The Garden of God: Toward a Human Ecology

271 Pages·2014·1.16 MB·English

by  Pope Benedict XVI

the garden of
GOD

BENEDICT XVI
the garden of
GOD
toward a human ecology
Edited by
Maria Milvia Morciano
With a foreword by
Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès, OP
the catholic university of america press
washington, d.c.
Originally published in Italian as Per Una Ecologia dell’Uomo by
the Libreria Editrice Vaticana, © 2012
Copyright © 2014
The Catholic University of America Press
All rights reserved
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
American National Standards for Information Science—Permanence
of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1984.
∞
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Benedict XVI, Pope, 1927–
[Per una ecologia dell’uomo. English]
The garden of God : toward a human ecology / Benedict XVI ; edited by
Maria Milvia Morciano ; with a foreword by Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès,
OP.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8132-2579-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Human ecology—Religious aspects—Catholic Church.
2. Environmental justice—Religious aspects—Christianity.
3. Climatic changes. 4. Environmentalism—Religious aspects—
Catholic Church. I. Morciano, Maria Milvia,
editor of compilation. II. Title.
BX1795.H82B4513 2014
261.8'8—dc23 2013042122
Contents
Foreword: The Urgency of a Human Ecology ix
Archbishop Jean-Louis Bruguès
Part 1. Creation and Nature
In Contact with Nature, Individuals Rediscover That They
Are Creatures “Capable of God” 3
Creation Is a Gift So That It Might Become the Garden
of God and Hence a Garden for Men and Women 4
Creation, with All of Its Gifts, Aspires Above and
Beyond Itself 7
The Amazon River, a Fountain of Life 10
The “Ecology of Peace” 13
Man Has Received Creation So That He Might
Implement God’s Plan 18
The Arctic: Mirror of Life 19
The Wonder of Creation and the Scars Which Mark
the Surface of the Earth 21
What Air Is for Biological Life, the Holy Spirit Is
for Spiritual Life 27
The Protection of Creation 32
The Keys to the Earth Are in the Hands of Man 35
Creation Is Marked by Finitude 36
If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation 38
The Protection of Creation, an Element of Peace and
of Justice 52
The Word of God and the Protection of Creation 61
In Contemplating Creation Man Has a Profound Sense
of Gratitude and Recognition, but Also of Responsibility
for Tilling and Keeping the Work of God 63
contents
The World Is a Product of Creative Reason 65
The Earth Seen from Space Is Beautiful and Fragile 71
Human Ecology Is an Imperative Need 73
The Created World Is Not Merely a Scenario into Which
God’s Saving Action Is Inserted, but Rather the Very Beginning
of That Marvelous Action 76
Be Praised My Lord through All Your Creatures 83
Part 2. The Environment, Science,
and Technology
The Harmony of Faith and Knowledge 91
Remembrance of the Twentieth Anniversary of the
Tragedy at Chernobyl 94
Environment, Human Person, Spiritual Values 95
The Irresponsible Exploitation of the Environment Reflects
an Inhumane Concept of Development 98
Scientific Knowledge and Technology Are Always Applied
in Full Respect for International Rights 102
Strengthening the Alliance between Man and the Environment 103
Family, Human Community, and the Environment 104
New Men for a New World 106
Natural Law as a Guarantee against Manipulations and
Abuses against Man 108
More Modest Lifestyles to Slow Down Environmental
Degradation 109
The Use of Alternative Energies Contributes to Mankind’s
Desire to Be Better Stewards of God’s Creation 111
Man Knows the Advantage That the Universe Has over Him;
the Universe, Instead, Knows Nothing 112
Even the Decisions of Individuals, Families, and Local
Administrations Are Fundamental for the Preservation
of the Environment 116
Social Responsibility Means More Attention to the Needs
of Workers, the Good of the Community, and the Respect
of the Environment 118
Science as a Place of Dialogue, the Meeting between Man and
Nature and Potentially Even between Man and His Creator 121
vi
contents
Unlimited Speculation Has a Negative Impact on the
Environment and on Man Himself 124
Ecology of Man, Ecology of the Environment 125
The Church Must Encourage Governments to Protect the
Fundamental Goods Which Are the Earth and Water 134
Part 3. Hunger, Poverty, and the
Earth’s Resources
Nourishing the World’s Population with Respect for Biodiversity 139
Without Solidarity between Countries There Is a Risk of
Impeding the Work of International Organizations Committed
to Fighting Hunger and Malnutrition 141
A New Europe Free from the Unique Form of “Apostasy”
from Itself 145
When the Logic of Sharing and Solidarity Prevails It Is Possible
to Direct the Course toward an Equitable and Sustainable
Development 149
The Right to Food 150
Justly Administering the Fruits of Creation 154
Selfishness and Speculation as Obstacles to the Fight
against Hunger 157
Fighting Poverty to Build Peace 160
An Equitable Access to the Earth’s Resources Should Be
Guaranteed to Everyone 174
Integral Human Development in Charity and in Truth 177
An Integral Human Development to Give Voice to Every Nation 189
More Agricultural Investments in Poor Countries 195
For Development to Be Sustainable It Is Necessary to Aim
at a Balance between Farming, Industry, and Services 197
The Farmer as a Model of a Mentality That Unites Faith
and Reason 199
Adequate Food Concerns the Fundamental Right to Life 200
Agricultural Work as an Objective Strategy of Growth and
Integral Development 205
Scriptural Index 211
General Index 213
vii

Foreword
The Urgency of a Human Ecology
In recent years, photovoltaic panels have been installed on
the roof of the principal auditorium of the Vatican to produce
electricity from the Roman sun. Its dining rooms now benefit
from a solar cooling system. To compensate for its carbon di-
oxide emissions, the Vatican has begun to cultivate a several-
hundred-acre climatic forest in Bükk (Hungary), thereby becom-
ing the first climatically neutral country. Although it is true that
the Vatican is the smallest country in the world, it is also true
that in matters of ecology one cannot give advice to others if one
does not start by applying that advice to oneself. In this field, wit-
ness has a greater value than discourse.
Nevertheless, discourse and documents are necessary: “The
existence of such catastrophes challenges us,” said Benedict XVI
on June 9, 2011, while meeting with some new ambassadors.
“Man comes first and it is necessary to remember this. Man, to
whom God has entrusted the care of nature, cannot be domi-
nated by technology and become an object of it. Such conscious-
ness must bring all countries together to reflect on the near fu-
ture of the planet, considering their responsibilities toward our
lives and toward technology. Human ecology is an imperative
Translated by Marta Brown.
ix