Election 2008

The principle of Stewardship, or Ecological Responsibility, is rooted in the gifted nature of the material world and our dominion over it as defined in Genesis 1:28. This is not a green light to exploit God’s creation, rather, it is a reminder that all of creation has been entrusted to our care. “Genesis thus defines stewardship: The responsibility to recognize and reverence the interconnection and interdependence of the entire created world” (Coleman, p.922). As stewards we have the responsibility to care for and to share the goods we hold in trust from the Lord. Reverence for all of God’s creation and his divine plan for it guides stewardship.

This reverence for all creation calls us to organize our economic systems, development, and production in a way which is not environmentally destructive. The ecological responsibility entailed by stewardship requires that we manage and distribute material goods among all humanity…both current and future generations. Depletion of natural resources which destroys or alters the environment beyond regeneration or repair is unsustainable and irresponsible for several reasons.

First, it can diminish the capability of future generations to obtain the conditions needed for the pursuit of good life.

As John Paul II wrote, “there is an order in the universe which must be respected, and . . . the human person, endowed with the capability of choosing freely, has a grave responsibility to preserve this order for the well-being of future generations” (1997). As temporary stewards of God’s creation we then stand in solidarity with future generations and act to ensure their ability to realize their human potentiality.

Secondly, destruction or abuse of God’s creation fails to acknowledge its intrinsic value, seeing and using it only as means to some end.

Our claim to partake in the fruits of God’s garden for the fulfillment of our needs and wants is not boundless, extending this claim to the point of altering the harmonious mechanisms of nature is contrary to natural law and divine will.

Thirdly, environmental abuse and pollution most commonly and severely impact the poor.

Those who are poor often lack the means to protect themselves from pollution, develop alternative means for survival, and defend their interests in the way in which their environment is used. China provides two examples of such abuse: the lack of government or social response to high rates of death due to air pollution, and the displacement of thousands of villagers and farmers as a result of the Three Gorges Dam. The responsibility of stewardship goes hand in hand with the principle of solidarity, which calls individuals to stand in support of the common good and to consider the impact their choices have on the totality of God’s creation.

The US Bishops on Ecological Responsibilty

“Global climate change is about the future of God’s creation and the one human family. It is about protecting both the ‘human environment’ and the natural environment. It is about our human stewardship of God’s creation and our responsibility to those generations who will succeed us…. As people of faith, we believe that the atmosphere that supports life on earth is a God-given gift, one we must respect and protect. It unites us as one human family. If we harm the atmosphere, we dishonor our Creator and the gift of creation.”

(Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence and the Common Good, U.S. Catholic Bishops, 2001)

Practical Application:

Climate Change

Renewable Energy

Agriculture

Pollution

Deforestation