THE CHURCH AND THE ENVIRONMENT
From Gdansk to the Conference in Copenhagen (December 7-18)
“The global common good: the environmental dimension”. This is the theme addressed by Simone Morandini (Lanza Foundation in Padua and Triveneto Theological Faculty, Italy) on Saturday, October 10, during the first Catholic Social Days for Europe held in Gdansk (Poland), October 8-11.Next December the Conference of the stakeholders will take place in Copenhagen, called to define ant-global warming measures to be enacted starting in 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol’s validity will expire, (the agreement’s effectiveness is limited, but it remains significant in terms of the assumption of responsibilities shared by the international community). Hence there was a reiterated call to reach an agreement in view of a stronger commitment in this direction, Only a human family capable of undertaking joint action will be able to address such a serious crisis. It was often said: it is necessary to act soon and efficiently, with drastic reductions of global climate-affecting gases (carbon dioxide, methane…). From this perspective the Copenhagen Conferences has a strong ethical and political relevance – that is also theological – in that it represents the place where the human family’s will assess its ability to act as one. The modalities may certainly vary. There are countries where the pro-capita emission rate is a fraction of mean world emissions. These countries could be asked to adopt mild policies as relates to carbon. The situation in countries that registered high development rates in recent years is different. The latter may be requested a greater engagement in containing emissions. Highly industrialised Countries however, will have to undertake policies marked by cut in their respective emissions – to be implemented through the appropriate combination of eco-sufficiency and eco-efficiency, providing green technologies for the other members of the international community. The EU’s forthcoming commitments in the Copenhagen Conference ought to be lie within this framework. There ought to be a thorough reconsideration of production modalities and of the forms of social organization, under the banner of sustainability. In this sense, areas such as energy, mobility and waste management are the most critical. It is equally true that the most industrialized Countries are requested also to reconsider their respective lifestyles, adopting the creative ability to create high-quality lifestyle, lowering the burden on planet earth. It must be acknowledged that the responsibility for the future of the world and for the global common good, that is at stake in economic politics’ major choices, needs to be enacted in everyday life, in areas such as shopping, transportation, heating or public lighting. Ecclesial communities must equally adopt this approach: a sustainable life is crucial to effectively voice the faith in the Creator. As relates to the spiritual and educational dimension I believe that in this area Catholic tradition – and that of the other Christian Churches – possesses a store of spirituality and lived life that can take on a paradigmatic value for civil society inside our continent. The question is to enhance the Franciscan tradition of love for the Creation and the scout style, and not only that, based on valuing essentials, along with the satisfaction for proficient engagement, enhancing the goods of the Creation, as professed in the Benedictine tradition.Thus, there is an educational dimension of the environmental question, and the Churches in Europe can and must be in the front lines to this regard. I wish to recall the experiences of the 6 meetings for the delegates for the environment of the Bishops’ Conferences, promoted by the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE). The progressive diffusion of the “time for the Creation” celebration within European Churches is equally significant. The proposal, originally formulated by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople for September 1st, the first day of the Orthodox liturgical year, is gradually becoming an element for ecumenical sharing. Thus, it is not a coincidence that the attention for the Creation was a strong point of convergence in the final message of the 3rd Ecumenical Assembly in Sibiu in 2007 and in the Charta Oecumenica signed in Strasbourg in 2001. These gestures are now part of the ecclesial journey in Europe that need to be translated into concrete EU life experiences.
