THOUGHTS ON "LAUDATO SI"

Last week I read Pope Francis' Encyclical, "Laudato Si - On the Care of our Common Home." This encyclical addresses a broad number of interrelated problems facing our world, from climate and environmental concerns to the concerns of human poverty and the problems that give rise to the economic, political, and technological activity that are related to them.  There are so many quotable moments in this encyclical that I would simply invite the reader of this post to read "Laudato Si." 

DEFINING THE ISSUES

The broad spectrum of this encyclical may be a bit off-putting to some, but the reality is that so many of the problems that Pope Francis addresses are interrelated and therein lies the challenge to the world and, in particular, to faithful members of the Roman Catholic Church.   The fact is we don't always see global warming or climate change (if that is your preference) as being directly related to the issue of poverty in non-industrial nations. We don't see poverty as an ecological problem as well as an economic one. The fact that Pope Francis highlights these connections is refreshing and provides a needed shift in the dialogue about poverty from one centered on economy's "bottom line" to one centered on humanity's bottom line, survival.  To quote Laudato Si, "Today, however, we have to realize that a true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate question of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor."[Laudato Si, Par. 49]

Pope Francis has laid claim to the reality that these issues affect us all and the concerns regarding ecology and economy are not merely political concerns, they are religious concerns.  He has boldly accepted this challenge as the leader of the largest Christian denomination in the world to correct the naiveté of the faithful in recognizing the apathetic complicity religious communities can play in failing to address these concerns.  He recognizes that "obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in technical solutions."[Laudato Si Par. 14]. 

His encyclical presents a challenge to other Christian leaders and leaders of other religions to do likewise.   He points out that "the problem is that we still lack the culture needed to confront this crisis.  We lack leadership capable of striking out on new paths and meeting the needs of the present with concern for all and without prejudice towards coming generations." [Laudato Si Par. 53]

TECHNOLOGY AND FINANCE

Having said all of the above in praise of "Laudato Si,"  I do not share all of its pessimism with regard to technology, and I'm not sure that I have a full appreciation of how the terms technology and finance are being used in this encyclical.  Frequently, technology and finance seem to be described as forces in their own right which direct both business and politics rather than describing them as the tools of business and politics, as in the banking and technology industry.  Perhaps that is what is meant by the ambiguous use of these terms, but it doesn't come across that way.

I see both finance and technology being highly influenced and motivated by business and politics.  I suspect that what may lie beneath the encyclical's particular use of these terms is a reflection of an ancient and longstanding religious bias against unbridled innovation. 

BIRTH RATE, WOMEN'S HEALTH, AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS

Somewhat ironically, this encyclical places the Roman Church is in a difficult position because of the stances the Roman Church has taken throughout the past several decades regarding contraception.  I was hopeful when Pope Francis periodically quoted in Laudato Si, the assertion found in the 2013 Apostolic Encyclical, "Evangeli Gaudium" that "realities are more important than ideas," but as Laudato Si continued what was meant by reality and ideas became blurred.  What was not mentioned in this encyclical was the role the Roman Church's own doctrines and dogma (its ideas) have played in creating the ecological and economic crisis the world is now in. 

The  Roman Catholic Church still hasn't come to grips with the benefits of birth control as a means of addressing women's health concerns and the ever unbridled human urge for sex which has contributed to the suffering of populations in the most impoverished areas of the world.  The fact is the world's population is fast approaching ten billion people, which translates to a population growth in areas of the world least capable of sustaining it.  If the Roman Church truly wants to catch the world's attention to these global ecology and economy concerns, it should seriously revisit its stance on contraception, women's  health, and women's rights.

If everything is interconnected as this encyclical states, then the causes of an unsustainable birth rate in impoverished areas of the world, women's health, and women's rights is part of it.  Sticking to one's doctrinal guns when the guns don't work is foolhardy. Insisting that they work is an insanity the world cannot afford. The fact that technology in this encyclical is being blamed for the current crisis is, to my mind, a way of sidestepping these critical issues and the Roman Church's own theological culpability in contributing to the world's ecological and economic crises.

ETHICS, BUSINESS, AND POLITICS

I would agree with Pope Francis that technology advances faster than our ethical understanding of its many uses can keep track of, and there appears to be a scientific/technological mindset that says "If we can do it, we should do it" which fails to consider the important questions of "doing-its" impact on humanity as a whole and to the ends such undertakings serve.  It is such a mindset that is being warned against by the likes of Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking in their expressed concerns over the developments in Artificial Intelligence.  On the other hand, advances in technology and scientific research also offer our greatest hope of replacing the world's current dependency on fossil fuels and the addressing the ecological problems related to human poverty in realistic ways.

I would agree with Pope Francis for the need of philosophy and the social sciences to help guide the world in the proper use of technology and the preservation of diverse cultures, but I would also add that the clock is ticking and difficult choices facing all of us may require choosing a present and the hope of a future over the preservation of a past.

Pope Francis, is correct in pointing out the connection between business and politics that shapes the direction of technology frequently takes when he states, "The failure of global summits on the environment make it plain that our politics are subject to technology and finance.  There are too many special interests, and economic interests easily end up trumping the common good and manipulating information so that their own plans will not be affected." [Laudato Si Par. 54]

Again, I don't see technology and finance as the cause of  problems, but rather the short-sighted business and political interests that drive finance and technology and place the ways finance and technology can alleviate problems on the back burner in order to appease their investors and constituents back home.  The fact that there have been global summits on these important topics is cause for hope, but time is running out and, by some accounts, we're past the point of no return.

REALITES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN IDEAS

I appreciate that Pope Francis, being the head of the Roman Catholic Church, saw the need to express these concerns in the theological language of his church.  While I understand the reason to use theological rhetoric familiar and palatable to the faithful, I found it distracting and perhaps off-putting to those who should take what he has to say seriously.

As I have discussed in other posts, the term mystery is not helpful when talking about the realities we are now facing.  The fact is I find life so mysterious as to render it non-mysterious, so inscrutable as to render it scrutable.  Life is readable as a reality. It is less so when enmeshed in idealism of mystery.  Towards the end, Laudato Si tended to abandon realities and wax idealistic as it entered the realms of mystery.  I found that unfortunate.

The Roman Church is an extremely complex monolith.  It has, over the centuries, developed it own unique theological mindset that has shaped the various cultures and people it encompasses. The Roman Church, as I believe is true of all Christian denominations and world religions, is faced with an existential crisis of its own. Such crises require a need to find common and clear language that is understandable and usable by all.

The Roman Church, along with all other Christian Churches and world religions, must demonstrate a mutual willingness to put their respective doctrines and dogmas on the table, if necessary, to establish what is helpful and what is not.  Trying to make every decision fit neatly into a doctrinal and theological schema is a waste of precious time and will only serve to confuse the issues.   I, along with many others, have hope that the Roman Church will move further in its endeavor to address this urgent situation in a way that provides clear and concise messages reflecting both the urgency to change and the commitment to change.

Above all, Laudato Si is a much needed work.  It touches upon numerous interrelated topics that will undoubtedly expand as the conversation expands.  Any criticism here is not intended to distract from it's underlying premise, which reflect my own thoughts on religion discussed in past posts on the  primary religious impulse of  needing each other.   I appreciate the position Pope Francis has taken; his boldness, conviction, and commitment to restoring humanity and our planet home. 

Until next time, stay faithful.