Environmental Care

As Catholics, we are called to care for all of God's creation; people and the earth alike. Caring for Creation is a critical theme of Catholic social thought, as it calls us to care for the environment and informs us that it is not only a matter of ecological concern but also of social concern for all of humankind. The closer we look at the issue the more we will realize that the state of the environment is fundamentally linked to the quality of human life; as we disregard the state of the earth we disregard and abandon the well-being of our brothers and sisters whom that are most affected by environmental crisis.  

Pope Francis reminds us in his encyclical, Laudato Si', that "Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river, and mother earth" (LS 92).

To remind us that creation is one of our most direct and intimate connections with God, Francis tells us that "if we approach nature and the environment without..openness to awe and wonder if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty...our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously" (LS 11).

Introduce your parish to Laudato Si' by downloading the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' official discussion guide. This will help Catholics who might otherwise not read the encyclical a chance to learn about and further spread the message, Pope Francis presents us with, in Laudato Si. 

Additional Resources to Learn More About Catholic Social Teaching on the Environment:

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
• Catholic Climate Covenant
• Laudato Si'
• Caritas in Veritate
• Renewing the Earth