Social Justice Commission, “Care for Creation”

When the papal encyclical Laudato Si, On Care for Our Common Home, was published two years ago it caused quite a stir according to Bishop Robert Gruss. He was the opening speaker for the “Care of Creation,” Social Justice Commission Winter Workshop, held January 28 in Rapid City. The bishop urged everyone to read it prayerfully and to meditate on its passages.

The encyclical has been added to the body of church social teachings. “Many thought the Holy Father should stay out of the environmental dialogue, that has been mostly framed from a political, scientific and an economic standpoint,” said Bishop Gruss. “The encyclical firmly grounds the discussion in a spiritual perspective. It invites others to listen from a religious point of view, particularly with its understanding of creation as a holy and a precious gift from God that is to be revered by all people.”

The bishop reminded participants that in the first chapter of Genesis God breathed life into all creation. “The very life and spirit of God are at the heart of all created things,” he said. “Production and consumption has an inescapable effect on the environment, and from the Holy Father’s perspective, is often times at the expense of the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalized.”

In writing the encyclical Pope Frances drew on his own up bring in Argentina where there was a lot of corporate money being made at the expense of the people. In addition, the pontiff drew on the insights of Bishops’ Conferences from around the globe.

“In some sense we rule over creation, we are called to protect it, and just as the king takes care of the weak and poor in his kingdom, so we too are called to the same dominion,” said Bishop Gruss. “At the heart of this world, the Lord of Life who loves us so much, is always present. If we really believe everyone is created in God’s image and likeness then there should always be an openness to dialogue in the midst of disagreements.”

Bishop Gruss was followed at the podium by Patrick Schmadeke, the assistant Religious Education coordinator at St. Therese the Little Flower Church, Rapid City.

Schmadeke said the encyclical is an ethics based framework inspiring people to examine their relationship to the environment.

He cited the book “Quest for the Living God,” by Elizabeth Johnson, a Catholic theologian, “She said in the first photographs taken from space, our home planet looks like a bright blue marble swirled around with white clouds, floating against a background of endless black space, a precious little spot alone among all the planets, moons and asteroids we have explored to date, covered with a membrane of life.

“Astronauts who have seen this view with their own eyes speak of its power to change their deepest feelings,” Schmadeke said. “Saudi Arabian astronaut Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, part of an international crew recollected ‘The first day from space we all pointed to our own countries, the third day we were pointing to our continents, by the fifth day we were all aware of only one earth.’”

Schmadeke also quoted Astronaut Rusty Schweitzer, who walked on the moon. Schweitzer noted from that vantage point the earth is so small you can block it out with your thumb. “‘Then you realize,’ he mused, ‘that on this beautiful warm blue and white circle is everything that means anything to you. All of nature and history, births and love and then you are changed forever,’” Schmadeke said.

He said the beautiful imagery helps us understand the parable of the Good Samaritan — we are all each other’s neighbors. The imagery also helps in understanding the universe is complexly interconnected and everything is related to everything else in some degree.

British scientist-theologian Arthur Peacocke wrote every atom of iron in our blood’s hemoglobin would not be there if it were not produced in some galactic explosion billions of years ago and eventually condensed to form the iron in the crust of the earth from which we have emerged.

“I wonder how often we think of this, that we are made of stardust. Poetically the book of Genesis observes ‘for you are dust and to dust you shall return.’ This speaks to the finite nature of human existence and to our connection with the earth,” he said.