 30)

Climate Change

“Ninety-seven percent of climate scientists agree that climate-warming trends over the past century are very likely due to human activities, and most of the leading scientific organizations worldwide have issued public statements endorsing this position.”

CO2 Levels are Rising

NASA website

Causing Global Temperatures to Rise

Global temperatures have risen about 0.6 °C since 1980

Causing Sea Levels to Rise

http://www3.epa.gov/climatechange/science/indicators/oceans/sea-level.html

Causing Sea Levels to Rise

Source: Nasa Sea level prediction with 2° C rise in temperatures

Other Climate Change Impacts

Source: NASA and EPA

• Changed precipitation patterns, resulting in desertification of some areas

• Increased frequency, intensity and duration of extreme weather events (hurricanes)

• Increased acidity of oceans (harmful to marine life)

• Tropical diseases spread to temperate areas

Prognosis

Source: NASA and EPA

• Changed precipitation patterns, resulting in desertification of some areas

• Increased frequency, intensity and duration of extreme weather events (hurricanes)

• Increased acidity of oceans (harmful to marine life)

• Tropical diseases spread to temperate areas

Prognosis: Greenhouse Gases

Source: EPA

Prognosis: Temperatures

Source: IPCC

What Can We Do?

Mitigation: Reduce the flow of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere through• conservation (use less energy)• use alternative energy

Adaptation: Adapt to the impact of climate change• drought-resistant crops• irrigation• seawalls• move populations

What Can We Do?

Laudato Si:

• Reduction through conservation, i.e. a less energy-intensive lifestyle

• Open to greater use of alternative energies, but is skeptical that technology will provide the solution

• Rich have a duty to help the poor adapt to climate change and improve their standards of living

Conservation

CO2 emissions are declining slightly in the US and Europe, but rising in developing countries, especially Asia (China and India) Source: EPA

Alternative Energy

• Conventional nuclear power does not produce CO2 and is cost competitive

Dangerous Waste storage and nuclear proliferation

• Thorium-based nuclear

• Fusion (not ready yet)

Alternative Energy

• Solar and wind are becoming competitive with coal, oil and natural gas for electricity generation Problem: electricity storage (batteries are

expensive)

• Carbon-neutral fuels: synthetic fuels produced by hydrogenating CO2 recovered from exhaust Can serve as energy storage for solar and

wind power

Alternative Energy

• Algae fuel (can theoretically be produced industrially)

• Bio-mass is carbon neutral Problem: competes with food production Problem: produces other pollution

• Geothermal requires high investment but is already cost competitive with fossil fuels AND output does not vary

Alternative Energy

• Biological hydrogen production: use of a biological vector plus solar power to split H2O

Not yet commercially feasible Potential storage solution for solar or wind

• Offshore wind - expensive

• Marine and hydrokinetic energy – still in research phase

Geoengineering

• Deliberately tinkering with the climate system to counteract man-made climate change. (NASA)

• Examples:o Make clouds and crops brightero Inject aerosols into the stratosphere

o Suck CO2 out of the air

• Untried and potentially dangerous