After a few weeks of somewhat negative 'preparation' on this forum, I thought it would be good to have a 'clean' thread now that the Pope's encyclical has been published. The presentation of the document was made in the Vatican this morning and, happily, the whole event was and is available on the Vatican YouTube channel. Unlike many such press conferences, many of the contributions are in English and I strongly recommend viewing and listening to them: The full text of the encyclical is available from: http://w2.vatican.va/content/france...-francesco_20150524_enciclica-laudato-si.html
I simply don't understand why the Pope/Vatican Officialdom would put out such a "message" now!!?? I see absolutely no up-side to this. The only people to Cheer this on will be the Catholic Church hating godless Left who desire traditional Christians to stifle themselves or worse and would like nothing better than the "Big Dog" of Christian Denominations to implode! This Encyclical causes division among Catholics and other Christian sects at a time when there is Clear-n-Present Danger from any number of other pressing matters. From what I have garnered from reading articles about this it is sounding more & more like a cut-n-paste job from a typical Democrat Party or European Left Party election "Feel-Good Platform" ..... and looks to me like BigBro, Share the Wealth, Socialism!! The Capitalist countries of the West have provided untold amounts of blood & treasure to free the enslaved, alleviate poverty and clean up the environment. Show me where any godless Communist/Socialist country has done likewise ... Eh!!? I'm sorry that most of Africa, South America, Middle East and much of Asia are in the hands of corrupt-n-violent despots who have committed their citizens to slavery, ignorance and misery! For 65 years the USA/UN, with mostly US blood-n-treasure, has funneled countless $$$ into these places with much, if not most, of the $$$ ending up in the pockets of corrupt "leaders' or Swiss bank accounts! Yes!! I'm well aware that there was/is lots of Geo-Politics going on but ........ the USA and Europe have already bankrupted themselves in their failed Share the Wealth schemes and our financial system is near collapse ... so ... I simply can't figure out what "blood" Pope Francis and "Advisers" plan to squeeze out of that "Turnip"!? So it came to me in the Night! As I believe that God is in control, I must assume that this is just an "Act" in The Storm and Glorious Rescue Play to come! It's a Divine Play where the "actors" must read their lines and play their roles as God the "Playwright" has directed. For years I have considered The Passion of Jesus as a Divine Play for Our Salvation. Jesus, Judas, Peter, Pilate, Chief Priests and ....... All had to play their roles properly for the blessed ending ... Resurrection!! I just wish I could watch The Play from Outer Space!! GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
Dear CrewDog -- and everyone else that is feeling their peace disturbed by the encyclical released today -- please step back from the ledge!! We are in God's hands and trust is required. That being said, let me ask you a couple of questions: 1. Why is the Pope's decision to write on this topic now such a travesty or scandal? Or put another way, why we should place our judgment of what is prudent or important to speak about before that of the Holy Father? 2. Which of these statements from the Pope related to the encyclical (all taken from tweets sent out by his @pontifex account today) are in error or are objectionable? "The deterioration of the environment and of society affect the most vulnerable people on the planet." "The throwaway culture of today calls for a new lifestyle." "The human environment and the natural environment deteriorate together." "To blame population growth, and not an extreme consumerism on the part of some, is one way of refusing to face the issues." "We have to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor." "There is an intimate relationship between the poor and the fragility of the planet." I dare say, the answer is that NONE of those statements is in error. The Church has always had a preference for the poor and underprivileged. This is nothing new. The Church has consistently stressed the need for humanity to be good stewards of our earth. This is also nothing new. Why rant and rave and turn this encyclical into something that it is not? The bottom line is that we are all better served by prayerfully supporting the Holy Father and trusting that God will keep his promise and preserve His Church. All of this jumping up and down and pointing fingers creates dissension and that is not God's territory. To borrow your analogy of a "Divine Play," we know how this one ends: WE WIN. The Church wins. GOD WINS. Peace.
[quote="bflocatholic, .............Peace. [/quote] 1) GOD WINS! 2) As I pointed out, much of the quotes is just standard boilerplate of what we have come to expect from the Mother Earth Environmental Left Crowd and the rarefied air of, Tax-Payer funded, academia. I detest the waste and consumerism but human nature is what it is. The USA has been in Clean-Up Mode for 50 years to the point of shutting down our clean fossil/nuclear power industry, regulating/taxing industry and private small business to the point of extinction .... along with the jobs and wealth that goes along with it. Our jobs and wealth have gone to China and India where they are putting dirty coal plants on line at the rate of one-a-week and they don't give a S*** about the Environment .... Same deal in the rest of the Third World. So... The Pope seems to think that all these Feel-Good catch phrases will actually do something positive!!?? 3) We will not see the damage of The Timing until "it" unfolds in months to come. The godless Left will use this as a "Club" to bludgeon conservatives. Abortion-n-Gay Loving Democrats, including phony Catholics like Rep. Nancy Pelosi and VP Biden, are already "crowing" about this! 4) The establishment of some Global Governmental Entity to "oversee" Planet Earth Clean-Up and "Share the Wealth" is laughable considering 65 years of the UN and the current World Situation! The USA/EU is on the brink of bankruptcy and China, India and Russia are not known for the generosity. 5) If The Storm is, in fact, upon US ... Thee & Me, soon, will have a bunch of other "Stuff" of much greater critical concern. GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
While I don't agree with the CO2 human casued global warming nonsense much of it makes sense. I certainly don't fully get the point of it all though. Despite it's good natured intentions multinational corporations will continue controlling governments and resources for their own good and gain and is only going to continue to get worse. The pope's wording which lends to reliance on those in power to do the right thing for the good of all especially the poor sounds great. But we know this isn't ever going to happen the way things are now. People are too greedy and most politicians don't work for the people anymore. (dispite what they say) Things like this wording......Because the enforcement of laws is at times inadequate due to corruption, public pressure has to be exerted in order to bring about decisive political action. Society, through non-governmental organizations and intermediate groups, must put pressure on governments to develop more rigorous regulations, procedures and controls. Unless citizens control political power – national, regional and municipal – it will not be possible to control damage to the environment. Local legislation can be more effective, too, if agreements exist between neighbouring communities to support the same environmental policies. To me it's just to idealistic. As indiviuals we can only do our best in the small area of influence we have. I applaud those that push to change government and corporate policies but sadly the people's influence is nearing zero. The last thing the world needs is more rigorous regulations, procedures and controls.....the entire system as it is is fraught with too much of the above. Maybe this whole thing is for some future system where the @holes at the top are actually good people. :O) Non of this bothers me at all, I do what I can on a personal level. Watch gov't use this to back further environmental taxes and control on all of us who are already at the breaking point. So I am a bit confused but not bothered or disheartened. Peace.
I agree with MMM in being doubtful what can be done given the nature of the world with different countries and interests. But the matter of how to deal with the problem is quite different from the argument on whether there is a problem. I was originally fairly sceptical on climate change but have been impressed with what I have so far seen and read. I was particularly impressed by the presentation of Prof John Schellnhuber, 60 minutes into the video. Despite BrianK's encouragement to view him as a 'baddie', the person I see on the video is far from that. Unfortunately, people have strong political views which block any readiness to listen.
if you want a true Church commentary on the encyclical, I listened to most of the US Bishops response in a Q&A with media at noon time . https://soundcloud.com/siriusxm-news-issues/sets/catholic-channel-on-siriusxm A must listen President of the US Bishop conference and Cardinal Wuerl speak and answer many Questions...Q&A starts at 24min
Man made global warming if it exits ( and I doubt that it does - see my post about the 19 year hiatus in another thread) is well down my list of immediate worries. I am more worried about the 'global warming' (sorry about the pun!) as predicted at Akita. Fire falling from the sky wiping out a greater part of humanity so that the survivors envy the dead. The third message on October 13, 1973, the actual anniversary of the final visions and miracle of Fatima is as follows: "As I told you, if men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by my Son. Each day, recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and the priests. The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, and bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their Confreres. The Church and altars will be vandalized. The Church will be full of those who accept compromises and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom.
I found this link on Fr. Z's website: https://stream.org/11-things-probably-wont-hear-pope-francis-encyclical/ A more positive look at the encyclical.
I am with you on global warming. Can't you say this has already happened? The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, and bishops against other bishops (at the synod especially and even the pope was banished by the Jesuits in Argentina). The priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their Confreres (look at what happened since Vatican 2). The Church and altars will be vandalized (we call them church wreckovations). The Church will be full of those who accept compromises (look at most of our fellow catholics) and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord (tens of thousands after Vatican 2).
Exactly. The only way to save the planet and our very lives is to heed the requests from heaven. It is ''sin '' which will cause our destruction. Not our oil consumption and waste.
Mac...read the document yourself! compare your secular commentaries with the approved translation release. Gus Loyd apologized today for reading a conservative US publication that stated the Pope said gas, coal and oil are evil. When he compared the same paragraphs they said the opposite, so buyer beware...once again
Thanks - Fr. Z is a pretty straight shooter, and of a more conservative bent. When I checked out his site today, I was bracing myself for some negative reaction to the encyclical, but he surprised me (in a good way). I encourage everyone here to read his entire blog on the topic: http://wdtprs.com/blog/2015/06/good-news-about-the-new-encyclical-laudato-si/
Thanks for posting Fr Z's link. The link I provided of the USSCB press conference from Gus Loyd , after the presser he has a 10 minute clip linking folks to your same link...things you wont hear Francis say in the Media! READ FOR YOURSELVES FOLKS as Cardinal Wuerl said no directives are given in this encyclical on climate change. Non at all !
Who are you talking to? I don't know of any Francis "haters" on this forum. Labeling people "haters" that question the pope is pretty low, even for you. Don't be that guy.
are you serious Little me ??? IF my comment didn't apply to you, why would you even reply little me.... I called no individual out no need to reply, Little me posts on this forum about papa Francis astound me at times....to each thier own I guess Me and You/others will go round and round....Peace be to you!...I truly mean this
John Henry Westen. The encyclical is pro-life, anti-population control, anti-gender ideology. Climate change, says Pope Francis, in the new encyclical Laudato Si (Praised be) released today, “represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day” (25). The environmental tome of 180 pages – the longest encyclical in history – is an often-fascinating read, with many touching passages reflecting on a Catholic vision of care and concern for creation. These many passages, however, are being largely lost and subsumed under the most emphatic – even alarmist – passages devoted to detailed descriptions of "climate change" theory (described as fact) and the dire consequences of failing to take drastic measures to fight such change. And those startling quotes have stolen the media narrative, making this, at least for the media world and thus the general public, the "climate-change encyclical." https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/p...hange-but-anti-population-control-pro-life-an
I haven't read the whole encyclical, but it is good so far. I think the writing style is almost poetic. I had braced myself when I had read some of the reservations, but those fears are not founded. The review above is accurate. The emphasis on the climate-change stuff has made the headline news, while the really solid teaching about our dignity as human beings has been drowned out. It seems quite long, so I think it will need some digesting and reflection.... happy reading everyone !
As Cardinal Wuerl (US) said, a year from now we will have new understandings of papa Francis encyclical,for it is deep and needs to be un packed... relax everyone
