Levicitus 25:23-24 states "The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land." In the Holy Book, there are numerous other references to the concept we now understand as "environmental stewardship." Something that makes me proud to be a Catholic--with a name like "Emmanuel" no one is going to mistake me for an Aum Shinrikyo acolyte--is the very progressive and pragmatic stance the Holy See has taken to environmental matters. It will famously install solar cells on the roof of the Vatican in an attempt to lessen its dependence on fossil fuels. And now, Reuters reports that the #2 man at the Vatican is keen on classifying ecological offenses as sins. Yes, 80s fans, being an enviro-degenerate, it's a sin.Elsewhere in the article, Girotti discusses confession. I think both go hand in hand: "Forgive me father for I have sinned. During the month of January, my carbon footprint was reprehensible, further endangering people living in flood-prone regions of His earth like Bangladesh..." Really, it is no surprise to me that folks like (the rather earthly) Tony Blair would like to miss out on the benefits of the religion. Believe it or not, Catholicism is a very forward looking faith:
[Archbishop Gianfranco] Girotti, in an interview headlined "New Forms of Social Sin," also listed "ecological" offences as modern evils.
In recent months, Pope Benedict has made several strong appeals for the protection of the environment, saying issues such as climate change had become gravely important for the entire human race.
It has installed photovoltaic cells on buildings to produce electricity and hosted a scientific conference to discuss the ramifications of global warming and climate change, widely blamed on human use of fossil fuels.
