Speaking on Environment During Homily

[josh_the_goat]

I’m working on a research paper on Roman Catholicism and the Environment. More specifically, I’m focusing on why priests tend to shy away from explaining the Church’s stance on Environmental issues.

I understand that the homily should be an explanation of scripture, but there are quite a few passages on the beauty of creation, yet the homilies never address our responsibility to maintain that creation.

With all of the documents from bishops and from the Pope explaining the Church’s stance, why do priests tend to avoid this topic?

If anyone has documents which I could use for reference in my paper, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[barbfromtucson]

Go to

usccb.org/sdwp/projects/socialteaching/excerpt.htm

Care for God’s Creation
We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.

This summary should only be a starting point for those interested in Catholic social teaching. A full understanding can only be achieved by reading the papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents that make up this rich tradition. For a copy of the complete text of Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions (No. 5-281) and other social teaching documents, call 800-235-8722.

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Also check out

usccb.org/sdwp/ejp/bishopsstatement.htm

This one has a LOT of Biblical references!

squidinkbooks.com/omosclc/pdfs/JFW-2007-03-Mar-May.pdf

Look for the article by Dr. Katie Hirschboeck–she’s a professor at the Univ. of Arizona.

I do not know why priests don’t speak about it during homilies. Perhaps it (along with other social justice issues) are too ‘political’ and priests are afraid to speak out on anything that will ‘offend’ too many people or come across as being more of a ‘political’ statement rather than as a response to the Gospel. It’s a shame!!!

–Barbara

 

[josh_the_goat]

Thank you for your comments Barbara. The links you provided fit right in with my presentation.

I agree that the issue is commonly perceived as a political one, but John Paul II states that the problem is moral, not merely political.

I think the issue permeates to a deeper level. I believe the average parish priest doesn’t want to rock the boat too much. Rather than preach on tough issues that the congregation may find hard to swallow, he simply feeds them what they want to hear. That they’re doing alright and God loves them. But why do priests consistently stay at such a shallow level during homilies?

I’m not saying all priests are like this, I just want to know separates the priests from taking the tougher topics versus those that stick to second grade catechism class homilies?

 

[Corki]

My pastor speaks about the environment in his homilies. It is usually in the context of stewardship. But then he does not shy away from much of anything. My guess is that many priests are afraid of being seen as confrontational.

 

[Leeta]

The main reason is that the priest is to speak about the something from the Bible or something relevant to our walk with God or the moral life, such as caring for and not killing our family members by abortion and euthanasia or walking out on our spouse.
But stewardship of creation is not too relevant to most of us because we are already doing it in our daily lives.

The bigger problem for most is fulfilling their obligations to God and fellow man and not to nature which is not eternal.

If you mean that the priest should lambast the congragation for existing and living a civilized life style (using cars and electricity and gas for heating) then you do mean politics. It is also contrary to Church teaching to say that people are a problem just by existing. God wants us married couples to be open to having children. That is manifesting love. And we must care for and educate these children.
The Church says that people are the greatest resource since they are eternal and God loves people, not the earth. He wants to bring as many chidren as He can into heaven. The earth exists to give glory to God and He gave it to us to till. But tilling the earth is not our ultimate goal.

There are some teachings (magisterial) which have a greater importance than others and authoritative teachings are obligatory.

For example, the above document from the USSCB on stewardship has about as much authority as a statement I could write on that subject.

 

[Leeta]

If a priest preached on the environment, I would conclude he hasn’t a clue about the great moral and spiritual issues we confront in our daily lives or the struggles we have with sin.

The Church does not define how stewardship is to be done, since it varies from culture to culture and time to time. I see no great problem with stewardship of the earth in our country.
That would be preaching to what people want to hear!

The incredibly boring and ugly houses and cars and structures, I suppose are a problem, since they drag us down with their ugliness and do not avail us of an opportunity to reflect on the beauty of God.