15. It is my hope that this Encyclical Letter, (click here) which is now added to
the body of the Church’s social teaching, can help us to acknowledge the
appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face. I will begin by
briefly reviewing several aspects of the present ecological crisis,
with the aim of drawing on the results of the best scientific research
available today, letting them touch us deeply and provide a concrete
foundation for the ethical and spiritual itinerary that follows. I will
then consider some principles drawn from the Judaeo-Christian tradition
which can render our commitment to the environment more coherent. I will
then attempt to get to the roots of the present situation, so as to
consider not only its symptoms but also its deepest causes. This will
help to provide an approach to ecology which respects our unique place
as human beings in this world and our relationship to our surroundings.
In light of this reflection, I will advance some broader proposals for
dialogue and action which would involve each of us as individuals, and
also affect international policy. Finally, convinced as I am that change
is impossible without motivation and a process of education, I will
offer some inspired guidelines for human development to be found in the
treasure of Christian spiritual experience.
Pope Francis is not simply rambling on about a topic of importance to the church without structure. He clear lays out what he is addressing. There is definition to his demands of this format. Hopefully, by the end of the Encyclical Letter these statements will be fulfilled. The statements are concise so I have trouble believing they aren't accurate to the mission of this document.
16. Although each chapter will have its own subject and specific approach, it will also take up and re-examine important questions previously dealt with. This is particularly the case with a number of themes which will reappear as the Encyclical unfolds. As examples, I will point to the intimate relationship between the poor and the fragility of the planet, the conviction that everything in the world is connected, the critique of new paradigms and forms of power derived from technology, the call to seek other ways of understanding the economy and progress, the value proper to each creature, the human meaning of ecology, the need for forthright and honest debate, the serious responsibility of international and local policy, the throwaway culture and the proposal of a new lifestyle. These questions will not be dealt with once and for all, but reframed and enriched again and again.
Pope Francis is not simply rambling on about a topic of importance to the church without structure. He clear lays out what he is addressing. There is definition to his demands of this format. Hopefully, by the end of the Encyclical Letter these statements will be fulfilled. The statements are concise so I have trouble believing they aren't accurate to the mission of this document.
16. Although each chapter will have its own subject and specific approach, it will also take up and re-examine important questions previously dealt with. This is particularly the case with a number of themes which will reappear as the Encyclical unfolds. As examples, I will point to the intimate relationship between the poor and the fragility of the planet, the conviction that everything in the world is connected, the critique of new paradigms and forms of power derived from technology, the call to seek other ways of understanding the economy and progress, the value proper to each creature, the human meaning of ecology, the need for forthright and honest debate, the serious responsibility of international and local policy, the throwaway culture and the proposal of a new lifestyle. These questions will not be dealt with once and for all, but reframed and enriched again and again.
