Summer 2015 Archdiocese of Kingston Volume XXVIII Number 2
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A Communicator for the Roman Catholic JourneyArchdiocese of Kingston Summer 2015 Archdiocese of Kingston Volume XXVIII Number 2 Photo by Fred Happy Father James Quirk, front left, and Archbishop Brendan O’Brien, front centre, with Archdiocesan clergy and Knights of Columbus outside St. Mary’s Cathredral follow- ing Fr. Quirk’s ordination to the priesthood on April 18. See stories on pages 3 and 8. Inside this edition Archbishop’s message, page 2 The Arts in the Archdiocese, page 7 Celebrating the Year of Consecrated Life, 12 The Ordination of James Quirk, page 3 The Liturgical Commission, page 8 The Permanent Diaconate, page 13 Archbishop’s message, page 2 Around the Archdiocese, page 4 Justice and Peace Commission, page 9 The sacredness of our sexuality, page 13 The inspiration of hope, page 3 Sisters of Providence future, page 5 Women’s Fall Retreat, page 9 Religious Education, page 14 Around the Archdiocese, page 4 Launching the Year of Consecrated Life, page 5 Family Ministry, page 10 Catholic Women’s League, page 14 CDSBEO Kemptville principal honoured, page 5 Youth Ministry, page 6 Women of Grace, page 11 Liturgical guitarist workshop, page 16 Sacred Heart of Jesus Eco Team, page 5 Brain Injury conference, page 7 Spreading the Gospel on campus, page 12 National Evangelization Team (NET), page 16 Youth Ministry, page 6 Summer 2015 Page 2 Journey Summer 2015 Archbishop Brendan O’Brien The Pope on Ecology he long anticipated Encyclical courage an honest and open debate are interconnected: Tof Pope Francis on Ecology was so that particular interests or ideolo- “It is essential to seek comprehen- made public on June 18. Its Latin gies will not prejudice the common sive solutions which consider the title, Laudato si (Praise be to you), good.”(188) interactions within natural systems is taken from an invocation of St. The Encyclical comprises 192 themselves and with social systems. Francis of Assisi in the Canticle of pages and is organized in six chap- We are faced not with two separate the Creatures: “Praise be to you, my ters: crises, one environmental and the Lord.” Its subtitle, “the Care of our 1. What is Happening to our other social, but rather with one Common Home,” emphasizes the Common Home complex crisis which is both social Pope’s desire not only to remind and environmental.” (139) 2. The Gospel of Creation Christians of their responsibility This means that we must ask 3. The Human Roots of the within creation, but to enter into some very basic questions: dialogue with all people concerning Ecological Crisis “What kind of world do we want our common home. 4. Integral Ecology to leave to those who come after us, While there is certainly concern 5. Lines of Approach and Action to children who are now growing Christ. about the damage being done to 6. Ecological Education and up? This question not only concerns “The ecological crisis is also a our environment, the Encyclical Spirituality summons to profound interior con- the environment in isolation; the also has a note of hope and confi- issue cannot be approached piece- version. It must be said that some An examination of some pas- committed and prayerful Chris- dence that humanity has the abil- sages from Chapter Four on “Inte- meal. When we ask ourselves what ity to work together in building our kind of world we want to leave be- tians, with the excuse of realism gral Ecology” helps us to see that and pragmatism, tend to ridicule common home. The Pope says that, Pope Francis is looking at things in hind, we think in the first place of although there is no lack of positive its general direction, its meaning expressions of concern for the en- a much broader context than simply vironment. Others are passive; they examples, there is “complacency proposing technical solutions to en- and its values. Unless we struggle and a cheerful recklessness”(59) with these deeper issues, I do not choose not to change their habits vironmental problems: and thus become inconsistent. So and an unwillingness to change life- “Ecology studies the relationship believe that our concern for ecolo- style, production, and consumption. gy will produce significant results.” what they all need is an “ecological between living organisms and the conversion,” whereby the effects of In some quarters, the Pope has environment in which they develop. (160) been accused of meddling in mat- In issuing this Encyclical, Pope their encounter with Jesus Christ This necessarily entails reflection become evident in their relation- ters that are beyond the Church’s and debate about the conditions re- Francis is inviting all of us to an competence. Pope Francis address- ecological conversion where we ship with the world around them. quired for the life and survival of Living our vocation to be protectors es this issue head on when he says: society, and the honesty needed to will come to see environmental “There are certain environmen- stewardship as a moral duty. Lauda- of God’s handiwork is essential to a question certain models of develop- life of virtue; it is not an optional or tal issues where it is not easy to ment, production and consumption. to si is a way of stimulating such a achieve a broad consensus. Here change in attitude from which prac- a secondary aspect of our Christian It cannot be emphasized enough experience.” (217) I would state once more that the how everything is interconnect- tical measures and policies can be Church does not presume to settle ed.”(138) developed. For Pope Francis, this + Brendan M. O’Brien scientific questions or to replace For the Holy Father, the human, means seeing care for our common Archbishop of Kingston politics. But I am concerned to en- the social, and the environmental home as part of our following of Be Kind to Mother Earth his is a particularly exciting Skeptical Environmentalist, who fully, uranium and lead are natural Carbon monoxide would quickly Tissue of Journey, closely fol- argues that “many of the elaborate ingredients. The words “natural” take its toll. Why should we even lowing the release of Pope Francis’ and expensive actions now being and “green” are meaningless tools ask whether issues like excessive Encyclical on Ecology, which has considered to stop global warm- used in marketing ploys. consumption of oil and the spew- many implications for the planet ing will cost hundreds of billions The newest foolish corporate fad ing of toxic waste, pesticides, and upon which we live. It is also the of dollars, are often based on emo- is the concept of carbon credits to herbicides are morally responsible first issue to feature the new col- tional rather than strictly scientific deal with our “carbon footprint.” acts? umn from the Justice and Peace assumptions, and may very well I can basically sin all I want as It is time to relate to the planet Commission. have little impact on the world’s long as I follow prescribed game in the First Nations’ manner of see- As for ecology, I never get into temperature for hundreds of years.” rules, or make the right payment. ing our earthly home as our sym- climate change arguments. Both The more fundamental issue is No wonder Pope Francis criticizes bolic Mother Earth. How would sides have dug in their heels and whether we are harming our Cre- the concept of carbon credits. It’s you treat your own mother? Would function like some fundamentalist ator’s gift that is our environment. a sham system that’s ripe for ma- you use her mercilessly for profit? creed. There is climate change. The Anyone with a moral conscience nipulation and fraud. Would you have her carry your gar- climate has always been changing. does not litter. We don’t throw tox- Our decision-making measure- bage until she is so overburdened All it takes is one massive volca- ic industrial or personal waste into ment tools should not revolve that she collapses? We take our nic eruption to change the Earth’s our air, rivers, lakes and oceans if around climate change. That con- Mother Earth for granted—a dan- climate for centuries. The point of we want a future. We don’t strip cept is now controlled, not by a gerous step. whether humans have increased (or the Earth of trees if we want oxy- moral conscience, but by political, We can call for all the political ac- decreased or neutralized—there gen to breathe. The climate change bureaucratic and corporate inter- tion we want, but we cannot avoid are arguments from all sides) the debate is a red herring that has long ests. Instead, asking ourselves a individual responsibility. Instead of amount of climate change is, to me, since been kidnapped by corporate simple question should guide our complaining about the state of the irrelevant. interests that would call cyanide decisions: “Does this harm our world, take positive action. Lead I much prefer the approach of organic if they thought it would environment?” One wouldn’t ask by action. Make a difference. Bjorn Lomborg, author of The increase “green” sales. And, truth- whether to run a car engine indoors. — Mark Bergin, Editor A Communicator for the Roman Catholic Submission Guidelines Archdiocese of Kingston Journey Original and previously unpublished articles should be e-mailed as unformatted Word “.doc” attachments Published by the Archdiocese of Kingston with no embedded photos or graphics. Mark Bergin, Editor Photos should be e-mailed in “.jpg” format in a size of at least .5 Mb. ([email protected]) (No family birth, anniversary or death announcements) Deadlines: Address all communications to: September 4, 2015 (Autumn issue) Journey, 390 Palace Road, Kingston ON K7L 4T3 November 13, 2015 (Christmas issue) Tel: (613) 548-4461 February 16, 2016 (Spring issue) E-mail: [email protected] Circulation: 12,000 – Our market includes Kingston, Belleville, Brockville and Smiths Falls.