Roman Catholic Contributions to Address the Current Ecological Crisis

2013 ◽  
pp. 113-137
Author(s):  
Andrea Vicini
Keyword(s):  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Ecological Crisis

scholarly journals The Vatican and Ecospirituality: Tensions, Promises and Possibilities for Fostering an Emerging Green Catholic Spirituality

2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Hrynkow ◽  
Dennis Patrick O'Hara
Keyword(s):  
Catholic Social Teaching ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Critical Distance ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Social Teaching ◽  
La Paz ◽  
Faith Based ◽  
American Perspective ◽  
North American Perspective ◽  
Selection Of

Since John Paul II’s 1990 World Day of Peace Message on the ecological crisis, green themes have been a recurring feature of the Vatican’s public teachings. Working with a selection of Catholic Social Teaching documents, this article explores the Vatican’s reactions to and accommodations of ecospirituality.  A critical lens informed by ecotheological ethics is employed to analyse the Vatican’s specific brand of ecospirituality, particularly as it relates to its condemnation of biocentrism, while also acknowledging official efforts to green the Roman Catholic Church’s doctrine and faith-based practices. With the advantage of the critical distance that a North American perspective provides, this article suggests ways that the Vatican can foster a more integral and substantively peaceful greening of Catholic Social Teaching and Catholic spirituality by drawing on resources from within Catholic intellectual tradition, as well as other expressions of ecospirituality, ecotheology, and Catholic Social Teaching documents from local bishops’ conferences in Europe and the Americas.   A partir del mensaje de  Juan Pablo II en el Día Mundial de la Paz de en 1990 sobre la crisis ecológica, han sido frecuentes los esfuerzos de divulgación  del Vaticano con respecto a temas relacionados al medio ambiente.  Basándose en una selección de documentos de la doctrina Social Católica a estos temas, este artículo explora las reacciones del Vaticano sobre argumentos  relacionados a la ecoespiritualidad. A través de un lente crítico basado en la ética ecoteológica asimismo que explorando una versión particular de ecoespiritualidad particularmente referida a la condenación del biocentrismo, se pondrá de manifiesto los esfuerzos oficiales de reverdecer la política de la Iglesia Apostólica Romana y  las prácticas de la fe que a este tema se refieren. Tomando como punto de partida la prerrogativa de una distancia crítica desde una enfoque Norteamericano, esta ponencia sugiere maneras en las que el Vaticano puede fomentar un reverdecimiento mas integral y pacífico de las doctrina Social Católica y de la Espiritualidad Católica recurriendo a fuentes dentro de la tradición intelectual Católica asimismo que basándose en otras expresiones de ecoespiritualidad, ecoteología y documentos de Educación Social Católica de conferencias de obispos en Europa y la Américas.

scholarly journals Church’s Response to the Ecological Crisis in a Small Country – the Case of the Roman Catholic Church in Latvia

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60
Author(s):  
Weronika Felcis ◽  
Elgars Felcis
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Protection ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Catholic Church ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Roman Catholic Church ◽  
Current Response ◽  
Small Country ◽  
Pope Francis ◽  
The Church

Due to historical and contextual factors explained in this article, the Latvian Roman Catholic Church currently does not play any significant role in environmental protection or ecological crisis awareness building in the country. However, being called by Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato si’, recently more of the reflection was given to the call for ecological conversion. Considering Church resources based on publicly available data, the authors describe the limitations and opportunities to strengthen the Church current response to the ecological crisis.

Flourishing in Crisis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Economic Crises ◽  
Environmental Care ◽  
The Social ◽  
Catholic Social Teachings ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Social Teachings

This chapter examines the tradition of Roman Catholic social teachings. Of particular interest and power is Pope Francis’s environmental encyclical, Laudato Si’, which connects and condemns both ecological and economic crises, exposes the weakness of technocratic thought, and offers a theological paradigm to replace it. The chapter also examines the social teachings on flourishing, those doctrines’ pertinence to environmental care, and the Church’s response to the contemporary ecological crisis. Finally, this chapter underscores the Catholic social teachings’ profound connections between poverty and ecological crises, and it pushes that tradition provocatively, in dialogue with non-Catholic environmentalists, to more fully consider animals and gender.

Praktische Theologie angesichts der ökologischen Krise

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-322
Author(s):  
Christian Höger
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Religious Education ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Education For Sustainable Development ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Planetary Boundaries ◽  
Ecological Awareness ◽  
Practical Theological

Abstract This article clarifies essential concepts and describes what the actual ecological crisis is about, based on the model of planetary boundaries from Stockholm University. Thereupon it is explained to what an extent the perception of this crisis has increased in statements by the Roman Catholic and Lutheran Churches. How the ecological crisis is mirrored in substantial practical theological publications is demonstrated in an overview on the basis of three pertinent monographs on religious education. Then the focus lies on the resulting task of Education for Sustainable Development and on the question of its potential religious contours. Furthermore, relevant empirical studies on ecological awareness and education are presented.

scholarly journals The Architecture of Eco-Theology: Towards a New Typology for Christian Sacred Space

Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 29
Author(s):  
Roberto Chiotti
Keyword(s):  
Sacred Space ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Design Decision ◽  
Parish Church ◽  
Worship Space ◽  
Theological Foundations ◽  
Christian Worship ◽  
Cultural Historian ◽  
Do So

This paper will begin by exploring the underlying scriptural and theological foundations for a Christian response to the ecological crisis with particular focus on the writings of cultural historian, Father Thomas Berry, CP. It will then describe the first worship space in Canada that attempts to embody the emergent “Eco-theology” to invoke both the transcendental and imminent presence of the divine by reconsidering every design decision from first principles. As articulated in its architecture, the traditional elements of Roman Catholic sacred space have been re-imagined and given unique expression to emphasize that when we gather for Christian worship, we do so within the greater context of creation. St. Gabriel’s Passionist Parish church therefore represents a distinctly new typology for Christian Worship that contributes towards an understanding of early scriptural teachings which emphasized the sacredness of all creation and not just the sacredness of humankind. The new building as sacred space presents a “Gestalt whole”, and like the medieval cathedrals of Europe, becomes itself a form of Catechetical pedagogy, engaging the senses, demanding reflection, and inviting transformation.

Tending this Fragile Earth, Our Island Home: The Pope's Encyclical in Dialogue with Anglican Theology

2018 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 721-743
Author(s):  
John L. Kater
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Ecological Crisis ◽  
Liturgical Movement ◽  
Franciscan Spirituality ◽  
Anglican Theology

Laudato si’, Pope Francis's 2015 encyclical on the environment, drew on the Roman Catholic magisterium and his own background as a Latin American Jesuit influenced by Franciscan spirituality. He described a planetary ecological crisis and spells out a response based on a theology and spirituality of creation and invites dialogue with voices from other traditions. The Anglican theological tradition offers resources for dialogue with the encyclical, including nineteenth- and twentieth-century theologians, as well as insights from the liturgical movement, and the dialogue with science that issued in the Episcopal Church's “A Catechism of Creation.” Flexibility in liturgical experimentation, affirmation of the role of laypeople in decision making, and Anglican openness to examining faith and practice in the light of new understandings and insights are all resources that the Anglican tradition can bring to a conversation with the concerns of Laudato si’.

Human Competence and Ecological Crisis

1979 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 468-469
Author(s):  
GARY W. EVANS
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Crisis

The fruit of truth is sown by the creators of peace

1998 ◽  
pp. 43-44
Author(s):  
Anatolii M. Kolodnyi
Keyword(s):  
Roman Catholic ◽  
Christian Churches ◽  
Greco Roman

At the All-Ukrainian Christian Forum "The Fruit of Truth is Sacrified by the Creators of Peace", which took place in Kyiv in May, a section on the role of Christianity in the development of morality and spirituality worked. The section involved scientists, as well as theologians and teachers of eight Christian churches - three Orthodox, Greco-Roman Catholic, as well as Baptist, Adventist, and Pentecostal. At the session of the section were heard 20 reports and messages.

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