New booked edited by Nenagh priest
Former President of Ireland Mary Robinson launched a book edited by Nenagh environmentalist Fr Sean McDonagh at the College Chapel, Trinity College Dublin, last Friday.
In 'Laudato Si’: An Irish Response', 11 Irish people reflect on this papal encyclical. In the first chapter, Fr Sean McDonagh compares Laudato Si’ with three important encyclicals. Pope Francis begins his encyclical by reflecting on St Francis of Assisi’s love for the poor and the earth. Unfortunately, Catholics and other Christian Churches have not followed St Francis’ example.
The encyclical does deal with concrete social and ecological issues. Climate Change is dealt with in number 23. The Pope claims that the impact will be felt by developing countries in the coming decades; the hurricanes that hit the Caribbean, the US and ourselves are testimony to this.
The book also includes a chapter from Dr John Sweeney - 'Walking the Road from Paris', which gives a good up-to-date account of where climate change is at today.
Dr John Feehan brings a wealth of knowledge from geology, biological and theology to his chapter, which is entitled 'Creation is Incarnation: Reflection on Biodiversity in Laudato Si’.' This chapter alone could lead to a new spirituality, as the Pope writes that “creatures exist only in dependence on each other , to complete each other, in the service of each other.”
Dr Dermot A Lane’s chapter on 'Anthropology and Theological Reflections in Laudato Si',' emphases the importance of science in developing ecological theology.
According to Dr Lorna Gold in 'The Disruptive Power of Laudato Si’ – a Dangerous Book', a new synthesis is provided in terms of dealing with poverty, development and caring for the earth. This new vocabulary of ‘wholeness’ is captured in the term ‘integral ecology'.
Laudato Si’ captures both the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth. Sr Brigid Reynolds and Fr, Seán Healy focus on integrating the question of justice with ecology.
Cloughjordan resident Peadar Kirby’s chapter highlights the refreshing quality of Pope Francis’ critique of the “myopia of power politics”. What caused the recent recession is that politics was subverted by the growing world economy to serve the needs of the elite. Pope Francis affirms that “politics must not be subject to the economy and that there is an urgent need for politics and economics to enter into frank dialogue in the service of life”.
The Irish Jesuit Gerry O’Hanlon writes of Donal Dorr’s book 'Option for the Poor and the Earth' (2016), that it is masterly in combining careful and subtle analysis with inspirational and challenging engagement.
Dr Cathriona Russell writes on 'Demography, Poverty and Planetary Boundaries in Laudato Si’.'
In today’s world, more than half the world’s population live in cities. This is why Michael Punch’s contribution 'Laudato Si’ - Mining the Meaning for the City', is so crucial.
'Laudito Si': An Irish Response' is published by Veritas.