Stewards care for our environment

By Br. Steve Herro, O.Praem.

	Stewardship Stewardship: A Way of Life is the diocesan thrust. It invites Catholics to acknowledge that all of life is a gift of God and to respond through prayer, service and sharing. This series will look at ways to do that.

"On a planet conflicted over environmental issues, the Catholic tradition insists that we show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God's creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored" ("Sharing Catholic Social Teachings: Challenges and Directions," reflections of the U.S. Catholic Bishops, 1998).

Br. Steve Herro

The Catholic Church was an emphatic advocate on environmental justice before An Inconvenient Truth won an Oscar. Catholic social teaching reminds us that care of creation is a 365-day-a-year priority, not just in Earth Week. But Earth Week 2007 - April 16-22 - could be the time to start a lifelong commitment to Catholic Christian care for creation.

Earlier this month, a few parishioners and I met with Bp. David Zubik to discuss our commitment to care for creation. He asked us, "Why is this a burning issue for you?" We answered that our professional careers, advocacy for the poor, and attempt to lead a more sustainable life all drove us to respect the earth.

A close friend hit the nail on the head later that month. Patrick said care of creation must be a primary concern because our planet sustains all forms of life. If we do not preserve our land, air, and water, there will not be resources we and future generations need. We cannot have "life and dignity of the human person" without the clean water, air, food and soil humans need to subsist.

We have many sources of inspiration from church leaders.

Pope John Paul II called his 1990 message for the World Day of Peace, "Peace with God the Creator, Peace to All of Creation." He wrote, "In our day, there is a growing awareness that world peace is threatened not only by the arms race, regional conflicts and continued injustices among peoples and nations, but also by a lack of due respect for nature, by the plundering of natural resources and by a progressive decline in the quality of life. The sense of precariousness and insecurity that such a situation engenders is a seedbed for collective selfishness, disregard for others and dishonesty."

In 1992, the U.S. Catholic Conference of Bishops wrote, "The whole human race suffers as a result of environmental blight, and generations yet unborn will bear the cost for our failure to act today. But ... it is the poor and the powerless who most directly bear the burden of current environmental carelessness. Their lands and neighborhoods are more likely to be polluted or to host toxic waste dumps, their water to be undrinkable, their children to be harmed. Too often, the structure of sacrifice involved in environmental remedies seems to be a high price from the poor and from workers" ("Renewing the Earth: An Invitation to Reflection and Action on Environment in Light of Catholic Social Teaching").

Bp. Thomas Wenski of Orlando, who chairs the International Policy Committee of the USCCB, and Bp. Nicholas DiMarzo of Brooklyn, chairman of the USCCB's Domestic Policy Committee, wrote in January 2007, "... Today, our Catholic community is addressing more consistently and faithfully how to protect God's creation and the environment that sustains the human family and all the earth. As Pope John Paul II said, 'respect for life and the dignity of the human person extends also to the rest of creation, which is called to join man in praising God.' We show our respect for our Creator by our care for his creation."

	Related article: from January 27, 2006 issue: • Stewardship saves parish money     St. Therese Parish in Appleton wins     national EPA Energy Star award

We are in a position to make a difference in the buildings the Catholic Church owns, cars and homes that we and our families buy or rent, and daily individual consumer choices. For example, United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that if the 307,000 places of worship in the U.S. reduced their energy use by 25% they would prevent more than 5 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions (the equivalent of removing 1 million cars from the road) and enable congregations to save $500 million a year on power bills. Tell that to your parish business manager or finance committee! Or, replace one regular light bulb in your home with a compact fluorescent bulb and save 150 pounds of carbon dioxide a year. Instead of buying another bottle of perfume for Mother's Day or a tie for Father's Day, get them some compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Finally, consider promoting a Wisconsin state budget that is environmentally friendly. The Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters has highlighted clean water, preserving land and recreational sites, and use of clean and renewable energy in Gov. Jim Doyle's proposed 2007-09 budget. Study the issues on the League's advocacy Webpage, http://win.e-actionmax.com/showalert.asp?aaid=2391. Contact your state legislator to help ensure a cleaner environment for today and the future.

(Br. Herro is the social concerns consultant for the Green Bay Diocese.)