The principles of Laudato Si, Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical on care for our common home, should play a central role at modern-day Catholic universities, according to Cardinal Robert McElroy.
The cardinal shared his thoughts on this topic in an address he delivered Jan. 11 at the University of San Diego. His remarks came on the first day of the three-day Lighting the Way Forward conference, which kicked off USD’s 75th anniversary year and provided an opportunity to reflect on the future of Catholic higher education in the United States.
“Laudato Si is often viewed primarily as a powerful moral challenge to the world to reverse the accelerating destruction of the earth,” Cardinal McElroy said in his speech. “It certainly is that, but it is so much more.”
The cardinal provided several reasons why he believes that Laudato Si should be central to the mission of contemporary Catholic universities. Among them, he noted that the encyclical speaks to the concept of objective truth, testifies to the principle of solidarity, and encourages reflection on technology and its limits….
During the conference, USD presented the cardinal with its Laudato Si Fellows Award in recognition of his efforts to promote and put into practice the precepts of that environmental-themed encyclical.
Under the cardinal’s leadership, about 70 percent of parishes and the diocese’s Pastoral Center have deployed solar systems. In addition, the diocese launched a formal ministry within the Office for Life, Peace and Justice that promotes the principles of Catholic teaching about care for creation, working with parishes and schools. And the diocese has divested from fossil fuels, among other initiatives it has undertaken on this issue.
You can read Cardinal McElroy’s complete address at thesoutherncross.org/LaudatoSi.
From the Southern Cross
Has Big Mac ever said that the church’s teaching on sexual morality should play a central role in anything? No. He downplays it by saying that the Church’s sexual morality isn’t at the center of Catholic faith.
When a parish, school, or diocese promotes Laudato Si, I’m immediately suspicious that there is a severe deficiency in Catholic identity. I’m rarely wrong.
I know of a parish in Chicago that prides itself on its Laudato Si vegetable garden. Yet they change the Mass texts every Sunday in violation of the GIRM.
Laudato Si supporter usually means fake Catholic.
Laudito Si is a part of Catholic identity.
How big a part it is in your particular calling or charism, only you know.
However, the Cafeteria is not going to re-open.
Believe it all.
It’s spelled Laudato Soros
Clerics of McElroy’s vintage and ideological camp can live in their isolated bubbles because their futures are completely secure. It matters not one whit that their biases, narratives and agendas will lead directly to the collapse of Catholicism and its material resources as we know them in America. This is the primary reason, IMHO, that the younger clerics, beginning with the so called “JPII priests” know that the only path forward for a sustainable Catholic Church is to cultivate authentic and orthodox and historical Catholic identity. The parishes that have this commitment thrive monetarily and demographically. It’s undeniable, demonstrable and reproducible. And these young guys know it. Once these cowardly, pampered men finally leave their positions of power, we will recover our Church. It will take more than a century or 2, but the Church will thrive again.
I thought it was Catholicism that “should play a central role at modern-day Catholic universities”. Apparently I was mistaken…
Not sure what you mean.
It is Catholicism.
he noted that the encyclical speaks to the concept of objective truth, testifies to the principle of solidarity, and encourages reflection on technology and its limits….
Most of us never got instructed in the social doctrines of the Church.
I have not taken this but I noticed that Ascension Press has a online course for $15 geared to teens.
I’m convinced that the Catholic Church doesn’t have much practical cohesion among its members. Not even real unity of faith. All the professed unity is superficial. Deep down, there are mutually exclusive divisions. Until that is addressed and resolved, the Church will continue to be hollow. My diocese’s synodal summary report put it this way: Catholics don’t seem to agree about what it means to be Catholic, and that extends to some clergy.
I would say the opposite. The differences are superficial but people are superficial. Our unity comes as we are all members of the Mystical Body of Christ. People forget that and get distracted by “what it means to be Catholic” in terms of cultural and political behavior, choice of prayer or Mass forms.
Some people think that the way they grew up Catholic (good or bad or vacuous) is the right way to be Catholic. Other people have read in books or have met others who gave them a way they like better so they do that.
The way to peace in the Church is the same way as to peace everywhere-stop expecting others to do what you want and keep your eyes on God and His Will.
In that picture I see the distinct trace of the notorious pectoral cross that has Christ with one foot facing backwards, which is a sign of the antichrist, and is a subtle dog whistle to those in the know about it. If you see a bishop wearing it, beware of him.
There are all kinds of odd items out there being sold as “Catholic”. Someone gave me a rose-scented Rosary with Pope Francis on one medal and the traditional Good Shepherd holding the legs of the lamb without crossing his arms on the cross. I found nothing wrong with it and said I would use it to pray for the pope. Later I noticed that particular Rosary was no longer being sold, and Pope Francis wore one with the Good Shepherd crossing his arms. It seems that cross has now taken the place of the other. I have no idea why there was the change.
As far as Miraculous Medals and other Catholic medals, often such letters as “GP” (gold plated) or 14k (14 karat gold) are engraved on them to inform the purchasers or the ones gifted with them what amount of gold or silver they contain. There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, some countries demand they be stamped such, so the buyer is not cheated. Before you throw something out, find out for sure if it is fake or not. You might be discarding an expensive sacred item.
You should never throw out a sacred item especially if blessed.
It’s gonna get thrown out eventually. Or destroyed in a nuclear blast.
I was referring to fake items. Real Catholic items should be buried or burned when they get old and/or broken. I do put old torn Catholic brochures or paper Holy Cards into my recycle bin for paper sometimes. I do not believe the Lord is offended by that as some might not have even been blessed, and it is sometimes hard for me to dig in the soil as I have gotten older. One can carefully burn them too.
The complete address link at Southern Cross does not link.
My educated guess is that Cardinal McElroy is promoting LS because he helped ghost write it.
Numbers 35 tells us:
“You shall not pollute the land in which you live, for blood pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it. You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell, for I the Lord dwell in the midst of the people of Israel.”
Numbers 35 is about the pollution of the land from violence, whether through accident, negligence or murder. The tribes around Israel polluted the land through child sacrifice and sexual sins also. The Moabites were the result of an incestuous relationship and were enemies of the Israelites. God told the Hebrews not to follow the immoral sexual practices of neighboring tribes, and Numbers 35:30 requires the death penalty for murderers. People who pollute their bodies WILL pollute the environment. If one cares not for one’s body, he will not care for the environment. It is a given.
Yea and that is a good point.
However, greed and corruption also pollute the land.
We need to pray harder.
I was just reading, and I don’t know if it is true, that people buying property to use as short term rentals is what has caused some of the housing crisis.
A lot of people are now going back to using hotels because they are a better value so maybe not participating in that would help.
There are non-citizens coming into this country, buying up the land then raising the rent on housing and businesses of citizens. Wise countries do not allow non-citizens to buy their land. Our farmland is being bought by non-citizens in some places also. The Old Testament forbade such things.
A married couple I knew (first marriage) had their business closed by such a scheme. They had children to support, and that is not right. Our laws no longer favor raising decent families.
The Diocese of San Diego implements, according to their website, “Reduce, reuse and recycle.”
Reduce Catholicism, reuse people and recycle old ideas from the 70’s. Easy.
Let’s use potato “plastic” cutlery and drive EVs, even if they don’t reduce our carbon footprints. If one can’t be virtuous, at least one can virtue signal.
And that’s the clincher. Much of environmentalism is for the purpose of its adherents feeling good about themselves. What they propose doesn’t actually help the environment. But it sure does raise the cost of living for Americans.
laudato no