California bishop laments effects of climate change
March 15, 2012
Bishop Patrick McGrath of San Jose has asked parishioners in his diocese to renew the St. Francis Pledge on Earth Day.
“By taking this pledge,” he noted, “we agree to pray to reflect on our responsibility to care for God's creation and protect the poor and vulnerable; learn about and educate others about climate change; assess how we contribute to climate change in our homes, our schools, our parishes and in the chancery; act to reduce our climate change impact; [and] advocate Catholic principles in climate change discussions and policy work.”
“We have seen how environmental degradation and climate change are affecting God’s creation, including people here and all over the world,” Bishop McGrath added. “This is a particular tragedy because it is the poorest and most vulnerable who suffer the worst, even though they have contributed the least to these problems. This fact prompted Pope John Paul II to declare that ‘the ecological crisis is a moral issue’ and Pope Benedict XVI to call upon us to become ‘true guardians of life and creation.’”
“Our Catholic Social Justice Teaching impresses upon us that nature is not something to exploit; rather, is God's creation to preserve,” he added. “We are called to celebrate the splendor of God's handiwork, to be good stewards of creation, and to safeguard the integrity of all that God has made.”
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Further information:
- Earth Day, Saint Francis Pledge (Diocese of San Jose)
- The St. Francis Pledge (Catholic Climate Covenant)
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Posted by: impossible -
Mar. 16, 2012 7:36 PM ET USA
No unum, the teachings are fine. It's the disobedience that is the problem. it's the placing of partisan political allegiance ahead of faith and morals and Church teachings that are the problems. God is the only author of climate change - not the UN and others seeking one more means of levying progressivist taxes on a gullible public.
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Posted by: unum -
Mar. 16, 2012 12:16 PM ET USA
I was not aware that global warming was a dogma of the Church. If so, the Church may have gotten a little ahead of itself because scientists are still debating the issue. On the other hand, perhaps the Church is looking to progressive politicians for guidance on the issue instead of to scientists. More and more U.S. Church teaching seems to come from the political establishment. And Jesus wept ...
