The connection between our faith and the environment

We show  our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth  is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are  called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with  all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and  ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored. (USCCB)

"The relationship between human activity and global warming must be constantly monitored for “the climate is a good that must be protected”."
Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, #470

“Creation is not a property, which we can rule over at will; or, even less, is the property of only a few: Creation is a gift, it is a wonderful gift that God has given us, so that we care for it and we use it for the benefit of all, always with great respect and gratitude.”
~ Pope Francis

From the USCCB's blog TO GO FORTH, an article on Pope Francis' Encyclical Laudato Si, connecting Care for Creation and our Gospel Mission:
In linking respect for human life and dignity with care for the natural world, Pope Francis follows in the footsteps of both Pope Benedict XVI and St. John Paul II, who noted that “respect for life and for the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of creation, which is called to join man in praising God” (Message for the 1990 World Day of Peace). 

The efforts of all three are rooted in Scripture and longstanding Catholic teachings. Those teachings remind us that when we don’t responsibly care for God’s creation, it’s the poor who suffer most.  Pollution, food and water insecurity, and conflicts over declining resources first affect those on the margins – “the least of these” Jesus entrusts to our particular care. There’s an “intimate relationship between the poor and the fragility of the planet” (LS, no. 16), and we have a responsibility to live out our solidarity with the poor in concrete ways.

Resources (more videos below)

Bishop Barron on Laudato Si

CRS - Carolyn Woo

I'm Only a Kid!

Cinco Panes' Spanish Series-Laudato Si

Church Documents (Tradition)

The dominion granted to man by the Creator is not an absolute power, nor can one speak of a freedom to "use and misuse," or to dispose of things as one pleases. The limitation imposed from the beginning by the Creator himself and expressed symbolically by the prohibition not to "eat of the fruit of the tree" (cf. Gen 2:16-17) shows clearly enough that, when it comes to the natural world, we are subject not only to biological laws but also to moral ones, which cannot be violated with impunity. A true concept of development cannot ignore the use of the elements of nature, the renewability of resources and the consequences of haphazard industrialization - three considerations which alert our consciences to the moral dimension of development. (from St. John Paul II, On Social Concerns, 1987 [Sollicitudo rei Socialis], no. 34)

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. . . Our duties towards the environment are linked to our  duties towards the human person, considered in himself and in relation to  others. It would be wrong to uphold one set of duties while trampling on the  other. (Pope Benedict XVI, Charity in Truth, 2009 [Caritas in Veritate], nos. 48, 51)

Changes in lifestyle based on traditional moral virtues can ease the way to a sustainable and equitable world economy in which sacrifice will no longer be an unpopular concept. For many of us, a life less focused on material gain may remind us that we are more than what we have. Rejecting the false promises of excessive or conspicuous consumption can even allow more time for family, friends, and civic responsibilities. A renewed sense of sacrifice and restraint could make an essential contribution to addressing global climate change. (USCCB) Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good, 2001)

Scripture

  • Genesis 1:1-31 - God made the heavens and the earth and it was  good.
  • Genesis 2:15 - Humans are commanded to care for God’s creation.
  • Leviticus 25:1-7 - The land itself must be given a rest and not abused.
  • Daniel 3:56-82 - Creation proclaims the glory of God.
  • ​Romans 1:20 - Creation reveals the nature of God.
  • 1 Corinthians 10:26 - Creation and all  created things are inherently good because they are of the Lord.

Videos on this Catholic Social Teaching: Care for Creation

Laudato Si for Children

From the Vatican: ​A Reflection

The LS Challenge (Redford Center)

Greta's School Strike - Climate ​TEDX 

​Laudato Si for HS Aged Youth

Pax Christi CST - Care for Creation

Breaking Down Laudato Si

Church Statements and Calls for Action