The Catholic Church brings a distinct perspective to the discussion of environmental questions, by lifting up the moral dimensions of these issues and the needs of the most vulnerable among us. The care for creation appeal has been expressed in the past by previous Popes and Catholic Bishops, although perhaps not as forcefully as by Pope Francis. The depth and richness of this tradition can be understood best through a direct reading of these Church documents. Summarized below are some of the key themes that are at the heart of our Catholic social tradition.
Excerpt from Paragraph 51: We have a duty to care for God’s creation...we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of God’s creation ... care for creation is a duty of our faith and a sign of our concern for all people, especially the poor, who “both everyday experience and scientific research show” suffer “the gravest effects of all attacks on the environment”
Excerpt form Paragraph 86: Care for Creation is a moral issue. Protecting the land, water, and air we share is a religious duty of stewardship and reflects our responsibility to born and unborn children, who are most vulnerable to environmental assault. We must answer the question that Pope Francis posed to the world: “What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?” |
From Pope Francis' message on Sept. 1, 2016: So let me propose a complement to the two traditional sets of seven: may the works of mercy also include care for our common home.
As a spiritual work of mercy, care for our common home calls for a “grateful contemplation of God’s world” (Laudato Si, 214) which “allows us to discover in each thing a teaching which God wishes to hand on to us” (ibid., 85). As a corporal work of mercy, care for our common home requires “simple daily gestures which break with the logic of violence, exploitation and selfishness” and “makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world” |
US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Themes of Catholic Social Teaching: Care for God’s Creation |
We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.
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US Conference of Catholic Bishops Quotes from Church Teaching on Ecology
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This is a compendium of quotations from church teaching on ecology, with links to the original documents.
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Saint Kateri Conservation Center Catholic Ecology Library |
This site is an extensive, online collection of quotes and documents on ecology from authentic catholic sources.
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