Our Shared Responsibility “Honoring creation is another way to honor God who created all that is.” --Catholic Climate Covenant Our Common Home Our Shared Responsibility Presented by: Jeff and Kelly Bohrer

Welcome and Introduction Welcoming Neighbor Ecological Conversion—A Change of Heart

What and Where is Your Heart on This Matter? Purpose: Grow in your faith Become instruments of God Trustees of sacred Earth Build up prayer life

Overview Laudato Si Chapter Summaries Encyclical Themes Ecological Crisis Integral Ecology Ecological Conversion Collective Actions Individual Actions – Sharing what we’ve done Ecological Spirituality Questions and Discussion

Laudato Si’ = Praise Be To You Chapter 1: What Is Happening To Our Common Home Overview of current climate issues including climate change, water, pollution, decrease in biodiversity, and throwaway culture. Chapter 2: The Gospel of Creation Traces our call to care for Creation through our faith tradition, with a focus on scripture. Chapter 3: The Human Roots of the Ecological Crisis Explores our technocratic culture in which we believe technology is the answer to all ills; rejects notion that we are gods over nature.

Laudato Si’ = Praise Be To You Chapter 4: Integral Ecology Explores the interconnectedness of all things Urges us to think of the populations most affected by our choices: the poor and future generations Chapter 5: Lines of Approach and Action Calls for a global dialogue and response, including politics, economics, science, and religion in the conversation Chapter 6: Ecological Education and Spirituality Urges all Christians to a deep, loving conversion that places care for creation at the heart of Christian life

Ecological Crisis

What is Happening to Our Common Home? Impacts of Environmental Degradation (Humans and Earth) Climate change Water Loss of biodiversity Pollution Development Throw away culture

Global Disparities Ecological Debt = Differentiated Responsibility Resources moved and used Displacement Exploited workers Loss of biodiversity Loss of traditional land Piracy of ancestral knowledge CO2 released Inserting our culture, our resources, our ways = Differentiated Responsibility

% of citizens of each country living on less than $2.00 per day Climate change vulnerability index

National Disparities Poverty, Racism, and Pollution “The deterioration of the environment and of society affects the most vulnerable people” -Pope Benedict "A nation's greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.“ and… “The greatness of a nationa and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Mahatma Ghandi

The Human Roots of the Ecological Crisis The Trouble With Technology Modern Anthropocentrism Practical Relativism Leads to throw away logic of nature and human life.

Compulsive Consumerism

Reflect and Discuss When have you witnessed how environmental degradation has impacted human lives or a whole community? How did you feel or respond? To what extent have I become an unquestioning and complicit citizen in a country where our comforts and luxuries come at the cost of the poverty of vast numbers of people in the rest of the world – and of the exploitation of their environmental resources?

Integral Ecology

Scripture-based Care for Creation Creation Is More Than Just Nature Sanctity of all life Every creature tells a story of God “By their mere existence, they bless the Lord and give the Lord glory.” Psalm 104 Loving Communion of God, Neighbors, and Earth A reality that promotes both human flourishing and flourishing of natural world

Model of Care for Creation Moves beyond a gift to us, being stewards Instead: we are fellow members of creation Past, current, and future generations St. Francis = “Belonging” Privileges and responsibilities

Integral Ecology = It’s All Connected “Everything is related, and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river, and mother earth.” (Laudato Si’, no. 92) The Whole Is Greater Than The Parts

Care for Creation is about PEOPLE The Poor and Vulnerable Future Generations Taking Care of the Earth = Taking Care of Each Other JUSTICE BETWEEN THE GENERATIONS: “What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?” (Laudato Si’)

Reflect and Discuss What has nature taught you about the Creator? Can you name an experience you had with the created world that helped you to pray or communicate with God?

Ecological Conversion

Ecological Conversion A change of heart Move from wastefulness (“what I want”) to sharing responsibility for crisis to sacrifice (“What God’s World Needs”) From seeing “uses” to seeing “beauty” From “convenience” to “intentionality” From “just me” to “all current and future generations” From “not in my backyard” to “not in anyone’s backyard”

Lines of Approach and Action Do more than avoid harmful practices; use creativity to promote best practices and new solutions.

Collective Actions

Lines of Approach and Action Do more than avoid harmful practices; use creativity to promote best practices and new solutions. Conserve energy and politically promote things such as recycling, energy efficiency, and modifying consumption.

Organizations Stepping Up In AOC

Sharing about us…

Renewable Energy

Energy Efficiency-Low Investment

Water Conservation

Family Responsibility Individual Actions Educating Purchasing 3 R’s Investing Community Activities

Ecological Spirituality Ecological Virtue

Ecological Spirituality Consumeristic lifestyle leads to Violence, destruction, spiritual bankruptcy We need An ethic of caring that comes from knowing sanctity of life An ecological virtue that protects God’s handiwork “God created the world, writing into it an order and a dynamism that human beings have no right to ignore.”

Ecological Spirituality Listen to Nature’s words of love Respond to grace at work in your heart Remember our Common origin and mutual belonging Community actions become spiritual Our hearts are moved to praise Inner peace found

Ecological Virtue Assess impact of decisions Learn to encounter God in creatures Protect God’s handiwork Actions of Solidarity Replace consumerism with sacrifice Greed with generosity Wastefulness with spirit of sharing Giving up with learning to give

"We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it." (229) "is not a lesser life or one lived with less intensity. On the contrary, it is a way of living life to the full."

Reflection and Discussion Do my thoughts, conversations, and actions lead to a sustainable human presence – one that is just for the whole Earth community, and cultivates a deep spiritual satisfaction for me and everybody else?

Reflection and Discussion What “ecological” conversion can you commit to today? Evaluate carbon and water footprint Make practical lifestyle changes Examine restraints needed Show care for all living creatures Relocate socially, culturally, spiritually, economically in order to break down barriers and redistribute Learn more about poverty and our differentiated responsibility Create a personal or community creation covenant Guidelines for how you use your money, time, travel, technology, living spaces, etc. Use C.H.O.I.C.E.