A lesson quickly learned when studying theology is that the terms liberal and conservative are of little to no help. In a culture that demonizes such labels, there can be a deep desire to find a different language that transcends the volatility of these terms. Traditionally, theologians will use the terms Orthodoxy (correct belief) and Orthopraxy (the proper practice and application of our belief). When the terms liberal and conservative are removed in favor of Orthodoxy and Orthopraxy, one quickly finds that authentic Christian belief is a fascinating weave, providing a beautiful tapestry of the world that fails to fit nicely into a cultural ideology, limited by political designations. One of the clearest examples of this transcendent tapestry is ecology and care for creation. As a priest for the Catholic Church that is pro-life, pro-family, pro-personal responsibility, and pro-subsidiarity, many find it contradictory for Catholics to also be pro-immigration, pro-workers rights, pro-solidarity, pro-preferential option for the poor, and pro-ecology. An example … Continue reading →

I had never thought of the Book of Revelation as containing an ecological message until recently. In my childhood, I fell into the trap that most do of seeing the gloom and doom of Revelation in a way that literally scared the “Hell” out of me. In my college years, I revisited the Book of Revelation through the lens of it being a book of hope for the early Christians under the persecution of Nero. In seminary, there was a push to approach Revelation from a liturgical perspective, seeing in its mystic and symbolic language a type of “code” the author used to communicate a mystical experience of celebrating the Eucharist. Recently, I have discovered a new approach to Revelation as being profoundly connected to the environment, arguing that when we are not in right relationship with God the impact is not only personal, but global. This vision of Revelation containing a commentary on our environment was a central theme … Continue reading →

I’ll believe it when I see it!  This pithy truism of our culture is often used to force hard data in the face of doubt.  Though this mentality has its limits, it also has its strengths, demanding that clear, empirical evidence be provided as proof that something is true.  For example, for years we have heard about the potential of water on Mars and, year after year, we hear of discoveries that point to the existence of water on the red planet.  On September 28th of this year, another announcement of the discover of water on Mars was made, but this time the news seemed to catch much more attention than previous discoveries.  The reason this finding made more news than those of the past is rather simple: NASA now has images in which they can actually see soil moisture on Mars’ surface in addition to chemical analysis that confirms the high probability of water being present. (For a good interview … Continue reading →

Pope Francis’ new Encyclical is now one day old and, as feared, the spin doctors are hard at work praising or vilifying the text based on presumptions instead of actually reading what is in the document.  Amid migraine provoking drum beats accusing the Pope of Socialism, Communism, population “control-ism,” and superficial rants about “Pope Francis’ letter sharing his opinions on climate change,” what we actually have is arguably the most significant contribution in the modern era to Catholic Social Teaching as it pertains to stewardship of creation. So, how do we wade through the sea of ideological screams to get to the heart of this Encyclical?  In the weeks to come, I will be offering a series of posts on Laudato Si’ to explore the meat of the Encyclical.  To be upfront, I am not an expert on Ecology nor would I consider myself a student of Eco-theology.  What I am is a Catholic Priest, a Parish Pastor, a former High School religion … Continue reading →

Continuing our series on the Religion, Science, and Environment (RSE) Symposia organized by the Greek Orthodox Church, today we explore the 1999 symposium on the Danube River. The previous RSE symposium explored the ecological crisis that threatening the Black Sea. One of the main themes of the symposium was how pollution from the Danube River was flowing into the Black Sea, contributing to its denigration. In light of this, it makes sense that the symposium to follow the Black Sea gathering would be held on the blue Danube. The Danube River connects ten countries with a drainage basin that finds its way into a number of other counties. The countries themselves represent some of the most war-torn regions of Europe, originating in Germany and making its way through Austria, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine. These countries, along with the Czech Republic, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, have developed the International Commission for the Protection of the … Continue reading →

At the beginning of Advent, Pope Francis called for a Year of Mercy.  As part of this year of focusing on the mercifulness of God, all people were invited to give special emphasis to the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy, which are (Corporal) feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the prisoners, bury the dead, give alms to the poor, (Spiritual) counsel the doubtful, instruct the ignorant, admonish the sinner, comfort the sorrowful, forgive injuries, bearing wrongs patiently, and pray for the living and the dead.  One of the central Biblical images of the Corporal Works of Mercy is found in the Gospel of Matthew.  In this passage, Matthew presents a scene of final judgement in which those judged worthy of eternal glory are those who perform basic works of mercy and love. “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious … Continue reading →