Laudato Si‛ and Implications for Human Development
9th Marshallan Reunion Conference 2018
University of Ghana, Legon, 27-29 July 2018
Your Excellency Archbishop Philip Naameh, President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference,
Supreme Knight,
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Knights & Ladies of Marshal,
Dear participants,
Before any speech, I wish to fulfil the pleasant duty of transmitting to all of you the warm and heartfelt greetings of His Eminence Peter K.A. Cardinal Turkson, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, who would have liked to participate personally in this Conference. Unfortunately, on account of prior commitments, this was not possible. The task entrusted to him by the Holy Father is very challenging, that is, to promote justice, peace and integral human development all over the world. This, however, does not mean that he has forgotten his native Ghana. I wish to thank heartily the organizers of this Conference for welcoming me as his representative.
My second duty is to talk about the implications of the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si‛ for human development. First, some brief remarks.
In order to understand better the teaching of Pope Francis, we need to go back to the beginning of his pontificate, to the very first words he pronounced after his election when he was introduced to the faithful gathered in Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican. We need to listen to him afresh, as he bent down and said to the crowd: “Brothers and sisters, good evening. You know that it was the duty of the Conclave to give Rome a Bishop. It seems that my brother Cardinals have gone to the ends of the earth to get one… but here we are… I thank you for your welcome” (13 March 2013).
After these words, he invited the faithful to pray, first, for Bishop Emeritus Benedict XVI, and then for himself, the newly elected Bishop of Rome who, in turn, prayed and imparted the blessing to the faithful and to all men and women of good will around the world.
A Pope coming from the end of the world, to be at the service of the entire world. A Pope from the margins, called to the centre of the Church, in Roma caput mundi. Whenever he addresses the people, especially during the Angelus prayer, he always asks to be remembered in their prayer. A Pope from the end of the world, always drawing attention to the periphery and inviting us to put the marginalised at the centre of our concerns, our interests, and our projects, that is, at the heart of the life of the Church and the society. Those who follow the ministry of the Holy Father know that his words are always accompanied by symbolic actions, expressing his concern and his care for prisoners, refugees and immigrants, the homeless and the jobless, the sick, the young people, the children who have been abused in their dignity and wounded in their life, the elders, the indigenous peoples, the poor, and so on.
The peripheries also refer to the ecclesiastical circumscriptions or dioceses, especially with regard to the creation of Cardinals chosen by the Holy Father in the local Churches of the world, including in the most remote areas, in the savannahs and the forests, the islands and other out-of-the-way places of the world. These places that seemed abandoned, neglected or forgotten now become the centre of the world. Through these symbolic actions, the Holy Father seeks to point to the universality of the Church. As it is written in the Book of Revelation,[1] the Church is made up of all nations, races, tribes and languages, for the sake of communion and unity in diversity.
In the same way, in liturgy, to quote only the best known example, the Holy Father has transferred to the Bishops’ Conferences some faculties that until recently belonged to the central administration of the Church, the Vatican. This is an example of refocusing the other way round: no longer from the periphery to the centre, but from the centre to the margins. This applies particularly to the preparation in vernacular languages and the publication of liturgical texts, as has been clear in the Motu proprio “Magnum Principium”[2].
By doing so, the Holy Father has not only put the geographical peripheries and the discriminated categories back at the centre. He has also redirected attention to matters that seemed less significant and were relegated to the background.
While the economic-financial model inclines to ignore or to crush the human person, exploiting him under the power of occult interests, “where priority tends to be given to speculation and the pursuit of financial gain, which fail to take the context into account, let alone the effects on human dignity and the natural environment “,[3] the Pope asks to reverse the trend and to put the human person at the centre of society, the common good, political, economic, cultural, social and religious activities.
Now, let us consider the theme of ecology in the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si‛, on which we are invited to reflect today, in order to collect and to deepen some teachings for our own contribution to the care of the common home.
Having in mind what we have said so far about the orientation and the originality of the magisterium of Pope Francis, who intends to be as inclusive as possible, I would like to highlight that the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si‛ is the fruit of a collaboration that goes beyond the Church, and especially the Catholic Church. The Pope himself revealed during an in-flight Press Conference from Colombo (Sri Lanka) to Manila (Philippines), on 15 January 2015, that the first draft was prepared by Cardinal Turkson and his team. The Holy Father has also received other contributions on the environmental issue from the ecclesial, scientific and philosophical world.
What does this mean for the topic gathering us here today and what does development mean?
We must acknowledge that the ecological question itself was not born with the encyclical of Pope Francis, as he himself quotes the teachings of his predecessors, especially Pope John Paul II, who was already inviting to a global ecological conversion[4], and Benedict XVI, who clearly stated that the book of nature is one and indivisible and includes the environment, life, sexuality, marriage, the family, social relations and other aspects.[5] Pope Francis has the merit of dedicating a whole encyclical to the ecological issue. He wanted to keep faithfully the magisterial tradition of his predecessors[6] rooted in the Holy Scriptures, especially in the account of the creation of the world. But at the same time, he indicated that the teachings of his predecessors in this field have been enriched by the contribution of many scientists, philosophers, theologians, and social organizations.[7]
Consequently, following the model of the call of Pope John XXIII in Pacem in terris to all men of good will, Pope Francis also wanted to address “every person living on this planet”.[8] He started with our Orthodox brothers and sisters, by referring to the teachings of Patriarch Bartholomew on this issue, including the notion of sin against creation that is the harm done to our common home.
We now come to the question of development. In this regard, we need to highlight the legacy of the teaching of the Predecessors of Pope Francis, especially the contribution of Pope Paul VI in his Encyclical Letter Populorum Progressio. It is in this encyclical, published in 1967 after the Second Vatican Council, that Pope Paul VI developed his reflections on integral human development. The topic is even more relevant today because the question of development is at the centre of debates at the local, national and international levels, including the Sustainable Development Goals that have become part of our language. To clarify what development is, Blessed Pope Paul VI started from the aspirations of men, their desire “to do more, learn more, and have more so that they might increase their personal worth“.[9] In this context, Populorum Progressio defines “true development” as the “transition from less than human conditions to truly human ones”,[10] and therefore as an ideal to be pursued, “in search of a new humanism”.[11] For each man it is a call, a vocation for personal and social growth: “In God’s plan, every man is born to seek self-fulfilment, for every human life is called to some task by God. […] Utilizing only his talent and willpower, each man can grow in humanity, enhance his personal worth, and perfect himself”.[12]
Certainly, it is imperative to highlight the importance of development as aspiration and vocation of people, but this is not enough. It is also necessary to consider development in all its dimensions, which go beyond the merely material aspect and the purely technical dimension: “To be authentic, it must be well rounded; it must foster the development of each man and of the whole man. (…) We cannot allow economics to be separated from human realities, nor development from the civilization in which it takes place. What counts for us is man—each individual man, each human group, and humanity as a whole”.[13]
The word “integral” comes from the verb “to integrate”. This is, as Pope Francis explains so well,[14] integrating the diverse peoples of the earth to allow each member of society to contribute to the common good in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity. It is also integrating the various systems: the economy, finance, work, culture, family life, religion. “None of them can be an absolute, and none can be excluded from the concept of integral human development which, in other words, takes into account that human life is like an orchestra that performs well if the various instruments are in harmony and follow a score shared by all”.
Integral Development is also a matter of integrating the individual and the community dimensions, far from ideological views and political powers that have crushed the person; depersonalized the individual and deprived him of that boundless freedom without which man no longer feels he is man.
Finally integral Development refers to body and soul, and therefore, “also means that no work of development can truly reach its goal if it does not respect that place in which God is present with us and speaks to our heart”, because development is not a simple economic growth, but needs a transcendent vision of the person.[15]
Having in mind what we have just affirmed, we understand why Pope Francis, in his reflections on the current ecological crisis, invites us to widen the horizon of our sight and meaning, and to always take into consideration the fact that in nature, in the universe, in society, everything is interconnected. This applies both to the diagnosis of the illness of the nature and to the search for solutions. The environmental crisis and climate change are visible to all of us: the seasons no longer respect their usual rhythm; the overabundance or rather diminution of rains; species of animals, plants and other generally unseen are destroyed, disappearing, dying or face extinction; the forests are overexploited; in certain places, the desert is expanding dangerously; the flow of rivers decrease, the temperatures increase. The consequences of this crisis cannot be ignored: famine, diseases, destruction of housing, insufficient crops, low living conditions, forcing many people seeking better living conditions to migrate, leading to the current migration crisis with the consequences we all know: challenging hospitality, discrimination, abuses, slavery, human trafficking, prostitution, even if there are also positive examples of hospitality and integration that need to be highlighted.
This should make us reflect on how we manage the common home, and especially the African home and its resources. Is the African home still a safe place to stay and to live in? If it really is, why are so many young Africans going to other countries where they are not welcomed, where they are exploited and oppressed? Why should they flee from their home? Indeed, they are looking for what they cannot find in Africa. Of course, not the wonders of nature, but the conditions for a better life promised by a sound preparation, a job fitting their skills and their expectations, in a peaceful environment respectful of their dignity. The integral human development, sought with the awareness that everything is interconnected, cannot be reached without addressing what Pope Francis calls “intergenerational justice”;[16] and this because “the world is a gift which we have freely received and must share with others. Since the world has been given to us, we can no longer view reality in a purely utilitarian way, in which efficiency and productivity are entirely geared to our individual benefit. Intergenerational solidarity is not optional, but rather a basic question of justice, since the world we have received also belongs to those who will follow us”.[17] Pope Francis then continues: ” What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up? This question not only concerns the environment in isolation; the issue cannot be approached piecemeal. When we ask ourselves what kind of world we want to leave behind, we think in the first place of its general direction, its meaning and its values. Unless we struggle with these deeper issues, I do not believe that our concern for ecology will produce significant results. But if these issues are courageously faced, we are led inexorably to ask other pointed questions: What is the purpose of our life in this world? Why are we here? What is the goal of our work and all our efforts? What need does the earth have of us? It is no longer enough, then, simply to state that we should be concerned for future generations. We need to see that what is at stake is our own dignity. Leaving an inhabitable planet to future generations is, first and foremost, up to us. The issue is one which dramatically affects us, for it has to do with the ultimate meaning of our earthly sojourn”.[18]
A synod will be held in Rome in October this year. This will be an opportunity to put young people at the centre of the concerns of the Church and society, to read their experiences, to share their joys, their sorrows, their questions and their aspirations. That is why young people too will sit and learn to listen to their elders, with their wisdom, beyond their physical limits. A friend of mine from Burkina Faso – whom I saw taking his food from the plate of an elder – told me recently: “Do you know why I took the food from his plate? Because that’s where wisdom dwells. In my country – he went on to explain – we say that the old man’s mouth stinks, but not the words that come from his mouth”. This is to invite young people to listen, above all, to the elders’ wisdom.
Let’s remember that, in seeking solutions to the current ecological crisis, there are responsibilities at different levels. Certainly, there is the responsibility of governments, politicians, economic operators, scientists and technicians of all kinds. But, as Blessed Pope Paul VI affirms in Populorum Progressio: “each man is responsible for his self-fulfilment even as he is for his salvation. He is helped, and sometimes hindered, by his teachers and those around him; yet whatever be the outside influences exerted on him, he is the chief architect of his own success or failure”.[19] Therefore, each person must take seriously his responsibility as a “co-creator”, by taking care of the environment where he lives with his fellow man. This is why the “ecological conversion” – as Laudato Si‛ puts it – is expected from everyone. It is not up to us to decide on technical issues related to the current environmental crisis, such as the carbon emission in the universe, but we can at least, through our ecological conversion, change our lifestyles and consumption. This means daily simple behaviour and actions that help improve our living spaces. It is interesting to note that in the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si‛, Pope Francis mentions Africa. In particular, regarding water poverty as the population have no access to safe drinking water or experience droughts which impede agricultural production.[20] The Holy Father also refers to “those richly biodiverse lungs of our planet which are the Amazon and the Congo basins”.[21]
In another passage,[22] the Pope speaks strongly against the deterioration of the environment in Africa: “ The warming caused by huge consumption on the part of some rich countries has repercussions on the poorest areas of the world, especially Africa, where a rise in temperature, together with drought, has proved devastating for farming. There is also the damage caused by the export of solid waste and toxic liquids to developing countries, and by the pollution produced by companies which operate in less developed countries in ways they could never do at home, in the countries in which they raise their capital: We note that often the businesses which operate this way are multinationals. They do here what they would never do in developed countries or the so-called first world.”
These are the problems affecting our continent, the house we live in. It is our duty to seek solution for a better home in Africa. If everything is connected, as the Holy Father says, African countries can only develop in solidarity, renouncing selfish interests and seeking to preserve for all the peoples of this continent the riches and resources that God has provided for the wellbeing of all and not of an oligarchic minority.
It is necessary that development projects take into account the impact on the environment. Indeed, “Environmental impact assessment should not come after the drawing up of a business proposition or the proposal of a particular policy, plan or programme. It should be part of the process from the beginning, and be carried out in a way which is interdisciplinary, transparent and free of all economic or political pressure”.[23]
Moreover, Africa, as we all know, suffers from another evil, that of conflicts and wars. We know the harmful effects of armed conflict on the natural and human environment. “It is foreseeable that, once certain resources have been depleted, the scene will be set for new wars, albeit under the guise of noble claims. War always does grave harm to the environment and to the cultural riches of peoples, risks which are magnified when one considers nuclear arms and biological weapons”, warns the Pope.[24] That is why it is important to work to consolidate peace if we want to save our planet, especially Africa, the continent of our ancestors, by avoiding injustices, discrimination, and all kinds of imbalances that can alter the social foundation. Even more than the peace of arms, it is the peace of hearts that must be developed, because it is from within, that the wars that devastate our societies and destroy the environment start.
Among these imbalances and prejudices, while speaking of the integral human development in terms of interconnectedness, one cannot forget to mention the specific discriminations affecting our aboriginal brothers and sisters. The encyclical speaks of indigenous peoples[25] and the importance of respecting their dignity, their natural environment and their values. Africa has its indigenous populations, which we do not care about, especially the Pygmies, Twa, Baka and other peoples who are left behind and only mentioned to serve the interests of those who are already living at their expense. If everything is interconnected, Africa will not develop and grow in humanity as long as some of its populations remain neglected or considered as museum pieces – to look at – for exhibition to tourists, or as objects of study for researchers.
Indeed, the human and integral character of development demands this fundamental duty of solidarity among all the inhabitants of the common home, where every creature has an invaluable importance in the eyes of his Creator, belongs to the same father, shares the same planet and the same resources.
As we are all journeying towards the Sabbath of eternity, the common home in Heaven,[26] let us join our forces to make our common home a better place, for us today, and for our children and the future generations, knowing that this is our temporary home.
Thank you for your attention. Legon, 28 July 2018
Msgr. Bernard Munono
Senior Official
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
00120 Vatican City
[1] Cf. Rev 7:9.
[2] Cf. Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio of the Supreme Pontiff Francis “Magnum Principium” Quibus nonnulla in can. 838 Codicis Iuris Canonici immutantur, 09.09.2017
“Therefore, in the future can. 838 will read as follows:
Can. 838 – §1. The ordering and guidance of the sacred liturgy depends solely upon the authority of the Church, namely, that of the Apostolic See and, as provided by law, that of the diocesan Bishop.
- 2. It is for the Apostolic See to order the sacred liturgy of the universal Church, publish liturgical books, recognise adaptations approved by the Episcopal Conference according to the norm of law, and exercise vigilance that liturgical regulations are observed faithfully everywhere.
- 3. It pertains to the Episcopal Conferences to faithfully prepare versions of the liturgical books in vernacular languages, suitably accommodated within defined limits, and to approve and publish the liturgical books for the regions for which they are responsible after the confirmation of the Apostolic See”.
[3] Laudato Si‛, no. 56.
[4] John Paul II, Catechesis, 17 January 2001, no. 4 ; cf. Centesimus annus, nos. 37, 38 and 58; Sollicitudo rei socialis, no. 34.
[5] Cf. Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, no. 51.
[6] Cf. Laudato Si‛, nos. 3-6.
[7] Cf. Laudato Si‛, no.7.
[8] Cf. Laudato Si‛, no. 3.
[9] Paul VI, Populorum Progressio, no. 6.
[10] Ibid., no. 20.
[11] Ibid., no. 20.
[12] Ibid., no. 15.
[13] Ibid., no. 14.
[14] Cf. “Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the participants in the Conference organized by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, marking the 50th anniversary of the Encyclical Populorum Progressio”, April 4, 2017.
[15] Cf. also Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, nos. 11 and 79.
[16] Cf. Laudato Si‛, no. 162.
[17] Laudato Si‛, no. 159.
[18] Laudato Si‛, no. 160.
[19] Paul VI, Populorum Progressio, no. 15.
[20] Cf. Laudato Si‛, no. 28.
[21] Cf. Laudato Si‛, no. 38.
[22] Cf. Laudato Si‛, no. 51.
[23] Laudato Si‛, no. 183.
[24] Cf. Laudato Si‛, no. 57.
[25] Cf. Laudato Si‛, nos. 146, 179.
[26] Cf. Laudato Si‛, no. 243.