Pope Francis and Our Mother Earth

There is a new Vatican publication which appears to only be available in Italian at the moment. It's called Nostra Madre Terra or Our Mother Earth: A Christian Reading of the Environmental Challenge. According to a Crux article

Except for the final chapter, the new book is a compilation of passages from [Pope] Francis’s documents, texts, homilies and speeches focusing on the environment. The book was released in Italian Oct. 24 by the Vatican publishing house.

The book underlines that the pope’s appeal to care for creation is an appeal to care about life - for all people, including the unborn, and the creatures, land and resources that human life depends on. In the concluding chapter, Francis deepens the spiritual aspect of ecology and how a Christian vision can and must help the world “turn course” before it’s too late.

In our current situation, a just and wise attitude, rather than accusations or judgments, is first of all one of awareness,” he wrote. People need to become aware that the world is a gift from God given out of his immense love for humanity, he wrote. Without this understanding of divine gift, one is part of a “chain that trivializes or disfigures the gift of creation.”

I am impressed that Francis continues to uphold Creation Care and environmental justice despite other pressing issues and unjust criticism for taking a pagan stance when it comes to celebrating God's gift of the Earth. 

During a recent address the pontiff mused about adding “ecological sin against the common home” to the catechism. He offered that  “It is a sin against future generations and is manifested in the acts and habits of pollution and destruction of the harmony of the environment.” 

I do think Francis is faithful and biblical and prophetic in addressing how we live God's love for the planet. I hope people will listen to the Green Pope. Now, if the Vatican publications could look less boring!