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| Photo: Flicker/by Bruce MacRae |
Evangelium Vitae had much that is important to say to
Catholic ecologists, including this important passage:
As one called to till and look after the garden of the world (cf. Gen 2:15), man has a specific responsibility towards the environment in which he lives, towards the creation which God has put at the service of his personal dignity, of his life, not only for the present but also for future generations. It is the ecological question-ranging from the preservation of the natural habitats of the different species of animals and of other forms of life to "human ecology" properly speaking - which finds in the Bible clear and strong ethical direction, leading to a solution which respects the great good of life, of every life. In fact, "the do-minion granted to man by the Creator is not an absolute power, nor can one speak of a freedom to use and misuse', or to dispose of things as one pleases. The limitation imposed from the beginning by the Creator himself and expressed symbolically by the prohibition not to eat of the fruit of the tree' (cf. Gen 2:16-17) shows clearly enough that, when it comes to the natural world, we are subject not only to biological laws but also to moral ones, which cannot be violated with impunity".
As the reporter in this RomeReports.com clip tells us, because Evangelium Vitae "openly addresses ecology and social issues, the encyclical also serves as a key document to promote the New Evangelization."
Take some time and read through this powerful document. And say a prayer that you, me, business leaders, and government officials are transformed by the Gospel of Life and the words of Blessed John Paul II. If we are, by the grace of God, we can then build up in our world a culture that respects all life.
May God bless Pope Francis and his predecessors.
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