Bankrupt spirituality blamed for global ecological crisis

New Zealand bishops call for stewardship of the earth

Catholic Online www.catholic.org
Auckland, New Zealand

The world is facing ecological crisis and environmental destruction that is primarily a spiritual and moral crisis, said the New Zealand bishops.

"The existence of extreme poverty and environmental destruction in our world are not natural forces, not acts of God, but result from human behaviour," the bishops said in a statement.

"That behaviour is driven by values, priorities and decisions which do not see human life as a paramount concern."

The New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference released the statement for the national Church's Social Justice Week, Sept. 10-16.

Noting that the degradation of the environment also represents an economic or "poverty crisis," the bishops stressed that "its public face is the suffering of the poor . . . at a time when accumulation of wealth and material goods has never occupied our attention more."

Spiritual crisis

"That is why," the bishops said, "we see it primarily as a spiritual or moral crisis."

The New Zealand bishops acknowledged that science and technology "have brought many blessings to human existence," including mankind's ability to "meet basic human needs."

"But the benefits of these advances have been spread unjustly, often with an adverse effect upon the world's most vulnerable populations.

"The existence of extreme poverty and environmental destruction in our world are not natural forces, nor acts of God, but result from human behaviour," the bishops said.

"What does the commandment 'Thou shall not kill' mean when 20 per cent of the world's population consumes resources at a rate that robs poorer nations and future generations of what they need to survive?

"What does it mean to be stewards of the earth when up to half of all living species are expected to become extinct in the next 200 years?" the bishops asked.

The bishops pointed to climate changes, rising sea levels, greater intensity of storms and natural disasters and the resulting adverse effects on food and water supplies and predictions that "there may be a million environmental refugees" from the inability of many Pacific Islands to sustain human life.

"People we may never meet, as well as those who are not yet born, will benefit or suffer as a result of the decisions we make and take in New Zealand and in the rest of the developed world," they said.

The bishops called upon individual Catholics, parishes, Catholic schools, religious communities and church organizations to respond with "individual and collective acts of selflessness . . . of self sacrifice for the greater good, of self denial in the midst of convenient choices, of choosing simpler lifestyles in the midst of a consumer society."

Act ethically

They pointed to using less energy, buying locally made goods which require less transportation, avoiding water waste and excess packaging as "simple steps" that can make a difference.

"Our understanding that we are stewards of God's creation, our solidarity with the poor, and our respect for the common good make the issue of environmental justice the responsibility of every person," the bishops concluded.

(© Catholic Online 2006, www.catholic.org)

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