The impact of climate change falls heaviest on the world’s poor. As Catholics, our faith demands prudent action.
Our cars and power plants, more energy consumption and waste—we’re leaving a bigger carbon footprint. Scientists tell us that means more climate change. Here and around the world, it is the poor who will be hit hardest. With more droughts, floods, hunger and joblessness. As faithful Catholics, we have a moral obligation to care for both Creation and the poor. Pope Benedict XVI insists, “Before it is too late, it is necessary to make courageous decisions” to curb climate change.
What can you do?
Take the St. Francis Pledge to care for creation AND the poor at the Catholic Coalition for Climate Change website: http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/
I just signed up for the St. Francis Pledge:
- PRAY and reflect on the duty to care for God’s Creation and protect the poor and vulnerable.
- LEARN about and educate others on the causes and moral dimensions of climate change.
- ASSESS how we-as individuals and in our families, parishes and other affiliations-contribute to climate change by our own energy use, consumption, waste, etc.
- ACT to change our choices and behaviors to reduce the ways we contribute to climate change.
- ADVOCATE for Catholic principles and priorities in climate change discussions and decisions, especially as they impact those who are poor and vulnerable.
“Immigration reform: An imperative for justice and human dignity” by Bishop Salvatore Cordileone, Diocese of Oakland, California:
“Almost all people in this country are or have descended from immigrants. My own grandparents emigrated from Sicily. . .
I remain grateful to our nation for the opportunity it gave my grandparents to escape poverty and hardship and make a new life for themselves. Like so many of you, I am a beneficiary of this great legacy of the United States of America.
Unfortunately, though, there are millions of people in our country who need this same opportunity and, even though we need what they have to offer us, are effectively denied it. Out of desperation they come nonetheless; they are given jobs, but not opportunity.
Some 12 million of these brothers and sisters of ours — many in our own diocese — live in fear of deportation and separation from their families because they are here without legal documentation . . . The Church continues to stand in solidarity with them.”
Read Bishop Salvatore’s complete article at Catholic Voice online:
http://www.catholicvoiceoakland.org/2010/03-08/commentary.htm
I think Bishop Salvatore does a lovely job in presenting all sides of the issue in the spirit of the loving compassion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
http://www.secondexodus.com
A group of Jewish converts to the Roman Catholic faith have a wonderful Apostolate called the "Second Exodus".
The leader of the group has written a book by the same name, and I am about a third of the way into it. It is a wonderful journey through our faith, useful to anyone who wants to understand Roman Catholicism, and very helpful for any Roman Catholic who would like to defend their faith. A very readable book.
A truly precious aspect of the book is that it is written by a devout Jew who has become a devout Roman Catholic. All the rich treasure of Judaism flows seamlessly into the rich treasure of Roman Catholic Tradition.
I am in the middle of reading "The Darwin Myth" by Benjamin Wiker, PhD. It is a very readable book, striving to cut away the mythology that atheists have built up around Darwin. These atheists, or Darwinists, promote the myth that Darwin was a devout Christian who studied science, discovered "truth", and then threw off "superstition".
Dr. Wiker points out that Darwin's grandfather, father and older brother were atheists; Darwin was never a believing Christian, and his natural history studies simply entrenched him in his materialist viewpoint.
Also, evolution was not unique to Darwin, not his sole big discovery. Rather, Darwin's grandfather had written a science book about the transmutation of species. Other scientists of the day were discussing the changes of nature, both in geology and biology. What Darwin did was to work very, very hard in order to come up with a theory that carefully and deliberately erased God from science.
The horrors of eugenics of the early 20th century can, in fact, be traced right to Darwin's front door. Yuck.
The main thing for me, though, is that Darwin was always an atheist, and wrote his "On the Origin of Species" from an atheistic viewpoint. It is important for us Christians to realize this, and beware of the propaganda from the atheists who are also scientists who try and claim that science and religion are incompatible.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God, and all Creation is shouting for joy! Amen!
As an engineer who makes my living through the discoveries of science, I find that the study of God's Creation is a never ending source of joy, wonder and cause to worship our wonderful God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
http://catalog.americancatholic.org/product.aspx?prodid=C0310&pcat=78
A great new issue of Catholic Update from St. Anthony Messenger Press just came out on Evolution and our Catholic faith. The idea is that proper science is in no way a conflict with proper theology and Biblical scholarship.
As people of faith, we need to encounter sacred scripture properly: the Church teaches that the Bible is "true in the literal sense". So we need to discern the type of literature (history, story, liturgical poetry, parable, prophecy), the intended audience (Jews, Christians, people under oppression, kings, peasantry), the author's intent, and so on. The Jews and the early Church never considered Genesis a science textbook.
As people in a science-based world, we also must be alert to the proper use of science. Science can only tell about the Creation, and can tell nothing about the Creator. Atheists consistently try to pervert the science of evolution in order to support their faith in no God ("There is no God, and Darwin is our Prophet!). When you spot atheists who are also scientists trying to disprove faith, rest assured it is because they have first put their faith in atheism. Atheism does not arise naturally and logically from science. I am an engineer, and rest assured, many, many scientists and engineers from a nearby national laboratory go to my parish and are devout Catholics.
Catholic Update is handed out monthly at my parish -- a really wonderful way to remind Catholics about the basics (e.g. Confession, Baptism) as well as hot topics (e.g. Marriage as between one man and one woman, stem cell research).
Here is the full description of the article on the St. Anthony Messenger Press website:
In this issue of Catholic Update, Sr. Paula Gonzalez tackles the age-old question of the compatibility of the findings of evolutionary science with the Catholic belief in a creator God. She writes, "Two major reasons for resistance to evolution are: 1) the mistaken idea that Darwin's theory of evolution excludes supernatural involvement in the development of the natural world, and 2) the general public's limited understanding of the scientific evidence that has made this theory universally accepted in the scientific community." She concludes that evolution need not threaten faith and cites various pontifical statements in support of this conclusion. One, by Pope Pius XII in the 1950 encyclical, Humani generis, states "biological evolution is compatible with Christian faith." In 1996, Pope John Paul II stated, "[N]ew scientific knowledge has led us to realize that the theory of evolution is no longer a mere hypothesis." She quotes the late Father Thomas Berry as we look to the future, "The Great Work now, as we move into a new millennium, is to carry out the transition from a period of human devastation to a period when humans would be present to the planet in a mutually beneficent manner." In light of this, Gonzalez writes, "Our times require that all of us appreciate our part in this great work of co-creation."
SISTER PAULA GONZALEZ, S.C., Ph.D. taught biology at the College of Mt. St. Joseph for 20 years. She is cofounder and board member of Ohio Interfaith Power and Light, and gives many workshops and retreats across the United States and Canada.
I just went to the California Catholic Conference website, and sent emails to my legislators on three different Bills that are pending in Congress or the State Legislature right now.
One is about unacceptable interference of the Federal government in private (i.e. Catholic) schools, one is on supporting peace in the Sudan, and one is on health care reform (protect the unborn, protect conscience rights, make health care available to as many as possible).
If you are a Californian, go to the link below and sign up for the Catholic Legislative Network -- you will get regular alerts when bills are before Congress and all Catholic voters need be heard.
http://www.cacatholic.org/index.php/take-action/join-the-catholic-legislative-network.html
If you aren't in California, I suspect the Network below may direct you correctly. When you find the right spot for your state, please comment on this post and share the info.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have been working for years now to end the death penalty, replacing it with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. True life imprisonment is a reality here in my home state of California -- it was established in the 1970's, I believe, and there are about 2000 people serving this sentence -- and not one has ever been released. So for those of you concerned about public safety, life imprisonment without the possibility of parole is a real alternative that works.
And then there's the little issue about if you capture, convict and execute the wrong guy . . . you can recover from mistakes with life imprisonment.
There is also a fairness issue -- 12 States in the USA do not have the death penalty, Texas and California execute the most people, and gosh, if you are poor and a man of color, you are headed for death row, but if you are rich and/or white . . . you almost never end up on death row. And let's not even talk about the errors and potential for corruption.
All of this is solved by simply not executing people -- life imprisonment works, protects society, allows recovery from mistakes, is cheaper, etc.
What can you do about the death penalty?
1. Pray for victims of crime and their families, those who have been wrongly convicted, and those awaiting execution.
2. Learn about Catholic social teaching, criminal justice policies, and California policies.
3. Educate others.
4. Advocate by contacting your elected officials, and urge them to replace the death penalty with life imprisonment without parole.
For more information, go to: http://www.usccb.org/deathpenalty/
"Ending the death penalty would be one important step away from a culture of death and toward building a culture of life.” -- A Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2005
The Holy Father calls recourse to the death penalty “unnecessary” and painfully reminds us that our “model of society bears the stamp of the culture of death, and is therefore in opposition to the Gospel message.” (Pope John Paul II, World Day of the Sick, Washington, DC, February 2003)
Check out these videos from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops! http://www.usccb.org/video/
Daily Reflections: Reflections on the daily Mass readings,
The Sacraments: tutorials on the Sacraments (believe me, there is a ton to learn -- you'd be amazed at how much you don't know),
One-on-One: interviews with people living their faith -- you are not alone!,
Faith Works: people taking action in the world, e.g. Pro-Life marches, Catholic Charities USA, etc.
Wow!
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has produced some terrific Catholic podcasts. Kudos to the Catholic Communication Campaign (CCC). Below I am giving the titles as they appear on iTunes and the URL for the homepage.
American Catholic Radio, http://www.usccb.org/ccc/catholicradio.shtml -- a light-hearted show produced in conjunction with the Franciscans, providing facts of faith, answers from listeners, stories of Catholics living their faith, and some reflection time. A terrific and easy way to know your faith so you can grow in your faith.
Catholic Radio Weekly, http://www.usccb.org/ccc/catholicradio.shtml
-- Catholic news from around the world, Vatican news, what Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services are doing, how regular Catholics are living their faith. Very professionally done.
Lenten Radio Retreat, http://usccb.org/lent/audio_video.shtml
-- A relaxing 30 minutes for you to reflect on the Gospel of the week.
Lino at Large, http://www.usccb.org/ccc/catholicradio.shtml
-- For young adults and anyone who wants some energy and fun! Tackles challenging topics like how to live our faith in the 21st century. Upbeat and light.
Personally Speaking with Msgr Jim Lisante, http://www.usccb.org/ccc/catholicradio.shtml
-- Monsignor Lisante interviews famous Christians from sports, film, the arts, politics -- people who are great role models and are living their discipleship. I loved the show with Tony Orlando (the 1970's pop star) -- did you know the Orlando family had a disabled child that brought love and light to the whole family?
Daily Readings from the New American Bible, http://www.usccb.org/nab/nabpodcast.shtml
-- Don't have time to read the Bible? Think again! A variety of voices read the daily Mass readings; the Sunday readings have really great choirs and soloists doing the Psalm of the day. They post an entire month at a time. March should be up by the end of today.
A "podcast" is just like a radio show, but distributed online, you can listen whenever you choose, and you can easily hear previous episodes. You can listen from the web page, download to your portable mp3 device, subscribe via iTunes, or write to an audio CD.
