Integral Ecology Last week’s Mapping Laudato Si’ looked at the ecology of daily life with special emphasis on urban and rural life. Now we turn to the final pieces of Chapter IV: common good and the question of intergenerational justice 1. The Principle of the Common Good (156-158) The Pope reminds all that the common good is “inseparable from the idea of an integral human ecology. The common good is “the sum of those conditions of social life which allow social groups and their individual members relatively thorough and ready access to their own fulfillment.” (#156) He emphasizes the common

Integral Ecology Last week’s Mapping Laudato Si’ addressed various types of ecology: environmental, economic, social, and cultural. Today, we continue highlighting this important chapter with a look at the ecology of daily life. 1. Ecology of Daily Life (#147-155) In this section the Pope deals with the issue of QUALITY OF LIFE which affects everyone. He commends those who with generosity and creativity respond to the environmental limitations of their surroundings, but notes that extreme poverty can lead to immense challenges in regard to quality of life. Pope Francis mentions the problems raised by lack of housing, criminalization and overcrowding

Integral EcologyThe heart of the Encyclical’s proposals is integral ecology as a new paradigm of justice, an ecology “which respects our unique place as human beings in this world and our relationship to our surroundings” (15). In fact, “nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live” (139). This holds true in all fields: in economy and politics, in different cultures, particularly in those most threatened. Summary quote of this chapter’s goal: “Since everything is closely interrelated, and today’s problems call for a vision capable of taking into account every aspect of the

Human Roots of the Ecological Crisis Last week we looked at the technology crossroads confronting us and the globalization of a technological framework that conditions lifestyle and the shaping of social possibilities by powerful groups. Today we consider 1. The Crisis and Effects of Modern Anthropocentrism (#115-136) A third area of concern is the crisis and effects of modern anthropocentrism. God has given earth to us, and we must use it with respect for its original good purpose. We are not called to mastery over the world, but to responsible stewardship. We are also God’s gift to one another. When

Human Roots of the Ecological Crisis Chapter III  of Pope Francis’ Encyclical, Laudato Si’, analyzes current aspects of the ecological (both environmental and social) crisis that were described in the first chapter, “so as to consider not only its symptoms but also its deepest causes” (#15), in a dialogue with philosophy and the human sciences. Summary quote of this chapter’s message:  “It would hardly be helpful to describe symptoms without acknowledging the human origins of the ecological crisis. A certain way of understanding human life and activity has gone awry to the serious detriment of the world around us. Should