The San Diego Catholic Diocese has launched a sweeping action plan that calls for the region’s families, parishes, schools, and other organizations to take concrete steps to urgently care for creation.
The plan supports the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, the Catholic Church’s unprecedented, seven-year strategy for everyone to work together to respond to devastating climate change and the plight of the poor. The Church envisions small, local efforts, sustained over time, as making a big impact on the environment and society.
The Vatican plans to officially launch the platform on Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the environment and animals.
The diocesan action plan was developed by the core committee of the Creation Care Ministry, led by Father Emmet Farrell. The ministry, housed in the Office for Life, Peace and Justice, is organizing a bilingual Mass on Oct. 2 at St. Rita’s Church at 10 a.m. to celebrate the feast day.
In September, the ministry will begin a campaign that invites individuals, parishes and schools to plant trees, particularly in low-income neighborhoods where a dearth of them contributes to a poor quality of life.
The diocese’s 55-page action plan begins with a brief review of Pope Francis’ monumental encyclical, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. The letter casts the vital mission of the Gospel within the concept of human ecology, “which simultaneously answers the call of the earth in its suffering with the cry of the poor,” said Bishop Robert McElroy in his introduction.
“We, as the Catholic community of San Diego and Imperial counties, must adopt a radical new commitment to such goals if we, as a planet, are to survive meaningfully and hand-on a life-giving existence to the coming generations,” said Bishop McElroy, a national and international faith leader on this issue.
The Creation Care Ministry invites parishes and schools to form teams to carry out concrete steps to care for the environment and for their vulnerable neighbors. Ministry team members provide them with information and resources in English and Spanish to get started. Teams at several parishes and schools have been working for years on this front, carrying out a variety of projects.
The care ministry wants to combine these efforts with public ones at the municipal, county and state level to create meaningful impact. For instance, the ministry supports the City of San Diego’s goal to reach 100-percent renewable energy and a 50-percent reduction of greenhouse gases by 2035.
The action plan includes a section on Catholic teaching and science that lays out the foundation for people of faith to act. And it outlines a series of specific steps that can be taken, dividing them in three levels, “easy or personal,” “moderate or parish” and “advanced or society.” The ministry plans recognize these actions by awarding achievement certificates.
Nearly 100 percent of the world’s scientists agree that climate change is real, and its consequences are grave. For people of faith, however, there are other reasons to act urgently to care for creation.
“This is a moral and spiritual issue because we are stewards of the earth,” said Father Farrell, the ministry’s leader. “We’re not doing a good job of protecting it. There are so many things we can do.”
Read the diocese’s Action Plan on this webpage, which carries information and contacts of the Creation Care Ministry.
The above comes from a Sept. 1 story in the Southern Cross, the San Diego diocese paper.
That’s about 54.5 more pages than the fight against abortion got. The environment of the womb is the most dangerous place to inhabit, it is the environment that most needs an “action plan” from the Church.
+Sarc+ Well, the unborn and abortion is so yesterday. It’s the evironment the kids really care about now! Get with “It”! +Sarc+
It is all the same plan. You should save all the unborn babies and create a better environment for them to grown up in. All the unborn babies, not just the rich American unborn babies. The unborn of the poor, the unborn of the whole world, the unborn of the areas of drought and deforestation.
Do you love them?
Who has a baby and does not make a nursery for them?
Off and on topic: I just saw a post on FB that said that there was a lady who was going to abort her baby because she had just been hired by a devout Christian and she was unmarried and was afraid of his disapproval. She was advised to tell him everything and she did. He was supportive of her, of course.
One can be pro-life and pro-environment. The Church has published many documents on its teaching about contraception and abortion. The Church’s position on these two topics is very clear. It is wonderful that the San Diego Diocese has thoughtful considered what it can do in light of the encyclical Laudato Si! May God Bless the diocese’s efforts and also Bishop McElroy.
Bishop Bob is auditioning for Archbishop of Washington. Queen of the Nile only has a couple more years left.
I must say, Tabitha’s is a bad, irreverent, description of a high prelate in the Church. This is certainly not the proper way for a true Catholic to refer to a member of the clergy.
Bad taste is not outlawed, the comment’s tone speaks for itself but the sentiment is spot on.
What Tabitha has done is actually a violation of Canon Law (1373), which governs all Catholics. Therefore, sin, even venial, such as mockery of this kind from Tabitha is never spot on, Shush.
Wrong jon, read the actual law and see that it does not apply to Tabitha who does not have subjects. Don’t try to twist Canon Law to fit your particular sense of indignation.
Can. 1373 A person who publicly incites his or her subjects to hatred or animosity against the Apostolic See or the Ordinary because of some act of ecclesiastical authority or ministry, or who provokes the subjects to disobedience against them, is to be punished by interdict or other just penalties.
I didn’t realize that you are a canon lawyer. I don’t remember you admonishing priests and bishops for failing to enforce canon 915.
Shush is wrong. The correct and better translation of Canon 1373 is “A person who publicly incites among subjects….” The original Latin is “aut subditorum” which can be translated into “among subjects”. But because of the context of the Canon (where it is located in the Code), the translation of “his or her subjects” is not correct. This Canon and the ones surrounding it deal with all Catholics, not only those who have “subjects” like bishops or monarchs or superiors. In other words, Shush’s interpretation doesn’t make sense in terms of the translation nor the meaning of the text nor its context. Therefore, Shush is wrong, and Tabitha is guilty (as it appears). Tabitha should be thankful that the Archbishop whom she mocks is benevolent, and most likely will not (and cannot) hunt her down. But Tabitha should definitely go to confession as this sin offends God.
Shush is mistaken. The correct and accurate translation of the original Latin of this particular article (1373) is “A person who publicly incites among subjects…” The original Latin is “Qui publice aut subditorum…” It is not “suam subditorum” (his subjects).
Moreover, Shush’s proposed translation of “his or her subjects” doesn’t make sense given the fact that this particular article is located in the section of the Code that deals with all Catholics, not merely with those who have “subjects” like bishops, monarchs, superiors, etc.
Therefore Shush is mistaken, and in the face of it, Tabitha may be guilty. But luckily for her, the Archbishop whom she had just mocked is benevolent. Be me thinks she should still go to confession for this, because this is not how any of us faithful should refer to anyone, especially to one who is an ordained minister of the Church.
Oh for heavens sake Jon, let it go already. What are you going to do, dole out some Jon justice on Tabitha, or call the church police to punish her? Time to move on.
Admonishing the sinner is a spiritual act of mercy, “non.”
The remark was mean. He or she should pray an act of contrition. I do not know that it rises to the level of mortal sin but considering that the people that were mocked are bishops in the Catholic Church, I would confess it. You do not know how your comment is going to effect others. You may have posted it and walked away with a chiuckle but someone else might read it and commit a sin because of it. You don’t have to confess exactly what you said but you should confess at least lack of charity.
Why is Tabatha wrong when she describes the archbishop of Washington DC? She is spot on it’s no secret, it was no secret during his tenure in Atlanta either. We all know what Wilton Gregory is it’s no secret, every archbishop of Washington DC seemed to be of the same ilk.
Given that Tabitha was not inciting hatred or disobedience, Canon 1373 is not in play at all. I gave the text so people would know what you were referring to, too bad that translation doesn’t satisfy you, take it up with the Catholic scholars who provided it.
It comes down to your personal take on someone’s private opinion, which you are free to disregard. Your judgement on Tabitha’s culpability is just that, yours, and your personal opinion is no more valid than hers.
First Shush incorrectly provides a wrong translation of the Canon in question (blaming “Catholic scholars” by the way, and absolving his/her own lack of research), and now Shush would have us believe that he/she knows what is in the heart, the intent behind Tabitha’s words.
Folks, knowing the intent of a person ultimately is something that only the Almighty God can judge, which is why the counsel I provided that Tabitha goes to confession is solid. That Shush would rather argue about intent or private opinions or translations, instead of joining in the advice to approach the sacrament of reconciliation, is rather pitiful.
Interesting side-note however folks is that Shush uses the same kind of reasoning that James Comey used to exonerate Hilary Clinton’s use of a personal server through which she sent classified government emails: “Hilary didn’t intend to break any laws. Forget about the breaking of the law objectively; let’s excuse her because she didn’t intend to.”
Your attempt at humor is a bust
Well, the following is even more humorous, if not pitiful: Shush would now have us believe that clear violations of law are merely subjective based on one’s “personal take” on the violation. Folks this is a low-grade example of modernist moral relativism: forget objective standards of behavior. It’s all about your personal “take” or opinion about the matter. Wow. I never thought that a commenter of this blog would resort to modernism to get away from a tight spot he/she has created.
Calling me a modernist is laughable and I will treat it as another lame attempt at outrageous humor.
In Catholic moral theology, intention does matter in some sins. If the person said something mean to be funny then realized it was mean and apologized it is different than if they said it with the intention of gaining attention or making money or with the intent of hurting someone.
We all have sins of the tongue. It is good to admonish but there are merciful and charitable ways to do that.
So intnt, as I have said to Shush and Tabitha, luckily for Tabitha, the person (the Archbishop) whom she has mocked is benevolent and forgiving. Very unlikely she’d be prosecuted. But she should still go to Confession for this.
As for Shush, yes, many people pay lip-service to denouncing modernism, only to find that in their own behavior or even lifestyle sometimes, they have perhaps mindlessly adopted modernism’s principles. Oh, the things people resort to (even to modernism) just to extricate themselves from the pit they have dug and fallen into themselves. It’s pathetic, not humorous at all. So I agree with Shush that her/his predicament is not funny in the least (it’s pathetic).
ihtnt’s explanation actually proves that intention matters. It is one of the founts of morality when determining the morality of an action. Therefore intentions matter in all actions and in all sins.
Jon, so much admonishing from you but no direct response to the article.
Can any reader name one Catholic or politician who wants to destroy the environment?
Many politicians, including Catholics, who want to destroy some preborn babies can be named.
It’s easy to advocate for something no one opposes (even if there’s disagreement about how to get there).
It’s a lack of a sense of immediate severity and brutality, magnitude, priorities and intrinsic evils that is troubling.
Ah yes first destroy the Traditional Latin Mass and then go plant trees, this Church is in such a downward spiral its almost surreal!
@ Romulus – not everything has to circle back to the TLM. I respect the TLM, but I’m not married to it.
I’m ready to give up.
On?
Samson, if I were to give up, to whom shall I go? Jesus has the word of everlasting life in the timeless Holy Catholic church regardless of the clergy in power at any given time. If we clergy teach the faithful about Jesus from Scripture and Tradition, offer believers salvation with the Sacraments, and guide folks to the charity preached by the Lord and not the novel interpretations of men now in power, then hold on tight in Jesus’ Catholic Church for the journey of salvation. When novelties are preached, know that the solid foundations will sustain you, and you can let the things you hear just fly by if they don’t conform to the voice of God in your conscience to God’s eternal teachings..
Great advice. All Saints, pray for us.
More balloons and cupcakes from a bishop who somehow forgot about Jesus Christ, redemption, the sacraments, sin and the eternal destiny of the human soul. Our church is starving and our shepherds feed us plastic.
This is a lot like Governor Newsom making sure that plenty of grape vines are planted in his own winery.
sounds more like the Sierra Club
than the Catholic Church
will they be using human compost on them trees?
Well Dr. Klevorkian (Kavorkian) It is good to hear from you again. Glad to hear you are back from the dead. If there is enough human compost to go around and then some, we will be sure to send it on to you.
(Said in satire, folks. Said in satire.)
I hope people are being taught to throw masks in garbage bins. I have seen young men take off masks & throw them on the ground even at churches. In Singapore if one throws throws garbage on the ground, they are fined.. Much of California looks like a dump now, and sometimes it is people from other countries. Most of it is pure laziness.
I hardly ever have to go to a laundry mat, but the last time I did, I spent time picking up laundry sheet papers that covered the floor. No pride in the right things any more.
I have to correct myself. The last time I went to the same laundry mat it was clean. It was the time before that it was covered with litter.
We do need to beautify the environment AND be pro life. One way is to keep young people active and out of the kind of trouble that leads to abortions.
san diego county imports
about 80% of its water
where are these geniuses
gonna git the water???
this is embarrassing
if i wuz a catholic in san diego,
i would say i was Hare Krishna or something
Mr. (False) Prophet, you might be able to come to church with all of your wives. What’s the difference between serial polygamy and simultaneous polygamy?
“Who am I to judge?” It is a complicated moral issue and bishops shouldn’t say anything about it (because it has to do with sex, which is a virtual sacrament in the Democrat Party). It’s not like the environment, where we all agree on how to preserve it. Well, we did until COVID when recycling and reusing many things disappeared and single-use items became the rage.
That said, I don’t know if Bishop Bob would let you and all 20 to 55 of your wives and all your children sit together due to COVID restrictions. Too many carbon footprints.
You’re probably better off staying in a free state.
Actually, the urge to help the earth, the environment, is very Catholic. In the Bible, we see in Numbers 35:33 – “You shall not desecrate the land where you live.” In Numbers 35:34 we read -“Do not defile the land in which you live and in the midst of which I dwell; for I am the Lord who dwells in the midst of the Israelites.”
It’s also biblical for a man to be the spiritual head of his household, which would mean not supporting his womenfolk attending vulgar women’s marches.
And for Diocesan Drama Queen of the Year — envelope please — the Oscar goes to . . . Robert McElroy, for “Guy, Interrupted.”
I think the posters here top him every day.
See below and above.
But will be kids taught American history? Will they be taught to read and do simple arithmetic? Oh, I forgot — there is not enough time in a day for that nonsense.
Oh math will be taught. Here is a sample; If you have two fathers and your brother self identifies as a girl, and your sister self identifies as a boy, and you are not sure what you are, how many males are in your fam
That last word was “family”. And that is the type of math that will be taught if Newsom and some others have their way. Certainly not to my liking, though.
Alternative Math. Lol.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=alternative+math&docid=608054853987817960&mid=B39A8367C003D8A2C4C8B39A8367C003D8A2C4C8&view=detail&FORM=VIRE
Remember that Vatican II taught all religions are the same, why would anybody want to become a Roman Catholic? They don’t teach about Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, sin, heaven, hell, the Saints, redemption, Our Lady and you wonder why Islam is the fastest growing religion. So what’s the point of converting? So go ahead and plant your trees Bishop and lead your flock into the abyss.
That is not exactly what the documents taught, although they could have been clearer accordingly to Bishop Athanasius Schneider and some others, and I think he is right. Their ambiguity is what upsets many.
Vatican II did not teach that. Please tell the truth.
Romulus Augustus is wrong. No document from Vatican II states that “all religions are the same.” The rest of his/her statements are also false. Such ignorance of what the Council actually taught is appalling.
Vatican II did not teach that all religions are the same.
Creation care ministry to the rescue…ha ha ha ha.
I missed the mention of Jesus… Let’s see. We get rid of the TLM and plant trees. Definitely the Great Reset and New World Order. First, get rid of God…
It is on p. 9.
Catholics are just plain mean and nasty. Repent and believe the Gospel.
Thumbs up if you read the 55 page document.
Thumbs down if all your read was the headline.
Stole my moniker, eh?
Did not know it was yours. If I use it again, I will put it in the comment. Sorry if I offended you.
No offense taken. I’m not a woke snowflake. There are probably many of us who are curious and that’s okay.
Anne TE:
answer to math problem:
the Czech is in the male!
I think this site only has Boomers and trads posting, and those groups largely overlap. Anyone posting here under 30 years old?
Inquirous, are you under 30?
If not, Boomer or trad?
I’m guessing Boomer.
The Boomers were the “Never trust anyone over 30” generation.
anyone under 30 is obviously too young to know anything
anyone over 30 is too old to know anything
we’re all just commenting here
lighten up
Psalm 85 is so appropriate for the times we are in. I see young people on social media bemoaning that they have to live in these times with the plague and the violence and the disasters and destruction.
God is punishing the people of the world for their many sins.
Make reparation. Pray the Rosary. Make sacrifices for sinners. Do the morning offering.
It is so easy to waste so many opportunities to help change things for the better.
Like the Benedictines from a few stories ago, pray and work. Work can be living simply and helping others. Work can be evangelization and works of mercy.
Those things haven’t done any good yet. I know people (old ladies, I mean, really old) who pray the divine mercy chaplet every day and spend hours in adoration. To what good?
Innumerable good.