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As usual, my very gifted pastor hit a grand slam in his homily at this year's Easter Vigil. The Holy Spirit was certainly rushing through the parish and most especially in an inspired sermon about Christ’s love—His Way, Truth, and Life—that removes the stones that block all of us at one time or another.

His homily aligned beautifully with points made by the Holy Father earlier in his own:

Jesus no longer belongs to the past, but lives in the present and is projected towards the future; he is the everlasting “today” of God. This is how the newness of God appears to the women, the disciples and all of us: as victory over sin, evil and death, over everything that crushes life and makes it seem less human. And this is a message meant for me and for you, dear sister, dear brother. How often does Love have to tell us: Why do you look for the living among the dead? Our daily problems and worries can wrap us up in ourselves, in sadness...
In choosing life and God’s grace, we can end our days with far less eco-destruction and regret.

Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him. (Hebrews 5:8-9)

I missed a much-anticipated opportunity today. This made me think of the opportunities to protect the created order that you and I could miss at this critical time in human history.

His Eminence Sean Cardinal O’Malley had invited members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, of which I am invested, to attend Good Friday services at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston. I was ready to go but family obligations gave me a late start and traffic congestion added another forty minutes to the journey. In hindsight, I should have anticipated both.

I turned back about twenty minutes after I should have arrived because I still had another twenty or thirty or however many more minutes left. And one does not arrive that late to such liturgies.

I could have planned better. But I didn’t and a wonderful opportunity was missed.

Regret is fitting for Good Friday. And so I thanked God at my...

A Washington Post guest commentary by Christiana Z. Peppard, Ph.D lauds the laudable eco-comments by Pope Francis. In doing so, she seems to miss the point about the Eucharist—the core of the Catholic faith—and what it means for you and me.

Given that I write this on Holy Thursday—and I’ve just come from the Mass of the Lord’s Supper (and a few churches on the way home to stop in and pray a bit)—I’d like to respond to Dr. Peppard in hopes that she is not making the mistake that many others seem to be making in these early days of the pontificate of Pope Francis.

Dr. Peppard, an Assistant Professor of Theology, Science and Ethics at Fordham University, applauds Pope Francis for his early and direct mentioning of caring for the poor and environmental protection. But Pope Francis isn’t the first pope to make such statements. His two predecessors have quite the eco-record and have made at least a handful of statements about confronting poverty. But there are more than words at play here. Like many others,...

The Holy Father’s homily on Monday in the small chapel of the Casa Santa Marta (which, it seems, will be his home for some time rather than the papal apartments) struck me because of its theme—one that needs repeating in the world of environmental protection, especially during these most important days of Holy Week.

Here’s what Vatican Radio reported about the words of Pope Francis:

[The pope] said “The emblem of the infinite patience that God has for man is reflected in the infinite patience that Jesus has for Judas.”
Pope Francis was inspired by the scene of today's Gospel, in which Judas criticizes Mary, sister of Lazarus, for anointing Jesus' feet with three hundred grams of precious perfume: it would be better - says Judas – to sell it and give the proceeds to the poor. John noted in the Gospel that Judas was not interested in the poor, but in stealing the money.
Yet, Pope Francis said, "Jesus did not say: 'You are a thief.’” Instead “he was patient with Judas,”...

Photo: Flicker/Catholic Church (England and Wales)

When speaking today to representatives of other faiths and Christian confessions, Pope Francis included those who do not belong to “any religious tradition.”

When addressing this latter group, his words sought some connection—some common element. In doing so, he demonstrated the essence of New Evangelization.

Here are his words: 

We know how much violence has been provoked in recent history by the attempt to eliminate God and the divine from the horizon of humanity, and we feel the need to witness in our societies the original openness to transcendence that is inherent in the human heart. In this we feel the closeness also of those men and women who, while not belonging to any religious tradition, feel, however the need to search for the truth, the goodness and...

Please, I would like to ask all those who have positions of responsibility in economic, political and social life, and all men and women of goodwill: let us be “protectors” of creation, protectors of God’s plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world! But to be “protectors”, we also have to keep watch over ourselves! Let us not forget that hatred, envy and pride defile our lives! Pope Francis in his homily at his Mass of Inauguration. The Feast of St. Joseph 2013.

A significant tension in the environmental regulatory community is which emphasis to take in going about our business—especially in a poor economy.

Should we first assist our clients as they navigate our rules, and so become helpers of people and businesses? Or should we first and primarily protect the environment?

I’ve always thought that this tension is an artificial one. Many regulators can—and do—do both. It simply requires one to adhere to truth and law while simultaneously loving one’s neighbor, even if we can't always grant everyone's wishes.

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About the Blog

Catholic Ecology posts my regular column in the Rhode Island Catholic, as well as scientific and theological commentary about the latest eco-news, both within and outside of the Catholic Church. What is contained herein is but one person's attempt to teach and defend the Church's teachings - ecological and otherwise. As such, I offer all contents of this blog for approval of the bishops of the Church. It is my hope that nothing herein will lead anyone astray from truth.