The language of Ecology (the science of environmental systems, their interconnectedness and interdependence) is easily apprehended by Catholics. We are familiar with the language of community, communion, mutuality, transformation.
The current Columban priorities around Ecological Justice include Climate Change, Water, Oceans, Biodiversity and Fossil Fuels.
Bringing Ecology and Faith together allows us to humbly go beyond a mere human focus and place ourselves within Earth itself. In the communal celebration of the Eucharist, we profess our relationship and connectedness with each other in God. The bread and wine, "the fruits of the earth", call us to be the body of Christ to the world, to view all life as sacred. Such a faith position enables us to see the Earth as God’s first revelation, God’s gift to all, rather than seeing it from a position of power, domination and exploitation.
In his Encyclical Laudato Si - on care for our common home, Pope Francis urges us to hear “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” (#49). The Pope calls for an ecological conversion in the hearts of all humanity by way of an integral ecology (#189) that sees the interconnectedness and harmony between humanity and all of creation (#186).
"The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects." (Thomas Berry)
Columban Resources
- Resources from St Columbans Mission Society Australia
- Books by Fr Sean McDonagh SSC: Visit Good Reads to view the book listing below
- Climate Change: The Challenge to All of Us
- Dying for Water
- Fukushima, The End of Nuclear Energy?
- Passion for the Earth
- The Death of Life: The Horror of Extinction
- The Greening of the Church
- To Care for the Earth
