Catholic Social Teaching Project

12/8/16
Chandler Rose

When someone brings up the environment what are the first things that come to your

mind? Maybe you think about trees, “going green”, or recycling. Something we all take for

granted, but should consider upon hearing the word environment, is how it is our home. The

resources we desperately need, and utilize every day, such as, water, oxygen, and food are

rapidly depleting. This is not an issue that only pertains to environmentalists, but an issue that

pertains to, and effects, all of humanity. Catholic Social Teachings makes that abundantly clear,

as they work to mend the damage already done to our environment, and fight to create a cleaner

environment for the future. In this paper, I will be discussing how we can preserve the

environment by following the ideals behind caring for creation, which is perpetuated in Catholic

Social Teachings. Taking care of the environment so that future generations may enjoy its

benefits is crucial. Not only should we preserve the environment for future generations, but we

must also act for the current generations and God. Showing love and respect for God is showing

respect to his creation.

In Catholic Social Teachings, care for creation is a new, uprising issue that is getting

noticed by everyday people, and even people in highly appointed positions, such as Popes. Pope

Francis makes it a point to address the urgency of environmental issues in his encyclical Laudato

Si’. He even takes a stance that recognizes animals as being a crucial part of creation, deserving

respect and care. Pope Francis states, “It is not enough, however, to think of different species

merely as potential “resources” to be exploited, while overlooking the fact that they have value

in themselves. Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which

we will never know, which our children will never see, because they have been lost forever. The
great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity. Because of us, thousands of

species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us.

We have no such right.” (Francis 33). This is a thoughtful quote that recognizes the environment

and the animals that walk the earth, as all being a part of God’s great creation. This quote is

important because it also brings up a simple way that everyone can help to make a change in the

deterioration of the environment. By recognizing animals as a valued part of God’s creation,

Pope Francis encourages us to use more humane practices and take care of them as equally loved

beings of God’s earth. If humanity were to follow in the footsteps of this advice, we would see

our environmental issues quickly revert. All of humanity, on an individual basis, could make a

change in mending the damage done to our environment, and creating a cleaner, more beautiful

environment for future generations by making one simple, yet significant, change. Switching to a

plant based diet could be the most powerful change any individual could make toward saving the

environment.

Over half of global greenhouse gas emissions are an offspring of animal agriculture

according to World Watch Institute. The amount of natural resources it takes to sustain the

torturous factories where animals are bred in, is staggering. By switching to a vegan diet, one can

save approximately 219,000 gallons of water per year (PETA 2016). Pollution is also a major

issue in meat and dairy industries. Farmers often take waste produced by animals and spray it

into the air to avoid water pollution limits. This subjects neighboring families, schools, parks,

and more, to breathe in these toxins which cause inflammatory, immune, irritation and

neurochemical damages in humans according to a report by California State Senate. Abolishing

the torture of animals in mass factories would also free up land space taken up by meat

industries. According to the U.N. Convention to Combat Desertification, 56 million acres of land
are used to grow feed for animals, while only 4 million acres are producing plants for humans to

eat in the United States alone. By approaching environmental issues from the perspective of

Catholic Social Teachings we can see that only humane and fair treatment of animals is

appropriate to show our respect for humanity and respect for God and his creation.

Pope Benedict XVI expresses a similar sentiment of environmental consciousness and

preservation in honor of God in his third, and last encyclical, Caritas in Veritate. In this

encyclical, Pope Benedict follows a common theme that respect for life “cannot in anyway be

detached” (Benedict 28) and ends the last portions of his encyclical with an entire segment

dedicated to the environment. He states, “The economy needs ethics in order to function

correctly — not any ethics whatsoever, but an ethics which is people-centered” (Benedict 45).

Throughout his message, he resonates with the idea that the only way to perpetuate humanity is

to act in ways that are humane. This aligns with the same idea Pope Francis had to encourage

environmental awareness. The idea behind Catholic Social Teachings is to treat the earth, the

people living in it, the animals, plants, and land, all with love and respect, for it is all a part of

God’s glorious creation. With this kind of mindset toward our environment, it is possible to see a

future where generations to come will be benefitting from the safe, clean resources preserved

over time. If these ideals are not put into practice by current generations, we will continue to

watch our environment deplete until there is nothing left for it to offer.

Portier’s “Tradition and Incarnation” is a classic example of why we might be

experiencing the environmental issues we face today. Portier speaks in depth on the separation of

church and state and how this changes our values as a society. Catholic Social Teaching shows

that it is the church’s concern, as well as humanities’ concern to work toward saving the

environment, together. Without this balance between church being integrated into society, we
notice a lack of awareness when it comes to environmental issues. Since the aim of Catholic

Social Teachings is to preserve all things gifted to us by God, the integration of church and state

would encourage humanity to work together to protect the environment, animals, plant life, the

ocean, etc. The lack of God in our society is not only shown in the affect it has on us socially, as

Portier demonstrates, it is also blatantly demonstrated through the state of our environment.

I found Catholic Social Teachings to be very helpful toward this cause of reversing the

deterioration in our environment and making it a better living space for future generations. It

appears the aim of the church is in alignment with what humanity should be striving toward. You

don’t have to be religious to know that preserving the environment is a necessary action that

benefits all of humanity. The only difference in views between Catholic Social Teachings and

those who are not religious, is that the church believes this is necessary not only for our

wellbeing, but for the glory of God. I think that the Catholic Social Teachings approach is very

selfless and demonstrates the importance of doing things to benefit others. The effort that we put

into saving the environment today might not even benefit the planet until years to come. This is

an act of pure selflessness, doing something beneficial for the earth that you won’t reap the

benefits of yourself. I believe that through the efforts of both the church, and all of humanity, we

can see a difference in our current environmental climate. Together we can make a change.
 Works Cited

Benedict. Charity in Truth: Caritas in Veritate: Encyclical Letter. Washington, DC:

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2009. Print.

Francis. Praise Be to You = Laudato Si': On Care for Our Common Home. San

Francisco: Ignatius, 2015. Print.

@peta. "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): The Animal Rights

Organization." PETA. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2016.

Portier, William L. Tradition and Incarnation: Foundations of Christian Theology. New

York: Paulist, 1994. Print.

"US Environmental Protection Agency." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.

Web. 08 Dec. 2016.