D.
Integrity of Creation
Today, violence is not only committed against human
beings but also against nature. Our environment is often the
victim of too much concern for economic and technological
progress especially when this concern is not accompanied by
concern for the balance of the ecosystem. In Solicitudo Rei
Socialis, the Church teaches that:
A true concept of development cannot ignore the use of the
elements of nature, the renewability of resources and the
consequences of haphazard industrialization – three
considerations which alert our consciences to the moral
dimension of development (S.R.S., 34).
The same encyclical gives three reasons why man should respect the environment and
natural resources:
a. the natural cosmos must not be used simply as one wishes, according to one’s own
economic needs;
b. natural resources are limited and some are
The ecological crisis is a moral issue... not renewable;
Respect for life and for the dignity of c. the direct or indirect result of
the human person extends also to the industrialization is, ever more frequently, the
rest of creation... we cannot interfere in pollution of the environment, with serious
one area of the ecosystem without consequences to the health of the population.
paying due attention both to the
consequences of such interference in The Church’s teaching on ecology is
other areas and to the well-being of grounded on the Christian doctrine of creation and
the Kingdom of Christ over all creation. The
future generations. CBCP’s 1988 pastoral letter entitled “What is
- Pope John Paul II, 1990 Happening to our Beautiful Land?” teaches the
following:
a. the Bible tells us that God created
this beautiful and fruitful world for
all His creatures to live in (Gen. 1:1
– 2:4);
b. that He loves His world and is
pleased with it (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18,
21, 25, 31); that He created man and
woman in His image and charged
them to be stewards of His creation
(Gen. 1:27-28)’ likewise God has
given us the task of being caretakers
of His creation (Gen. 2:19-20); to
care for it, to protect its fruitfulness and not allow it to be devastated (Gen. 1:28; 9:12);
c. the destruction of any part of creation especially, the extinction of species is a violation
of God's will and defaces the image of God which is etched in creation.
God, who created our world, loves life and wishes to share this life with every creature.
St. John tells that Jesus saw His mission in this light. ‘I have come that they may have life and
have it to the full.’ (Jn. 10:10) The bond between God, human beings, and nature is symbolized
by the covenant which recognizes the close binding of
all living forms in what are called ecosystems. In the
Bible, the rainbow is a constant reminder of God’s
covenant (Gen. 9:12). As people of the covenant we
are called to protect endangered ecosystems like our
forests, mangroves, and coral reefs and to establish
human communities in our land. Our faith tells us
that Christ is the center point of human history and
creation. All the rich unfolding of the universe and
the emergence and flowering of life on Earth are
centered on him (Eph. 1:9 – 10; Col. 1:16-17).
The International Commission on Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (ICJPIC) holds
that the increasing injustice and violence to our environment is interconnected to the social
injustice happening today. The increasing environmental injustices are the consequences of the
social injustices. The former cannot be addressed without addressing the latter. In a way it can
be said that the present patterns of production and consumption are the principal causes of the
environmental degradation.
Today, the Church forcefully reiterates her teaching that exploitation or abuse of the
environment is against God’s will. She asks all her members and all people of goodwill to respect
and protect our natural resources.
It is the duty of Christians and of all who look
to God as the Creator to protect the
environment by restoring a sense of reverence
for the whole of God’s creation. It is the
Creator’s will that man should treat nature not
as a ruthless exploiter but as an intelligent and
responsible administrator . . . The protection of
the environment is not only a technical
question; it is also and above all an ethical issue.
All have a moral duty to care for the
environment, not only for their own good but
also for the good of future generation (E.A., 41).
SEGREGATE!
