The Environmental Crisis: Fundamentally A Spiritual Crisis
The environmental crisis is rooted in one major flaw. It centers its energy on humankind to the neglect of God. It directs us to see nature as a source of profit and convenience and not an invitation into the wonder of God’s presence and love.
On the other hand, God sees all creation and humanity as one reality, manifesting and celebrating God’s benevolent power in both humankind and all of nature.
There needs to be harmony, not domination, between the human venture and all of creation. The prevailing mentality sees nature as primarily a resource for profit and support for our economic wellbeing. This misuse and abuse of nature’s gifts is the foundation of our modern economy. The growing pattern of climate change and its mounting destructive forces flow from this gross distortion of God’s plan for harmony and unity.
The situation in the Amazon is a clear example of this exploitation. The stripping of the Amazon is profitable for a few but affects the breathing of everyone in the world. This blinding greed exemplifies the patterns of production and consumption that underpin our way of life and the way we are destroying God’s gift of creation.
Placing humanity over and above nature fosters a sense of dominion over all the elements of creation. In this approach to God’s creation, all of nature has one main purpose: to create a comfortable and profitable life for the beneficiaries of the human economy.
This attitude drives an outlook that poisons our air, destroys land and sea, and causes the extinction of whole species of animals. There seems to be no end to the stripping of forests, removal of wetlands, and treating our water resources as an infinite garbage dump. The ultimate consequence is the destruction of our environment.
Pope Francis in his letter tells us: “We are always capable of going out of ourselves toward the other. Unless we do this, other creatures will not be recognized for their true worth; we are unconcerned about caring for things for the sake of others; we fail to set limits on ourselves in order to avoid the suffering of others or the deterioration of our surroundings. Disinterested concern for others, and rejection of every form of self-centeredness and self-absorption, are essential if we truly wish to care for our brothers and sisters and for the natural environment. These attitudes also attune us to the moral imperative of assessing the impact of every action and personal decision on the world around us. If we can overcome individualism, we will truly be able to develop a different lifestyle and bring about significant changes in society.” (Laudato Si´ #208)
The following quotes from Laudato Si´ invite us into deeper reflection and action.
- “As never before in history, common destiny beckons us to seek a new beginning… Let ours be a time remembered for the awakening of a new reverence for life, the firm resolve to achieve sustainability, the quickening of the struggle for justice and peace, and the joyful celebration of life.” (Laudato Si´ #207)
- Environmental education has broadened its goals… It tends now to include a critique of the “myths” of a modernity grounded in a utilitarian mindset (individualism unlimited progress, competition, consumerism, the unregulated market). It seeks also to restore the various levels of ecological equilibrium, establishing harmony within ourselves, with others, with nature and other living creatures, and with God.” (Laudato Si´ #210)
Addendum
In these several blogs on Laudato Si´ about Ecological Conversion, I will be adding a few items of helpful Information, mostly from the Carmelite Newsletter of the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary with special thanks to Dennis Kalob, editor. Likewise, I will use numerous quotes from the encyclical letter both within the text of the blogs and in reflective quotes at the end of each blog. The hope is to familiarize the reader with the significance of Francis’ radical vision for our time. While these many quotes from the Papal letter will, no doubt, make the material more difficult to read, I believe it is well worth the effort.Pope Leo’s message for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (Sept. 1, 2025). Here is an excerpt from that message:
“Environmental justice – implicitly proclaimed by the prophets – can no longer be regarded as an abstract concept or a distant goal. It is an urgent need that involves much more than simply protecting the environment. For it is a matter of justice – social, economic and human. For believers it is also a duty born of faith, since the universe reflects the face of Jesus Christ, in whom all things were created and redeemed. In a world where the most vulnerable of our brothers and sisters are the first to suffer the devastating effects of climate change, deforestation and pollution, care for creation becomes an expression of our faith and humanity.”
In the 11th edition, I included this great quote from Pope Leo:
“God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that He created, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters. What will be our answer?” –Pope Leo XIV
