Helping to bring Pope Francis’s encyclical to life in our community, from the Diocese of Syracuse “Care for Our Common Home” Task Force
Prophets, profits and living Laudato Si’ to sustain our common home
By Doug Anderson
Contributing Writer
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“The poor tell us who we are. The prophets tell us who we could be, so we hide the poor, and kill the prophets.” — Philip Berrigan
The plume of wildfire smoke that recently blanketed the Northeast provided a clarion call, reminding us that our local communities cannot escape the escalating threats of global climate change. An unusually hot and dry spring in eastern Canada created the conditions for fires to our north. Locally, we felt the disruptive impact on our daily lives and searched for tips to cope with the smoke. Those of us who had to be outdoors worried about the significant health risks posed by smoke exposure, including fine particulate pollution. Even though we did not have to evacuate, this experience must heighten our sense of urgency to confront environmental problems and remember that many people, especially those in poor and marginalized communities, cannot shelter in place.
Old Testament prophets Isaiah and Job spoke to 21st century issues when they addressed the human condition. Isaiah delivered a haunting warning: “See, the Lord is about to empty the earth and lay it waste. … The earth is polluted because of its inhabitants, for they have transgressed laws, violated statutes, broken the ancient covenant. Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants pay for their guilt; therefore they who dwell on earth have dwindled, and only a few are left” (Isaiah 24:1-6).
Job held firm to his faith in God, offering a way for good people to counteract evil. “But now ask the beasts to teach you, the birds of the air to tell you; or speak to the earth to instruct you, and the fish of the sea to inform you. Which of all these does not know that the hand of God has done this? In his hand is the soul of every living thing, and the life breath of all mortal flesh” (Job 12:7-10).
According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, “There is no bringing back forests that have been destroyed by fire any time soon but it’s not too late to stop fossil fuel companies from doing more harm, to start making drastic cuts in global emissions and implement clean energy alternatives. Humans and wildlife are at great risk and predictions of extreme future wildfire seasons highlight the need for human intervention. Climate action is critical.”
We are in a Climate Emergency! It is time to courageously embrace Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’ message and listen to the cries of the earth and the poor. We must acknowledge, not ignore, modern-day “prophets” working to solve problems created by the current climate crisis. We must raise up the poor and hear their voice when they call out for justice, rather than hide them through neglect and exploitation.
As we measure our own strivings for earthly profits, we must remember that Jesus, the greatest prophet of all and God’s Savior of humankind, instructed us clearly: “No one can serve two masters. … You cannot serve God and mammon [money].” In his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home), Pope Francis expresses hope that politics and the economy “can acknowledge their own mistakes and find forms of interaction directed to the common good. While some are concerned only with financial gain, and others with holding on to, or increasing their power, what we are left with are conflicts or spurious agreements where the last thing either party is concerned about is caring for the environment and protecting those who are most vulnerable” (LS,140).
The Diocese of Syracuse has nine parishes with established “Caring for Our Common Home” teams. A Zoom meeting was planned for June 28 for anyone interested in starting a parish creation-care team. Contact Linda Zimmerman: [email protected].
May we as individuals, parishes and the Diocese of Syracuse choose God and the prophets and make our common witness by renewing our earth.
Editor’s note: Read the companion piece to this article on our website: https://thecatholicsun.com/caring-for-gods-creation-living-laudato-si-7
