Care for Creation/Environmental Justice

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“On climate change, there is a clear, definitive and ineluctable ethical imperative to act.” -Pope Francis, Message to UN Convention on Climate Change, 2015

“…Nature, in a word, is at our disposition and we are called to exercise a responsible stewardship over it.  Yet so often we are driven by greed and by the arrogance of dominion, possession, manipulation and exploitation; we do not preserve nature; nor do we respect it or consider it a gracious gift which we must care for and set at the service of our brothers and sisters, including future generations…” -Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace (9), World Day of Peace Message, January 1, 2014, Pope Francis

“The earth is the Lord’s and all it holds, the world and those who dwell in it.” Psalm 24:1

OVERVIEW

Care for creation is a moral obligation.  Through our stewardship of God’s gift of creation, we respect and protect resources to promote a hospitable environment today and for future generations.  Recognizing the interdependence and sacredness of all creation, the environment is a collective good that should not be manipulated and exploited, but shared equitably and preserved, while maintaining the environmental value of biodiversity.  Making choices to live simply, individually and within our parish communities, we acknowledge the gift of creation.

OUR PARTNERS


Catholic Climate Covenant: Join Catholics taking action in our families, parishes, schools and communities to reduce our carbon footprint, care for “the least of these” (Mt 25) and raise our voice on behalf of Creation and the poor

Global Catholic Climate Movement: Concerned about human-made climate change and united by our Catholic faith, we came together as a movement of almost 100 Catholic organizations to care for God’s creation, for the poor–who are the most vulnerable to climate disruption–and for our children, who will face the worst impacts in the coming years.

EARTH DAY 

PRAYER

TAKING ACTION

  • Visit the Catholic Climate Covenant website to
  • Utilize the Promotion Toolkit to promote Laudato Si’ in your parish, school or community
    • Share this Laudato Si’ bullet insert, in English and Spanish, in your parish.
  • Wash church cooking utensils by hand after big events
    • You’re saving energy and water while giving yourself time to reflect and bond with fellow parishioners about parish fairs and dinners
  • Switch to energy saving tools light bulbs and low flow faucets
    • This includes energy saving batteries, low flow flosets, new insulation and solar panels. Of course always make sure it fits into the parish budget!
  • Unplug appliances when not in use (chargers, TV outlets, computers etc.)
    • The best way is to place these items on a power strip and turn it off when you leave the office.
  • Lower the thermostat by 2 degrees
    • Even small changes make a difference! Every little bit helps conserve energy
  • Recycling Plan for bottles, cans and paper
    • Every resource is valuable and it’s beautiful analogy to give old materials new life the same way God’s give us all a new life
  • Quarterly parish outings to appreciate nature
    • Small things like walking local trails or have a parish retreat in the mountain help reinforce the beauty of God’s creation
  • Involve the parish youth
    • You are not only the future of the church but the present and by incorporating them in our parish goals we allow them to be an integral part of our efforts. An idea could be to create a youth group outing for a beach clean up
  • Have information nights for community
    • These plan only succeed if our parishioners know how our climate covenant relates to God’s plans for our community
  • Communicate with local elected officials
    • Part of being a catholic is advocating for a better society, that includes pressuring our elected officials to work on behalf of the planet and all future generations!
  • Take Action Today to protect those impacted by climate change.
  • Visit www.catalogchoice.org to stop unwanted junk mail.

RESOURCES

CONNECT WITH GREAT ORGANIZATIONS

  • CRS and Climate Change: Learn about how Catholic Relief Services is confronting Climate Change or donate to their efforts.
  • Catholic Health Association of the United States: A-Z Guide to Reduce Your Organization’s Carbon Footprint!
  • 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.
  • Earth as our Home Booklet: A Catholic Family Guide to a home that respects Care for God’s Creation. A Project of Catholic Sisters for a Healthy Earth.
  • Catholic Climate Change Ambassadors: Speakers available on the moral implications of climate change consistent with Catholic teaching.
  • National Catholic Rural Life Conference: Applying the teachings of Jesus Christ for the betterment of rural America.
  • Interfaith Power and Light: Concerned members of varied faiths strive to be faithful stewards of Creation by responding to global warming through the promotion of energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.
  • Diocese of Stockton Environmental Justice: A special Care for Creation Project out of the Diocese of Stockton.
  • Orange County Climate Coalition: The Orange County Climate Coalition educates, raises awareness, and empowers people to actively protect and preserve Creation through responsible stewardship.
  • Tour de Toxics: Through toxic tours, Communities for  Better Environment increases public awareness of the low-income communities of color that are most directly impacted by multiple sources of toxics and pollution.
  • Right to Breathe Documentary: A Documentary about Southern California Air pollution by the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
  • Creation Sustainability Ministry Resources: Seven Blogposts with Care For Creation Social Teaching and Discussion Questions.
  • Algalita: Research leaders on plastic  pollution  in  the Pacific Ocean.  Provide educational presentations for adults and children.
  • Tanaka Farms: Have farm tours for schools and individuals to share how food is grown. Offer weekly vegetable box program that can be delivered to schools or parishes, as a fundraising program.

Because God creates through wisdom, his creation is ordered: “You have arranged all things by measure and number and weight.” The universe, created in and by the eternal Word, the “image of the invisible God”, is destined for and addressed to man, himself created in the “image of God” and called to a personal relationship with God. Our human understanding, which shares in the light of the divine intellect, can understand what God tells us by means of his creation, though not without great effort and only in a spirit of humility and respect before the Creator and his work. Because creation comes forth from God’s goodness, it shares in that goodness – “And God saw that it was good. . . very good”- for God willed creation as a gift addressed to man, an inheritance destined for and entrusted to him. On many occasions, the Church has had to defend the goodness of creation, including that of the physical world. –CCC299

Church Teachings