 Vol. IV no 16 |
April 21, 2010 Catholic Church |
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Environment and spirituality — |
Environment and spirituality
The environment that we inhabit cannot be considered a mere addition to life. We are one with Nature; we are not independent of it. Today we are better prepared, than in the past, to observe, examine and raise questions regarding the impact of our way of life on the environment.
Why does this concern us? How does it relate to spiritual issues? Christian spirituality covers all aspects of human life. Over the centuries, the Church has developed a spirituality of work, of love, of life and of death… Isn’t it time that we work on a “spirituality of the environment”?
The first book of the Bible, Genesis, describes the origins of the world and places humankind at the centre of God’s Creation. The creative design calls for the human race to live in harmony with the Creator and his universe. Unfortunately, the call to “subdue” the Earth (Genesis 1:28), found in that passage, has too often been interpreted as an absolute right of human beings over Nature. Rather, it should be seen as setting the terms that are intrinsic to human experience: do we not find ourselves in a position to subdue the Earth? Experience demonstrates that, although we are not at the top of the food chain, we do exert immense power over Creation. To fulfil this mandate effectively requires an intelligent, balanced approach. More than ever, we are realizing that our efforts to subdue the Earth lead too often to destruction and death. We know full well that this is not part of God’s plan!
Therefore, we need a better understanding of our relationship to Nature, from the perspective of co-operating with the divine plan. If Creation generously provides for our material existence, we have the obligation and responsibility to respect it. Further in the Book of Genesis, we are reminded of the difficulties that people faced in their relationships with one another and with God: divisions, denial of God, desire for ultimate power, etc. If environmental concerns had been as evident at the time the Book of Genesis was written as they are today, chances are a whole chapter would have been devoted to that topic!
I would like to call attention to the remarkable contribution of Father André Beauchamp to the development of a spirituality of the environment. Also worthy of mention is a timely initiative, set up by people motivated by their faith, called “Église verte” (see http://egliseverte.org ).
What impact will a spirituality of the environment have on our daily life? That is for us to discover. God is inviting us. Each Christian community, called to live the grace of the Resurrection, should examine its practices with a view to acting in greater harmony with Creation. Let’s trust in our ability to create and set up new ways of doing things!
† Jean-Claude Turcotte
Archbishop of Montréal
Change of Name of Saint David Parish
By decree, on March 5, 2010, the Archbishop of Montréal has agreed to change the name of the Parish from Saint David to JÉSUS-LUMIÈRE-DU-MONDE – JESUS LIGHT OF THE WORLD.
Fr. Benoît-Marc Boyer
Vice-chancellorApril 15, 2010
Upcoming Events
Special Eucharistic Celebration
in honour of the deceased priests
presided at by Jean-Claude Cardinal Turcotte
May 18, 2010 at 12:00 p.m. (noon)
at Mary-Queen of the World Cathedral
