….To change your environmental habits, consider committing to the ecological daily examen included below.
‘An Ecological Examen’
A tool to reflect on gratitude, awareness, understanding, conversion and reconciliation (from https://www.ecojesuit.com/reconciling-god-creation-and-humanity-an-ecological-examen):
I give thanks to God for creation and for being wonderfully made. Where did I feel God’s presence in creation today?
I ask for the grace to see creation as God does — in all its splendor and suffering. Do I see the beauty of creation and hear the cries of the earth and the poor?
I ask for the grace to look closely to see how my life choices affect creation and the poor and vulnerable. What challenges or joys do I experience as I recall my care for creation? How can I turn away from a throwaway culture and instead stand in solidarity with creation and the poor?
I ask for the grace of conversion towards ecological justice and reconciliation. Where have I fallen short in caring for creation and my brothers and sisters? How do I ask for a conversion of heart?
I ask for the grace to reconcile my relationship with God, creation and humanity, and to stand in solidarity through my actions. How can I repair my relationship with creation and make choices consistent with my desire for reconciliation with creation?
I offer a closing prayer for the earth and the vulnerable in our society.
Ecological Conversion
Seek one or two ecological practices to add to your normal faith life, like meatless Mondays and/or fish Fridays — don’t aim for radical change right away.
Embrace a new ritual, not results. Look for new eco-spiritual practices; prayerfully choose daily environmentally – friendly behaviors.
Do easy things such as praying a decade of the rosary every time you are pumping your gas!
Steer clear of old temptations, such as a favorite food item that comes in excessive packaging.
Subscribe to an eco-spiritual newsletter such as the Catholic Climate Covenant monthly, https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/newsletter.
And, of course, the Diocese of San Diego ministry of Creation Care is here to help you! Follow us on Facebook (San Diego Creation Care Ministry) and Instagram (@lpjsandiego). Reach out to Christina Bagaglio Slentz at cslentz@sdcatholic.org at any time with questions!
Full story at the Southern Cross
Throw your Southern Cross copy right into the recycle bin!
There’s some useful info in most issues, generally news about specific parishes, but this isn’t it. Considering that energy poverty is one of the greatest problems facing people in developing countries, forcing ‘sustainable energy’ (a misnomer if ever there was one) on the entire planet is absolutely destructive and irresponsible – if you’re genuinely concerned for the poor, that is. To think we were energy independent only two short years ago…
Many of these “eco” policies were the way of life before the post-modern times in which we now exist. Clothes were made from flour sacks; babies’ diapers were made of cloth that were washed, not thrown away; paper plates were almost non-existent, etc.
“[E]co-spiritual practices” recommended in this article were practices that disappeared after implementation of the Second Vatican Council. Such things as Ember Days, fasting three days a week four times during the year; church law requiring meatless Friday all year long; fasting during Len; etc.
I like your comment.
I like the examen, too.
How’s Mass attendance among the age 16-40 demographic in the diocese?
What’s the San Diego Diocesan salary for an employee being so head-bangingly vapid? The “examen” is fanciful and dreamy and twee, and also an insult to Catholics with an intellect.
“Do easy things such as praying a decade of the rosary every time you are pumping your gas!”. I’ll grant that – probably a fine idea. And better yet you’ll be able to pray the day’s entire Divine Office (unabridged) when you charge your electric car!
“I offer a closing prayer for the earth and the vulnerable in our society.” By “vulnerable” I suppose you mean the poor. But the poor, at least in America, have no more eco-consciousness than anyone else. In fact it is those with more wealth who can afford solar panels for their homes and/or hybrid or electric vehicles with which to drive who may be said to possess more eco-correct spirituality.
I would love to go zero waste. I have read about a family who have 1 bag of trash a year. Obviously, they compost and if something is in packaging, they just don’t buy it. They take their own reusable bags and buy from the bulk containers.
So Cardinal McElroy wants every Catholic in the Diocese of San Diego to make an “ecological daily examen.”
How often does he want them to make an examination of conscience?
Maybe one should pray a decade of the rosary when walking or feeding one’s dog? An average size dog is responsible for 770 kg of CO2 per year. A bigger dog could create a footprint of up to 2,500 kg per year. The majority of their carbon footprint is generated from their diet.
Or, stop feeding their dog? (A bad and cruel idea.)
How does the Cardinal get around? Does he do this when he pumps his gas?
Does he think Mr. Biden should examine his conscience daily or pray a decade every time he furthers the killing of babies?
This is not from Cardinal McElroy.
buck stops with McElory: he hired ’em
Why are you looking to blame someone over something completely innocuous?
The Southern Cross is the official newspaper of the Diocese of San Diego. Do you think they’re going to publish something with which he disagrees?
Who sits on their board?
If you think it’s a real news source, I’ve got a bridge to sell you. It’ll take you to Coronado, but you’ll still be stuck in the Diocese of San Diego.
I do not know if the bishop even sees it before anyone else.
Diocesan newspapers don’t have a board. They have an editor.
Since there is nothing against the faith in the article, so what? Nihil obstat.
There is a loud dislike for this bishop on this website, if you are new here.
I think it has a lot to do with that.
Some people are dissatisfied with the Church, the Pope, the bishops etc.
Some people feel like nothing is important but abortion, gay marriage, transgender people etc and this is not worthy of attention.
Other people probably think it’s the Democrats.
There is really nothing offensive in this article. It is a part of being Catholic and always has been.
I also think some people only care about mortal sins, not venial. Am I going to go to hell for it?
They forget or do not know that a lot of Catholics are not committing mortal sins. They live the way the Church and Her Lord asks them to and they want to always do better. Even in small things.
whatever this is, it AIN’T Catholicism.
So is the diocesan motto, “Kill a baby, save a tree”? I haven’t seen much from San Diego about the sanctity of the unborn. But there is a lot about the sanctity of the environment!
Will indulgences be replaced with waste discharge permits?
I don’t know, but, maybe you can buy carbon offsets similar to medieval indulgences.
You can engage in sex outside of marriage and then simply purchase some.Great idea! Holy Communion is never “denied” you, you remain a Catholic in good standing and the hierarchy gives you political cover. All for a reasonable price, I mean “donation.”
What do you think?
What could go wrong?
For your penance, separate paper from plastic.
I think that would be an excellent penance. All of this would be an excellent penance or sacrifice for sinners.
Mattthew 19-20: “Go, therefore,* and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.” The authors and promoters of the ecology gospel do not follow Jesus’ Great Commission, rather they parrot another gospel. Let us Catholics continue to be morally responsible while we teach what Jesus taught, and not get caught up in every worldly ideology.
Amen, Fr. Richard. Thank you.
I am shocked. There is no ecology gospel.
Yes. We need to spread the Gospel and do works of mercy and these acts are works of mercy.
This is a good article which includes Pope Benedict XVI thoughts on the environment.
http://www.theinterfaithobserver.org/journal-articles/2017/9/8/acts-of-mercy-and-saving-the-environment
It is part of being a Christian but I confess it is something that I am both slothful and ignorant about.
There are many ways of spreading the Gospel. I do not really believe that St. Francis said “Use words if necessary.” because words are necessary but action matters too.
A lot of why there are so many “nones” these days is because people don’t get out into God’s created world but sit for hours in front of screens with man-created worlds, imao.
“Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works.” St James 2:18
This is a joke, right?
Are you referring to the Diocese of San Diego?
A “closing prayer for the earth”? The earth is just a rock floating through space. It is not a being. We can be thankful for God’s creation without attributing human like characteristics to the earth. We do not have a “relationship” with the earth; we have relationships with Christ and with people. Eco-religion is coming close to idolatry. Evidently this diocese has covered every other important topic to be able to waste time on such a plan.
Fr Richard Rohr’s 2016 book on the Trinity suggested that the earth is the ‘4th person of the Trinity”
correction…meant to say that he suggested that the “creation” could be the fourth person of the Trinity
Umm, no. I ain’t no theologian but…no.
Is Rohr still a priest?
Let’s say that this is not the best example of whatever they are trying to achieve.
But, I find it difficult to understand why so many people think that trying to treat the creation well is a bad thing. God told us to do that. So, it is a Catholic thing to do. It is difficult to understand why so many people think that trending toward more natural energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels is a bad thing. If fifty years from now we use 60% fewer fossil fuels, isn’t that a good thing? We won’t get there if we don’t start teaching people how to do it, will we?
Bob One, I am one with you in treating creation well. I suppose the devil is in the details, but the principle is a sound one.
Fossil fuels are the bedrock of our economy, if you and your leftist friends want to kill off fossil fuels you will kill off the economy and wiped the working and middle class not the Left cares about that. Green technology is a scam, winds mills and solar will not work in Northeast cold winters, think I am wrong, in Texas off all places went green and the windmills froze when the they cold snap. The elites are pushing green technology because they have billions invested in it and they return on their money, how best to do that outlaw competing technology, (gas and oil) both cheap and abundant and ones that the working and middle classes depend not only for usage but for jobs. And no Bob One there are no comparable “green jobs” for guys that work oil rigs or gas fields. My hope is that one day we have wise and patriotic leader who will punish the green gangsters by taxing their technologies out of existence.. God Bless fossil fuels and prosperity it has provided Climate change is lie that the green scam is built on
McElroy and his “Fact-Free” Environment.
No wonder so many Catholics have such a hard time taking their “religious leaders” seriously.
It’s over for the church. read what German Bishop Georg Bätzing just decreed for his diocese: full-on endorsement of sexual immorality and unholy unions. eco-spirituality gobbledygook is child’s play. Bishop McElroy needs to step it up.
Learn the Catholic Faith, please.
One rogue bishop out of 5000 does not end the Church. No one can end the Church. The Church is the Body of Christ who will never die again.
It’s a cancer that is spreading. The Body of Christ has a cancer called malignant heresyonoma. This German bishop is the latest metastasis.
You know the remedy.
Hmmm? over packaging. I remember when most overpackaging was not needed as there was less divorce, more fathers and mothers at home to teach children right from wrong, and less theft as people were following the Ten Commandments more. Now because of theft and people opening containers of food to taste or poison — rarer in past times — one needs a jack hammer just to open a jar of mayonnaise, which is not only sealed on the outside but on the inside of the lid too. If one is faithful to the TEN, the environmental problems will pretty much solve themselves. No need of Pachamama.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee.
Blessed art Thou among women and blessed is the Fruit of Thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Regarding my last post, I rarely buy plastic storage containers as I wash by hand the plastic containers that fruit, fast food and many other products come in and reuse them to refrigerate leftovers. I also freeze leftovers in glass jars. It is very easy, healthier than using plastic bags or containers, and one can find how to do it safely on many websites. Sometimes I have more such container than I need and give them away or put them into my recycle bins.
Waste not, want not has been around before the ice age. As the book of Proverbs says, “There is nothing new under the sun.”