INTEGRAL ECOLOGY: The new pathways of Integral Ecology (2)
2nd of four parts
(Fourth Talk delivered at the annual holy retreat of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines held at the Monastery of the Transfiguration in Malaybalay City on the theme “Synod Spirituality: Embracing Ecology in the Light of Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum” on July 2-4, 2024)
3. An Appreciation on the First CBCP Pastoral Letter on Ecology
The first Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) pastoral letter on ecology was issued on January 29, 1988 with the title, “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land?”[1] This groundbreaking pastoral response to the ecological situation in the country has been globally recognized as the first magisterial pastoral letter on ecology issued by a bishops’ conference.[2]
It is inspiring to know that Pope Francis quoted this Pastoral Letter both in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium[3] (EG) and Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ (LS).[4] He expressed that “I would make my own the touching and prophetic lament voiced some years ago by the bishops of the Philippines” (EG #215).
Indeed, this 1988 CBCP Pastoral Letter deserves to have a special space here, as this document is often cited in the subsequent CBCP statements and letters related to ecology. We may highlight at least six positive elements, which this pastoral letter has tried to advance:[5]
First, in this pastoral letter, the CBCP’s ecological concerns may be seen as part of the emerging ecological movements that consider the struggle and care for the integrity of creation as fundamental to a holistic perspective on liberation theology. Indeed, the liberationist concern for ecology strengthens the CBCP’s critical attitude against the prevailing model of development and progress, which does not only impoverish the poor but also grievously wounds the natural world. Along this line, the Filipino bishops have rightly included the concern for the oppressed creation in their quest for justice: “The commitment to work for justice and to preserve the integrity of creation are two inseparable dimensions of our Christian vocation to work for the coming of the kingdom of God in our times.”[6]
This statement emphasizes the perspective that … ecological domination (i.e., domination of nature by humans) is also contrary to God’s Kingdom. Thus, to work for the coming of God’s Kingdom, it is necessary to liberate the poor from human and ecological forms of oppression.
The second positive significance of CBCP’s ecological theology is its humble acknowledgement that Christians need the mediation of ecological sciences to make an informed analysis and solid theological judgment on ecological issues. The Filipino bishops recognize that “those who study ecology…are in a good position to tell us what is happening since they study the web of dynamic relationships which supports and sustains all life within the earthly household.”[7]
This recognition of the competence of Earth scientists to analyze the root causes of the ecological crisis would enable the church to respond to ecological issues beyond the perspective of faith. Indeed, Earth sciences offer relevant ecological insights that would help us understand the integrity of creation. A creative integration of the ecological insights into the Christian doctrine of creation has allowed the Filipino bishops to see the twin problems of poverty and the ecological crisis in a broader perspective. Their openness to this new way of theological reflection indicates that the local church magisterium in the Philippines has explicitly associated itself with the relevant emerging ecological theology.
Third, the Filipino bishops have also rightly asserted that our approach to the ecological crisis does not have to start from zero, as if Filipinos are devoid of ecological praxis. In fact, liberative Filipino values that reflect the Kingdom values are not meant to be lived solely within the confines of the human community. As the bishops put it, “The values we see in our families of patient toil, concern for all and willingness to sacrifice for the good of others are the very values which we must now transfer to the wider sphere in our efforts to conserve, heal and love our land.”[8]
If, in the past, the CBCP had the tendency to focus mainly on safeguarding human dignity as the main pro-life issue, today, in its celebrated pastoral letter on ecology, it has unambiguously declared that the defense of the Earth’s ecosystem is “the ultimate pro-life issue.”[9] This means that the Church’s concern for human life cannot be separated from its ecological concern for the community of life and life-support systems. Significantly, if this ecological praxis is pushed further, this may ultimately lead to the direction of a non-anthropocentric preferential option for the poor. After all, God does not care only for human beings but also for the whole of creation—especially the least and the weakest.
Fourth, the CBCP recognizes the relevance of the worldview of the Filipino indigenous peoples whose ecological praxis is grounded in their animistic religion. Their reverence for nature, as well as their awareness of their coexistence with the environmental spirits, is inherent in their way of recognizing the presence of God in creation. As the Filipino bishops have stated: “Our forefathers and our tribal brothers and sisters still attempt to live in harmony with nature. They see the Divine Spirit in the living world and show their respect through prayers and offerings. Tribal Filipinos remind us that the exploitative approach to the natural world is foreign to our Filipino culture.”[10]
This statement presumes that the Filipino tribal religions could help Christianity overcome its anthropocentric perspective, which has been used to justify the ideology of the exploitative and extractive approach to development advanced by the West. This is a challenge to the Church magisterium to dialogue with the tribal religions toward an authentic indigenous Filipino ecological theology.
Fifth, the CBCP has rightly declared that the “assault on creation is sinful and contrary to the teachings of our faith.”[11] This is a relatively advanced judgment considering that traditional Catholic catechism does not categorize the assault on nonhuman creation as “sinful” but only as “contrary to human dignity.”[12] Presuming that only human beings have dignity, the traditional view teaches that causing animals to suffer or to die needlessly may not be considered sinful but only degrading to the moral agent—the human person. Significantly, the CBCP has tried to go beyond this old view by insisting that nonhuman creatures are not merely human property and that abusing them is not simply a violation of human property rights but also a sin against nature and the Creator.
The sixth, and perhaps the most important contribution of the CBCP document on ecology, is its proposals for concrete action to stop environmental abuses. The CBCP strongly encourages every Filipino to participate in the enhancement of an ecological consciousness, particularly by supporting “public officials who are sensitive to environmental issues” and by reforesting bald hills.[13] It encourages Christians to develop “a Filipino theology of creation which will be sensitive to our unique living world, our diverse cultures and our religious heritage. The fruits of this reflection must be made widely available through our preaching and catechetical programs. Our different liturgies must celebrate the beauty and pain of our world, our connectedness to the natural world and the on-going struggle for social justice. We would like to encourage the administrators of our Catholic schools to give special importance to the theme of peace, justice and the integrity of creation in their schools.”[14]
Furthermore, to ensure that ecological consciousness is widely spread, the CBCP suggests “the setting up of a Care of the Earth ministry at every level of Church organization; from the basic Christian communities, through the parish structure and diocesan offices right up to the national level.” Along this line, the PCP-II (1991) provides a section on the “Integrity of Creation,”[15] which affirms the Catholic social teaching on stewardship. “We are but stewards of creation, not its absolute master.”[16] It also provides that “An ecology desk must be set up in social action centers.”[17]
TOMORROW: The Ecological Imperatives in the CBCP Pastoral Letters
(Fr. Reynaldo D. Raluto has been serving as parish priest of Jesus Nazareno Parish in Libona, Bukidnon since 2021 and has been leading the Integral Ecology Ministry of the Diocese of Malaybalay since 2022. From 2011 to 2021, he served as Academic Dean of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary in Cagayan de Oro where he also teaches fundamental/systematic theology and Catholic social teaching. Among his ecological advocacies are planting/growing Philippine native trees, mountain climbing, biking, and active participation in the cultural and ecological activities of the Indigenous People Apostolate of the Diocese).
[1] See Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land? A Pastoral Letter on Ecology” (29 January 1988). This is published as an Appendix of the book Seán McDonagh, The Greening of the Church (Quezon City: Claretian Publications, 1990), 207-216. Fr. Seán McDonagh, MSSC, who had spent more than 25 years as Columban missionary in Mindanao, was the main drafter of this historic pastoral letter.
[2] See James Malone, “Environmental Degradation and Social Justice,” Origins (March 18, 1993), 687.
[3] Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium: On the Proclamation of the Gospel in Today’ (November 24, 2013), no. 215.
[4] Pope Francis, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home (May 24, 2015), no. 41.
[5] For a longer treatment on this pastoral letter, see Reynaldo D. Raluto, Poverty and Ecology at the Crossroads: Towards an Ecological Theology of Liberation in the Philippine Context (Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2015), 177-180.
[6] CBCP, “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land? A Pastoral Letter on Ecology” (29 January 1988), 213.
[7] CBCP, “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land,” 209; see the section on “The Scientific Community” in CBCP, “Water is Life.”
[8] CBCP, “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land,” 212.
[9] CBCP, “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land,” 214.
[10] CBCP, “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land,” 212.
[11] CBCP, “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land,” 207.
[12] Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2418.
[13] CBCP, “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land,” 214.
[14] CBCP, “What is Happening to Our Beautiful Land,” 214.
[15] Cf. PCP II, Acts and Decrees, nos. 321-324.
[16] PCP II, Acts and Decree, no. 324.
[17] PCP II, Acts and Decrees, section 4, article no. 2
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