 "A change in lifestyle could bring healthy pressure to bear on those who wield political, economic and social power. This is what consumer movements accomplish by boycotting certain products. They prove successful in changing the way businesses operate, forcing them to consider their environmental footprint and their patterns of production. When social pressure affects their earnings, businesses clearly have to find ways to produce differently. This shows us the great need for a sense of social responsibility on the part of consumers. “Purchasing is always a moral – and not simply economic – act”.[146] Today, in a word, “the issue of environmental degradation challenges us to examine our lifestyle”.[147] (Laudato Si' 206)
An international grassroots effort beginning to develop and grow is called the Glasgow Agreement. The Agreement believes that genuine "people power" will create the political and economic will to make the changes needed to save the planet and her people. The climate justice movement "cannot be stopped by the global narrative of institutional impotence." The framework for this movement is defined as a "social and political demand that advocates for the redistribution of power, knowledge and wellbeing. It proposes a new notion of prosperity within natural limits and just resource distribution, advocating for a true connection between traditional and westernized knowledge systems. It calls for a public and participatory science to address the needs of humanity and of the earth, principally to stop the climate crisis." Question: How can we heal our integral ecology as individuals or small groups in the face of international inaction and corporate resistance? Actions:
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Green Christian is embracing the current age as an ecological Passiontide by Paul Bodenham8/15/2020  Paul Bodenham is the Chair of Green Christian, a UK Passionist Partner, and here reflects on the charity’s work and mission. Over the last year we have seen a succession of dire scientific reports on the environment. Surely now no-one can now doubt the crisis we’re in. With climate change approaching tipping-point, dwindling wildlife, and rising tides of plastic waste, this is a hard time to hope. On the face of it there are two alternatives: succumb to despair, or whistle a happy tune and kid yourself that easy solutions are in our reach. If we talk about the environmental crisis at all, we incline to one or other of these alternatives. In our heart of hearts many of us know that they are both dangerous fallacies. But there is a third way.  Ray Sanchez describes the work moving forward at St. Anthony in the Fields, at Terrey Hills, a suburb of North Sydney in Australia. The parish was the birthplace of the Passionist Family Group Movement, and is now taking a lead in becoming a green church that is implementing the teachings of Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si. The post uses the words of those involved in the project, expressing their vision and hopes, the current state of their efforts and what has to be done. “The church buildings are flexible, providing space for meetings, forums, gatherings and dinners. We hold forums on ecological issues and their related impacts and on other social Justice issues. We also hold gatherings and concerts with our indigenous friends and our youth use church and grounds for their activities. For a number of years, the church has been turned into a warm and welcoming environment for a gathering in solidarity with survivors of abuse." Read the full blog post from JPIC AustraliaThe Passionist Charism and Care of Creation by Kyle Kramer, Passionist Earth and Spirit Center5/2/2019  Vowed and lay Passionists can find encouragement and guidance for ecological awareness and action not only from our pontiffs and other Church teachings, but also from the unique Passionist charism itself. In 2015, Pope Francis released his landmark encyclical, Laudato Si’. Widely ,(mis)categorized as “just” an environmental encyclical, Laudato Si’ is actually a bold statement about the deep interwoveness of spiritual, social, and environmental realities. “Everything is interconnected,” writes the Pope who took the name of the patron saint of ecology, “and…genuine care for our own lives and our relationships with nature is inseparable from fraternity, justice and faithfulness to others.” Even before Pope Francis, Saint John Paul II wrote in 1990 that “the ecological crisis is a moral issue.” Pope Benedict stressed that “[p]reservation of the environment, promotion of sustainable development and particular attention to climate change are matters of grave concern for the entire human family”, inseparable from “…the protection of human life, including the life of the unborn….”
 Resources provided as preparation for the June 14-16 annual province assembly of the Passionist Family of Holy Cross Province at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center in Detroit, Michigan. The provincial and council set the agenda, asking the group to reflect on Laudato Si’, the encyclical by Pope Francis, and its implication for our personal and communal lives. The Passionist Family of Holy Cross Province met from June 14-16, 2016 for their annual province assembly in Detroit at the St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center. The provincial and council set the agenda, asking the group to reflect on Laudato Si’, the recent encyclical by Pope Francis, and its implication for our personal and communal lives. Over 100 participants were fortunate to have engaged two of the most prominent people in the field of religion and ecology to facilitate our meeting. Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grimm are both senior lecturers at Yale University as well as the Divinity School, co-directors of the forum on religion and ecology, leading experts in the role of faith-based organizations in global efforts to care for the Earth, and students of Thomas Berry when they did graduate studies with him at Fordham University. Mary Evelyn served on the International Earth Charter Drafting Committee from 1997-2000 and was a member of the Earth Charter International Council until 2012. John is President of the American Teilhard Association. Mary Evelyn and John brought a breadth of knowledge and experience and helped us engage the message of Laudato Si’. In the weeks before the assembly, participants were asked to prepare with some readings and videos to form a good basis for the meaningful conversations we had about some of the major issues facing our human family at this time. The “assignments” were divided in four parts, and questions: [Click on the question titles to read a PDF version]
We offer these background materials for everyone who might want to further engage these issues in their own small groups or communities. The links will open PDF files with additional links to take you directly to the resources.
Also see Fr. Joe Mitchell's article on Earth Day 2016 |
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