The Encyclical and The Magna Carta

Sunday’s readings proclaim God’s power over nature, starting with the Book of Job when the Lord asks, “Who shut within doors the sea, when it burst forth from the womb; when I made the clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling bands?  When I set limits for it and fastened the bar of its door, and said: ‘Thus far shall you come, but no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stilled!’ ”  (Job 38,1)

The gospel recounts how Jesus calmed the storm at sea when, “He woke up, rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Quiet! Be still!’ ” (Mark 4:39) These readings and many others throughout scripture make the point that God created the heavens and the earth.  People have understood this for thousands of years, giving humanity great respect for nature and “nature’s God.”  However, with the advent of our modern scientific age, we have gradually come to believe that we humans have unlocked the secrets of the universe and now have within our grasp the ability to harness nature and use it as we see fit. 

This is the context into which Pope Francis has released his encyclical “Laudato Si” named after the first words of the Hymn of St. Francis of Assisi: “Praise be to you, my Lord with all your creatures…”  The encyclical is 72 pages long in pdf form, with another 10 pages of bibliography.  The introduction includes statements being widely quoted by the media who claim that the pope acknowledges the fact of global warming.  Of course they omit the very next sentence which says, “… even if scientifically determinable causes cannot be assigned to each particular phenomenon.”  The pope cites the possibility of natural causes for global climate change, such as “volcanic activity, changes in the earth’s orbit or axis, and solar activity, along with greenhouse gases from human activity.”  Several times throughout the encyclical the pope makes the point that “the Church does not presume to make scientific declarations.”

The bulk of the encyclical is devoted to making a strong case for The Gospel of Creation which is the heading of second chapter.  The pope makes numerous references to scripture and the wisdom of biblical accounts of nature and the laws of nature, as created by God.   He explains that the word creation has a much broader meaning than nature, and “has to do with God’s loving plan in which every creature has meaning and significance.  Nature can be studied and understood, whereas creation can only be understood as the outstretched hand of the Father of all, and as a reality illuminated by love.”  He goes on to explain, “The universe did not emerge as the result of arbitrary omnipotence.  Creation is the order of Love.  God’s love is the fundamental moving force in all created things.”  (paragraph 76)  With this awareness, Pope Francis warns that Science without ethical horizons is a danger to all humanity when it views nature as “insensate, a space to be hammered into useful shape, compromising the intrinsic dignity of the world.” ( p.115)  Although the pope praises the value and tremendous contributions of science, he also warns that, “The present ecological crisis is a sign of the ethical, cultural, and spiritual crisis of modernity.  Our relationship with the environment can never be isolated from our relationship with others and with God.  Since everything is related, concern for the protection of nature is incompatible with the justification of abortion.” (p. 119-120)

Citing many other examples of conflicting ecological ethics, the pope cautions that “Misguided anthropocentrism (putting man, not God at the center of our ethics) leads to misguided lifestyles – giving priority to immediate convenience and all else becomes relative.  Such Relativism sees everything as irrelevant unless it serves one’s own immediate interests, leading to environmental degradation and social decay.” (p. 122).  This culture of relativism is a “disorder” which drives people to take advantage of others, treating them as objects; e.g. sexual exploitation, child abandonment, abandonment of the elderly and disabled.   Most of the second half of the encyclical is devoted to this theme, explaining that “In the absence of objective truths, what limits can be placed on human trafficking, crime, drug trade etc.?”  “It is this relativistic logic that justifies the sale of human organs, abortion, and embryonic research.” (p. 123)

Among the topics covered by the encyclical are Social Ecology, Cultural Ecology, and Human Ecology, in which the pope makes a strong case for the vital importance of the family as the basic cell of society, “the place where life – the gift of God – is welcomed, protected and educated.”  (p 213)  He warns that anything threatening the family has negative consequences which include injustice, violence and the loss of basic freedoms.   Pope Francis supports the concept of subsidiarity which empowers people to make decisions best for their local circumstances, rather than be limited by more tyrannical forms of master planning from national or federal government.  He also included a section on the importance of work and the need for free markets to create jobs that reward productivity and creativity.

The encyclical ends with a meditation on Ecological Spirituality which reminds us that “the world is God’s loving gift, created with a certain order and dynamism.  When we exclude God from our lives or replace Him with our own egos, we think our subjective feelings can define what’s right and wrong.” (p 224)  He cites the example of the Holy Trinity, a community of relationship in whose image we have been created, and ends with a prayer for our earth, asking for God’s grace to help us protect life and beauty, while respecting the dignity and worth of every living thing.

This encyclical is in keeping with the many contributions made by the church to the ongoing evolution and protection of society and the common good.  Coincidentally, the day the encyclical was released was the 800^th anniversary of the Magna Carta which is the basis of modern jurisprudence in the Western world.  It was written to secure the rights and freedom of the people at a time when kings and barons were prone to governing according to the principle of “might is right,” rather than the rule of law.  What most people don’t realize is that the document itself was written by the church.  Bishops and abbots wrote the document for King John who then signed it along with numerous bishops, barons and earls.  The opening paragraph of the Magna Carta reads, “…at the prompting of God and for the health of our soul and the souls of our ancestors and successors, for the glory of holy Church and the improvement of our realm, freely and out of our good will have given and granted to…”   It then lists all those responsible for drawing up the document, and the very first article ensures the freedom of the Church and the people.  The Magna Carta served as in inspiration for our own Constitution.

Despite all the controversy, I believe Laudato Si makes an important contribution to the discussion of ecology and the environment.  It is a strong reminder that we must not pick and choose which laws of nature we shall decide to follow, and which to ignore.  There are, of course, ‘cafeteria Catholics’ who will cite the encyclical to support their political agenda while ignoring the main body of the message which is that we violate the laws and order of nature at our peril.