4 Volume 3 Issue 2 2007
FEATURES
Live simply so that others may simply live By Pip Barnard and Mary-Anne Johnson *
I
rish Columban priest Fr Seán McDonagh believes that if the Catholic Church is for the “flourishing of the life of the world”, it should therefore make climate change action a “top priority in its mission”. On March 13, 2007, Fr Seán McDonagh SSC was in Hobart, where he addressed an Archdiocesan Pastoral Conference at the Catholic Diocesan Centre, New Town. Later that evening he spoke at Spirituality in the Pub (SIP), held at St Virgil’s College, Austins Ferry alongside Australian priest Fr Charles Rue SSC. Fr Seán is an ecologist, activist and writer who has been a tireless campaigner against global warming, climate change and the destruction of the world’s natural resources for 30 years. He spent 15 years with the T’boli tribal people in the Philippines, where he became ecologically aware of the destruction of forests in that country. Fr Seán reminds us that we are a Sacramental Church and it is our experience with the world which forms part of our covenant with God. “The world is the primary sacrament of God’s presence. The environment is at the heart of pastoral ministry, not the periphery.” “ We need to return to a robust Sacramentality.” By “robust” Fr Seán means the Eucharist should contain an actual experience of breaking real bread, drinking real wine, and pouring pure water. Just as God became a real man in Jesus, so Jesus is to be represented in elements from the earth. “We need to own the Sacramental elements of the Eucharist. It is not just a ritual. It celebrates the sacredness of all creation.” In his address to Priests and other pastoral works at the Pastoral
Conference, Fr Seán said the Eucharist has always involved thanks for both creation and redemption. Its origins in the Jewish Passover ritual unite the pastoral tradition (the lamb) with the agricultural tradition (bread). The story of Passover is retold in a way that keeps the Jewish People, their faith and traditions alive.
In the ritual book of Haggadah, God’s deeds are recalled and these include both creation and redemption. Fr Seán said the Eucharist must acknowledge that the Noachic Covenant in Genesis (9:8-18) is made with God and ALL creation, not just humans. Speaking to an eager SIP audience, Fr Seán began his address with the questions: “Why has it taken so long for people to catch on to climate change? Why don’t intelligent people believe in the science (of climate change)?” he asked. “Because,” he continued, “there has been an orchestrated campaign of misinformation to put us off the agenda.” “Scientists have been personally attacked,” he said. “Anyone who has spoken up about climate change, in the past,
www.hobart.catholic.org.au
their credibility has been attacked,” Fr Seán asserted. If you are looking for evidence instead of empty rhetoric, it seems that the stark reality of climate change has not yet been fully understood by our leaders. However, when respected economist Sir Nicholas Stern released The Stern Review last year telling the UK government that global warming could shrink the global economy by 20%, many European governments began to take serious notice. Taking action now, said Stern, would only cost around 1% of global gross domestic product. Even David Attenborough, a long-time sceptic of climate change, is now convinced of global warming. “How could I look my grandchildren in the eye and say I knew about this and I did nothing?” he asked (Climate Change, page 8). Earlier this month, Pope Benedict responded directly to the ecological crisis: “In meeting the challenges of environmental protection and sustainable development, we are called to promote and safeguard the moral conditions for an authentic ‘human ecology’. This in turn calls for a responsible relationship not only with creation but also with our neighbours, near and far, in space and time, and with the Creator.” “Particular attention must be paid to the fact that the poorest countries are likely to pay the heaviest price for ecological deterioration,” Pope Benedict said. This timely convergence of positions from science, economics and faith and spirituality will provide the impetus for potentially the greatest human project in recent history according to Fr Seán. The groundswell of support for change he sees from ordinary people is overwhelming. Diverse ideologies are now united by an urgent need to face this issue head on.