Recent reports from the Vatican show that Pope Benedict will use his upcoming talk at the United Nations “to deliver a powerful warning over climate change.” Allegedly the Holy Father will seek to make the prevention of climate change a “moral” obligation for us Catholics throughout the world. Of course, the Church has long taught that we have a clear obligation to be “good stewards” of our planet, hearkening back to Genesis. The actual policy obligations that stewardship entails, however, are debatable propositions on which reasonable people can disagree according to the determinations of prudence. Pope Benedict is possibly the greatest mind of our age, but these reports from the left remind me of an exchange from Brideshead Revisited:
Fr. Mowbray: Supposing the Pope looked up and saw a cloud and said “[the climate must be changing],” would that be bound to happen?
Rex Mottram: Oh, yes Father.
Fr. Mowbray: But supposing it didn’t?
Rex Mottram: I suppose it would be sort of [changing] spiritually, only we were too sinful to see it...
Comments (3)
"Pope Benedict is possibly the greatest mind of our age,"
I was drinking my morning cup of tea. Now I need to disassemble my keyboard and clean it.
September 25, 2007 2:25 AM | Comment Permalink
There is no "right" or "left" position on this issue. We need to drop the polarizing rhetoric and understand that standing around debating the definition of stewardship continues to be a reckless and sinful waste of time. The pope must feel an obligation and sense of urgency in addressing this issue. Leadership implies action, the time for talk and snide remarks about those calling for action is over. God's amazing gift that we call our home is in danger, and the Good Lord may not be amused much longer by the self-rigtheous posturing of those who would rather make political points than DO anything for the safeguarding of our earthly home.
October 1, 2007 10:51 PM | Comment Permalink
In American politics, *every* issue has a 'right' and a 'left' side. Thats just the way politics works there. Two factions, each defining itsself by its opposition to the other.
October 11, 2007 6:38 PM | Comment Permalink