It is hard to gaze on the majesty of a snow-capped mountain, on the beauty of a sunset, or the subtle glory of a hummingbird and not be captivated with a sense of wonder and awe at the grandeur of the natural world. Catholic Earth Day Reflections Respect, and yes, even sincere affection for […]
We can all engage with our faith and common belief to have a civil and productive discussion and action in caring for our God’s gorgeous work of art: Creation. How Botany Could Save the World Social Distancing with John Muir in My Own Backyard As I step outside my kitchen door and take in a […]
“Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore, seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.” - St. Augustine of Hippo The scientific data and number of studies concerning climate change are overwhelming. There are climate change deniers and advocates. There are thousands of theories about what’s going wrong (or [...]
By: Rebecca Keeven Climate change, the “garbage patches” in the oceans, air pollution, 250+ million tons of trash created by Americans each year… If you’re like me, these big problems might overwhelm you and quickly consume your thoughts with hopelessness… “I’m not an environmental scientist, how am I going to help fix these issues?” While [...]
Our founder, Ricardo Simmonds, was recently featured in the “Bridge Builder Podcast,” a podcast by the Minnesota Catholic Conference which connects faith and politics. Here he talks about integral ecology and how the environment and evangelization work together. Ricardo also shares about his faith and his experience of living Pope Benedict XVI’s principle that “faith grows by […]
Our partners at Benedictine College have launched a service learning department to integrate classroom lessons into real-life experience through service to the poor. Brilliant! They asked us for our thoughts on this and our recent mission to the Peruvian Andes, and the story is now live. Check it out! https://www.benedictine.edu/academics/service-learning/newsletter/2017/12-08/importance
Laudato si’ and climate change Climate change is, not surprisingly, the most controversial and politically charged issue in Laudato si’. It has been a source of heated debate and confusion especially in the American context. In this essay I will outline everything the encyclical Laudato si’ says on climate change and then compare and […]
Catholics who do not embrace the spirit of Evangelii gaudium will likely be confused by Laudato Si In my previous article I already pointed out the 3 salient aspects of Laudato Si: its prophetic style, invitation to conversion and Trinitarian theology. I was going to technically discuss climate change in Laudato si’ vis-à-vis the […]
Energy, Justice and Peace Energy is perhaps one of the most overlooked global issues of our times. One of the reasons for our obliviousness is that we tend to take energy for granted. The alarm clock that woke us up this morning, the water that flowed from the tap, the food (energy!) we ate for […]
The Pope’s comments confirming the next encyclical on ecology have been known for a while, and furthered since Pope Francis’ interview on flight from Korea: