Download Live simply so that others may simply live

Live simply so that others
may simply live
By Pip Barnard and Mary-Anne Johnson article taken out of the Tasmanian Catholic Vol 3: Issue 2 2007*
I
rish Columban priest Fr Seán McDonagh
believes that if the Catholic Church is for
the “flourishing of the life of the world”,
it should therefore make climate change
action a “top priority in its mission”.
On March 13, 2007, Fr Seán McDonagh
SSC was in Hobart, where he addressed an
Archdiocesan Pastoral Conference at the
Catholic Diocesan Centre, New Town. Later
that evening he spoke at Spirituality in the
Pub (SIP), held at St Virgil’s College, Austins
Ferry alongside Australian priest Fr Charles
Rue SSC.
Fr Seán is an ecologist, activist and writer
who has been a tireless campaigner against
global warming, climate change and the
destruction of the world’s natural resources
for 30 years. He spent 15 years with the T’boli
tribal people in the Philippines, where he
became ecologically aware of the destruction
of forests in that country.
Fr Seán reminds us that we are a
Sacramental Church and it is our experience
with the world which forms part of our
covenant with God.
“The world is the primary sacrament
of God’s presence. The environment is
at the heart of pastoral ministry, not the
periphery.”
“We need to return to a robust
Sacramentality.”
By “robust” Fr Seán means the Eucharist
should contain an actual experience of
breaking real bread, drinking real wine, and
pouring pure water. Just as God became a
real man in Jesus, so Jesus is to be represented
in elements from the earth.
“We need to own the Sacramental
elements of the Eucharist. It is not just a ritual.
It celebrates the sacredness of all creation.”
In his address to Priests and other pastoral
works at the Pastoral
Conference, Fr Seán said the Eucharist has
always involved thanks for both creation and
redemption.
Its origins in the Jewish Passover ritual
unite the pastoral tradition (the lamb) with
the agricultural tradition (bread). The story
of Passover is retold in a way that keeps the
Jewish People, their faith and traditions alive.
In the ritual book of Haggadah, God’s deeds
are recalled and these include both creation
and redemption.
Fr Seán said the Eucharist must
acknowledge that the Noachic Covenant in
Genesis (9:8-18) is made with God and ALL
creation, not just humans.
Speaking to an eager SIP audience, Fr Seán
began his address with the questions:
“Why has it taken so long for people
to catch on to climate change? Why don’t
intelligent people believe in the science (of
climate change)?” he asked.
“Because,” he continued, “there has been
an orchestrated campaign of misinformation
to put us off the agenda.”
“Scientists have been personally attacked,”
he said. “Anyone who has spoken up about
climate change, in the
past,
their credibility has been attacked,” Fr Seán
asserted.
If you are looking for evidence instead
of empty rhetoric, it seems that the stark
reality of climate change has not yet been
fully understood by our leaders. However,
when respected economist Sir Nicholas Stern
released The Stern Review last year telling the
UK government that global warming could
shrink the global economy by 20%, many
European governments began to take serious
notice. Taking action now, said Stern, would
only cost around 1% of global gross domestic
product.
Even David Attenborough, a long-time
sceptic of climate change, is now convinced
of global warming. “How could I look my
grandchildren in the eye and say I knew about
this and I did nothing?” he asked (Climate
Change, page 8).
Earlier this month, Pope Benedict
responded directly to the ecological crisis:
“In meeting the challenges of environmental
protection and sustainable development,
we are called to promote and safeguard the
moral conditions for an authentic ‘human
ecology’. This in turn calls for a responsible
relationship not only with creation but also
with our neighbours, near and far, in space
and time, and with the Creator.”
“Particular attention must be paid to the
fact that the poorest countries are likely to pay
the heaviest price for ecological deterioration,”
Pope Benedict said.
This timely convergence of positions from
science, economics and faith and spirituality
will provide the impetus for potentially the
greatest human project in recent history
according to Fr Seán. The groundswell of
support for change he sees from ordinary
people is overwhelming. Diverse ideologies
are now united by an urgent need to face
this issue head on.
As Fr Seán argues, the fight against climate
change is a moral one for Catholics. It is
incumbent upon all people of faith, together
with secular society, to join and work toward
a sustainable future.
“As Catholics, we begin where Al Gore
ends (from science, to faith and morality),”
he says.
“Christian voices around the world are
calling us to relate to God’s
creation from the depths of
our Christian faith.”
Fr Charles Rue, an
Australian Columban priest
who accompanied Fr Seán,
says in his paper Catholics
and Nature that each individual diocese
could facilitate parishes and communities
in bringing environmental insights to the
living of the faith. He concedes that some
Christians still think that eco-justice and
spirituality are pagan or part of New Age
thinking. However, the grounding nature of
both the Liturgy and the direct experience
of nature through science, art, animals and
bushwalking can bring about a “conversion
experience” claiming love of Creation as an
integral part of one’s Christian faith.
Fr Charles encourages us to make noise
about climate change within our parish
communities.
“Open up dialogues between yourselves
and your Church,” he says. “Be courteous. Be
prepared to be laughed at occasionally!”
What can we do about this?
Look up the Catholic Earthcare website
for hints on conducting a green audit of
both your own home and church owned
buildings: www.catholicearthcareoz.net/
auditrevised2006.ppt
Be involved with your local councils,
state and federal governments on matters
of our environment. Co-operate with other
groups interstate - Townsville Archdiocese
has recently completed an energy audit, for
example. What can we learn from this?
Following the SIP talk, Sacred Heart Church
in New Town has changed from incandescent
light globes to compact fluorescent lamps.
A small change perhaps, but a step in a
positive direction.
“The ‘good life’ today is caught up with
wealth, ownership of property, a huge
carbon footprint and a concern for external
appearances. Transforming this vision will not
be easy,” says Fr Seán in Climate Change.
He believes strongly that if we live simpler
lives, with less conspicuous consumption our
quality of life will improve: Less consumption
equals less debt and less work!
of creation, according to Fr Seán.
“Build structures of hope, celebrate the
small victories. There is hope. We are all called
to action for creation by our Church,” says
Fr Seán.
“It is not too late. God’s world has incredible
healing powers. Within a single generation we
could steer the earth toward our children’s
future,” Pope John Paul II and Patriarch of
Constantinople, Bartholomew I
(Joint Declaration on Environment, June 2002).
“Make this commitment,
not just because the Pope
says so, but because it
is the right thing to do!”
says Fr Seán.
You are invited to join a liturgy celebrating
creation. “Spirituality in the Bush” will be held
at the labyrinth, St Virgil’s College, Austins
Ferry at noon on Sunday, 24 June, 2007.
“... we are a Sacramental Church and it is
our experience with the world which
forms part of our covenant with God.”
Positive change, living in harmony
with the natural world, although not easy
to implement at first, will transform our
relationships with other human beings and
motivate us to live in harmony with the rest
Your questions answered
Q. Isn’t climate change a natural, ongoing process?
A. Y
es, but not at the rate at which we are currently experiencing. Glacial periods, followed
by shorter warm periods, have been occurring for two million years. Scientists point
to three naturally occurring phenomena to account for these:
1. The earth’s orbit (around the sun) is more elliptical than circular. This means that, at
certain times, the earth is closer or further away from the sun. Normally, there is only
a 6% difference in solar radiation between January and July. When the orbit is fully
elliptical, the difference ranges from between 20% to 30%. This happens about every
100,000 years.
2. Changes to the earth’s axis of rotation. On average, the earth tilts at 23.4 º C, but can
vary between 21.8 to 24.4 º C. This cycle takes 42,000 years to complete.
3. The ‘wobble’ effect. A change also occurs in the earth’s rotational axis every 22,000
years. During this cycle the axis shifts from pointing to the polar star to pointing to
a star called Vega. This affects the climatic intensity of the seasons, bringing mild
summers and harsh, cold winters.
Q. How can you measure human-induced climate change?
A. Scientists now have better sources of data from satellites, seabeds, weather records,
dendrology (the science of trees) and ice cores. Ice cores reveal the percentage of
various gases in the atmosphere at any time during the past 400,000 years. Ice cores
have revealed that prior to the Industrial Revolution 200 years ago, the average parts
per million (ppm) of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 280ppm. In 1958 there
were 315ppm and by 2005 it was 378ppm and rising by 2ppm each year. It is projected
that by 2050 it will reach over 500ppm. A very effective greenhouse. (McDonagh,
Climate Change)
* Pip Barnard is the editor of the Tasmanian Catholic and the former Resource
Officer for the Tasmanian Catholic Justice and Peace Commission (TCJPC).
Mary-Anne Johnson is the current Resource Officer for the TCJPC.