• A Catholic Response

Christian responsibility for the environment begins with appreciation of the goodness of all God's creation. In the beginning, "God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good" (Genesis 1:31). The heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, the earth and the sea, fish and birds, animals and humans—all are good. God's wisdom and power were present in every aspect of the unfolding of creation (see Proverbs 8:22-31) It is no wonder that when God’s people were filled with the spirit of prayer, they invited all creation to join their praise of God’s goodness (see Daniel 3:74-81) The earth, the Bible reminds us, is a gift to all creatures, to "all living beings–all mortal creatures that are on earth" (Genesis 9:16-17). (U.S. Catholic Bishops, “Renewing the Earth.”)