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The Catholic Church’s engagement
with environmental issues derives from its belief
that Christians have a responsibility to work
for the well being of all humanity. The foundations
for Catholic environmental concern are found in
the Church’s doctrine of the goodness of
creation and in its firm resolve to defend the
dignity of each human being, especially the poor
and vulnerable. “Environmental justice”
expresses the Church’s conviction that the
human dimension must be kept in focus whenever
ecological issues are discussed.
The Catholic Church carries out its teaching
and service on behalf of the earth and its people
through an extensive institutional network: parish
churches, parochial schools, hospitals, religious
orders and their communities, dioceses, archdioceses,
and state Catholic Conferences, and national Catholic
organizations. As a religious communion spanning
the globe, the Catholic Church brings an international
perspective to issues of environment, peace, justice,
and economic development.
Church leaders
have called on Catholics to recognize environmental
stewardship as their Christian responsibility
and have illuminated the social justice values
at stake in environmental policy. Catholic scholars
have explored and developed these insights, showing
how the message of environmental stewardship and
justice is rooted in Church teachings.
That message has become part of the fabric of
Catholic life, from the local parish to national
organizations
and associations. Worship
and education
play a key role in connecting care for creation
with Catholic spirituality, motivating concrete
actions to promote environmental justice. Whether
by modeling environmentally responsible stewardship
of buildings and
grounds, advocating just and sustainable public
policies, or addressing
environmental problems and reaching out to
those most afflicted by them, Catholics are making
a difference in their communities and their world.
Since 1993, the Environmental Justice Program
of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
has supported and encouraged these sorts of local
efforts by parishes and dioceses. Its website
provides background information, resources, and
abundant and inspiring examples of how people
of faith can respond to a planet in need.
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