Jesuit Chemist turned Pope Gives Warning About Not Caring for Our Earth

Being that the University of San Francisco is a Jesuit institution, I wanted to bring to the table this week the voice of someone who was not only educated in the same mission as we are here at USF but someone who is now serving has one of our world leaders as Pope Francis, previously known as Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J. of Argentina. What would Pope Francis have to do with the environment you might ask? He has everything to do with it.

Pope Francis has brought back the sleeping giant of Vatican II and the Catholic Social Teaching documents which have called all people, not only Catholics, to understand how interdependent we are on this Earth and how we have a responsibility to the Earth to protect not just human life but all life. 

In Pope Francis' Encyclical Letter called "Laudato Si'" or "Praise be to you, my Lord," Pope Francis makes the case for the application of the Catholic Social Teaching documents that have been passed on from past Popes which "echo the reflections of numerous scientists, philosophers, theologians and civic groups, all of which have enriched the Church's thinking on these questions." Pope Francis addresses the fact that pollution and climate change hurts everyone but especially the poor.

"Some forms of pollution are part of people’s daily experience. Exposure to atmospheric pollutants produces a broad spectrum of health hazards, especially for the poor, and causes millions of premature deaths. People take sick, for example, from breathing high levels of smoke from fuels used in cooking or heating. There is also pollution that affects everyone, caused by transport, industrial fumes, substances which contribute to the acidification of soil and water, fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and agrotoxins in general."-- Pope Francis

In addition, Pope Francis points out that millions of tons of waste are generated, much of which not biodegradable, highly toxic and radioactive. In other words, we are making the Earth a giant garbage bin that we can't toss out. Pope Francis goes onto say that the reason this is happening is because of the "throwaway culture" that we have created and have not come to terms in changing.

Pope Francis tell us that "climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all" and that "climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods." Pope Francis points out that "many of the poor live in areas particularly affected by the phenomena related to warming, and their means of subsistence are largely dependent on natural reserves and ecosystemic services such as agriculture, fishing and forestry. They have no other financial activities or resources which can enable them to adapt to climate change or to face natural disasters, and their access to social services and protection is very limited."

"For example, changes in climate, to which animals and plants cannot adapt, lead them to migrate; this in turn affects the livelihood of the poor, who are then forced to leave their homes, with great uncertainty for their future and that of their children. There has been a tragic rise in the number of migrants seeking to flee from the growing poverty caused by environmental degradation. They are not recognized by international conventions as refugees; they bear the loss of the lives they have left behind, without enjoying any legal protection whatsoever. Sadly, there is widespread indifference to such suffering, which is even now taking place throughout our world. Our lack of response to these tragedies involving our brothers and sisters points to the loss of that sense of responsibility for our fellow men and women upon which all civil society is founded."-- Pope Francis

Pope Francis then warns about fresh drinking water and why we must protect it, "since it is indispensable for human life and supporting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems" and are "necessary for health care, agriculture and industry." In fact, Pope Francis acknowleges that "access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights." Again who is effected by the lack of access to water? It is the poor. We are responsible for all human life yet, our disposable society throws away even humans as Pope Francis says that "our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a lie consistent with their inalienable dignity."

"One particularly serious problem is the quality of water available to the poor. Every day, unsafe water results in many deaths and the spread of water-related diseases, including those caused by microorganisms and chemical substances. Dysentery and cholera, linked to inadequate hygiene and water supplies, are a significant cause of suffering and of infant mortality. Underground water sources in many places are threatened by the pollution produced in certain mining, farming and industrial activities, especially in countries lacking adequate regulation or controls. It is not only a question of industrial waste. Detergents and chemical products, commonly used in many places of the world, continue to pour into our rivers, lakes and seas."-- Pope Francis

Pope Francis says the solution is simple, that governments and the people in all countries have the responsibility to ensure that there is increase funding to improve and provide clean water and sanitary services for everyone especially for the poor.

So what can we do about it? As individuals? Pope Francis proposes many solutions that we can all do. We can start off first by changing how we go about our days. By saying no to things, events, corporations and lifestyle habits that we have adopted that hurt our Earth. We can educate people about what is happening in our country, state, and city in order to make people aware of what is happening and how we must all play a part to keep the Earth clean. We should be pushing political institutions and other social groups that we have to play a role in the environment. This means pushing institutions like USF to make more efforts to play their part whether its making more trash, recycle and compost bins available or insuring there is not food waste in the cafeteria.

"Because the stakes are so high, we need institutions empowered to impose penalties for damage inflicted on the environment. But we also need the personal qualities of self-control and willingness to learn from one another."-- Pope Francis

Not all of us will be politicians or world leaders but we must all come to the conclusion that collectively we are stronger as human community. I will personally will doing it as a nurse and a person on the ground trying to protect people, especially farm workers, against pesticide exposures. How will you do it?

"Not everyone is called to engage directly in political life. Society is also enriched by a countless array of organizations which work to promote the common good and to defend the environment, whether natural or urban. Some, for example, show concern for a public place (a building, a fountain, an abandoned monument, a landscape, a square), and strive to protect, restore, improve or beautify it as something belonging to everyone."-- Pope Francis

Destroying the environment and the Earth, our universal home, is a sin as Pope Francis reminds us. So what are we going to do about it?

http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/encyclicals/documents/papa-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/01/pope-francis-calls-on-christians-to-embrace-green-agenda