Sydney
14 July 2002
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Earthcare - a call to ‘expand our vision’
Young performers from Catholic Schools Creative Arts at the Earthcare launch
By Kathleen Carmody Photos by Max Herford, Maureen Murphy and Noeline Kelly
Care for the environment is surely one of the great manifestations of God’s spirit for our age, said Archbishop John Bathersby, and a fitting preparation for the new millennium we have just entered.
The archbishop was addressing a congregation of more than 200 people who had gathered at St Francis of Assisi church in Paddington to celebrate the launch of Catholic Earthcare Australia, the new national Catholic environment agency (St Francis of Assisi is the patron saint of ecology).
The inspiration for Catholic Earthcare Australia came from Pope John Paul II’s call in 1990 for an “ecological conversion”.
He warned that humanity was moving towards catastrophe and drew a parallel between creation and God.
Archbishop Bathersby described the formation of Catholic Earthcare Australia - a national body that will advise the Bishops’ Committee for Justice, Development, Ecology and Peace on environmental issues - as one of the “truly significant events in the life of the Catholic Church in more recent times”.
It seems entirely appropriate, he said, that here in Australia in response to the Pope’s request, “we should be launching Catholic Earthcare Australia as an attempt to enlist Catholics in this further aspect of evangelisation and to educate people about the depth of vision demanded of those who would follow in Christ’s footsteps”.
In his homily, Archbishop Bathersby, who is chairman of the new body, made reference to the “incarnational” link between God and creation, which was recognised by St Francis.
“(This link) makes Catholic Earthcare Australia absolutely necessary for Catholics, and indeed all Christians, if we are to promote faith in God, as well as enhance the quality of life in our world for all people - especially for the poor and little ones of the world who so often are powerless in trying to prevent the life-destroying forces that, often unthinkingly, sometimes deliberately, devastate our planet for the benefit of a few, and for the long-term suffering of generations yet to come,” the archbishop said.
“The diminishment of life in this universe in any way, in some way diminishes our capacity for knowing God because faith and life are deeply linked.”
He called on the congregation to be life-givers, and to have the wisdom and courage to make those decisions necessary for the benefit of all creation now and in the future.
“The care for the environment … is surely one of the great manifestations of God’s spirit for our age, and a fitting preparation for the new millennium we have just entered.
“Well might we ask ourselves, as Christians, how could we possibly have overlooked it for so long?
“How could our understanding of Christ’s mission have been so mean and so narrow? “With the leadership of the Pope himself we are now being called upon to expand our vision.”
Archbishop Bathersby said that young people had enthusiastically embraced the environmental cause.
“Perhaps young people’s awareness of the dangers of environmental mismanagement has given them a greater sense of urgency than their older relations. Whatever the reasons for their passionate and caring acceptance of the environment, it surely fits easily within Christ’s evangelising vision of the total transformation of our world, so as to create a new world for all, both now and in the future.”
The co-ordinator of Catholic Earthcare Australia, environmental lawyer Colin Brown, praised the high priority the Church was placing on the preservation of the environment.
“Through their action (in forming Catholic Earthcare), the Bishops are heeding the … serious responsibility we all have as stewards of creation,” he said.
The council comprises 20 environmental experts from around Australia, including Patrick Dodson, chairman of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation; Tasmanian Green, Christine Milne; Columban priest Fr Brian Gore; Australian Green, Sandra Menteith and Franciscan priest, Fr Andrew Granc.
Archbishop Bathersby, Archbishop of Brisbane, led the celebration with the former Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal Edward Clancy, Bishop William Morris of Toowoomba, Bishop Christopher Saunders of Broome and seven other priests acting as concelebrants.
A highlight of Sunday’s launch was a performance in song and dance by the children from the creative arts schools project of the Catholic Education Office, Sydney, underscoring the concern of young people to save the Earth for future generations.
Guests at the launch were also shown a 20-minute educational video, The Garden Planet, sponsored by the Bishops’ Committee with assistance from Caritas Australia and the Franciscan Order. It will be distributed to parishes and schools throughout Australia.
A key plank of the environmental initiative will be the St Francis Earthcare Grants ranging from $500 to $3000, courtesy of the Franciscan Order, which will be awarded to schools and parishes that undertake earth care projects.
For more information contact Julie Morgan, Promoter of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation: on 1800 199 898, or email jpic@franciscans.org.au