Plenary Council embraces Laudato Si
The plenary Council has passed the motion for the Church in Australia to adopt Pope Francis’ Laudato Si. This important encyclical includes the subtitle ‘on care for our common home’. Pope Francis criticises irresponsible development, laments environmental degradation and global warming, and calls on all peoples to take “swift and unified global action” to protect the planet for future generations.
The resolution reads: PART 8: Integral Ecology for the Sake of Our Common Home
MOTION 8.1 That the Plenary Council adopt the introductory statement of Part 8 shown in paragraphs 98-
104.
- Throughout the Scriptures we learn of God’s love for creation, from the affirmation of the
goodness of creation in Genesis (Genesis 1:2-4) to the Book of Revelation’s vision of a creation made new (Revelation 21:5). All life and all that sustains it comes from God the Creator as gift: and so we are committed to care for our Common Home, and to cherish and promote the dignity of human life from conception to natural death…
- Laudato Si’ reiterates Pope Saint John Paul II’s call to ecological conversion, and encourages the Church especially to undertake ecological education and to foster ecological
spirituality. The call to ecological conversion is part of the call to defend human life from conception to natural death, especially those who are most vulnerable, and to care for all forms of life on Earth, because “systems of life and love are deeply interconnected”.
Responding to this call requires new ways of seeing the world, thinking and behaving.
Ecological conversion entails turning from human dominance to belonging to the community of life and to interdependence with all other creatures, awe in the beauty of creation and being nourished by a sense of God’s presence.
- Ecological conversion is both personal and communal, and therefore we must act to care
for creation in ways that are both personal and communal. Such action will be informed by Scripture, our theological tradition, Catholic Social Teaching, and human knowledge, and scientific insight…
- THEREFORE, this Plenary Council:
- recognises the sacred duty to care for and protect the Earth as a common home for all God’s creatures, including the generations to come;
- encourages all Catholic people, families, parishes, dioceses, eparchies, religious institutes, educational institutions, and other Catholic organisations to accept Pope Francis’ invitation to join the Laudato Si’ Action Platform and either develop Laudato Si’ Action Plans, or participate in existing Laudato Si’ Action Plans, as a vehicle for their ecological conversion; and
- affirms promotes initiatives in Church and society which promote and defend human life
from conception to natural death, especially those who are most vulnerable.
Consultative vote
Placet 196
Placet Juxta Modum 10
Non Placet 5
The motion achieved a qualified majority on the consultative vote.
Deliberative vote
Placet 44
Placet Juxta Modum 0
Non Placet 0
A qualified majority was achieved. The motion was passed.
