"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What does Pope Francis believe about the church?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"He says that we best serve the Gospel \"not by wielding the doctrine of the church as a club\" but by meeting the people \"'in the streets', listening to their concerns and attending to their wounds\", and so knowing \"through a pastoral 'connaturality' how the church's doctrine can best be employed to announce God's ..."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What have recent popes said about caring for creation?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Pope Francis releases his message for the 2024 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and appeals for humanity's conversion so that we acknowledge the disastrous effects of war and set ethical limits on the development of artificial intelligence."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Does the pope believe in creation?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Pope Francis

[God] created beings and allowed them to develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one, so that they were able to develop and to arrive at their fullness of being."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is Pope Francis' salary?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"As the Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis does not receive any salary. (In fact, no bishop receives a salary.) All of his living expenses and any financial needs are provided out of the resources held by the Holy See."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What did Pope Francis say about caring for the earth?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home. Here I want to recognize, encourage and thank all those striving in countless ways to guarantee the protection of the home which we share."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What was Pope Francis' famous quote?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"\"The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness.\" \"A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.\""}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Does Pope Francis have a child?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Contrary to popular belief, Pope Francis does not have a wife or a biological child. As a priest, he took a vow of celibacy, which means he committed to abstaining from marriage and having children in order to fully dedicate himself to the service of the Church and its followers."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Who is the Pope in 2024?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Pope Francis (Latin: Franciscus; Italian: Francesco; Spanish: Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936) is head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"Why does the Pope wear red shoes?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Red shoes were significant to symbolize walking in the footsteps of the blood of martyrs. Plus a correlation to Christ during his crucifixion, when he was bloodied on His walk to Calvary. This simple but deliberate choice in foot wear speaks for a lot of things that we do in and for our Catholic faith."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the most controversial Catholic order?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Opus Dei's ultra-conservative teachings have also garnered controversy, even among Catholics. Numeraries and other celibate members of the group practise corporal mortification, the deliberate experience of pain or discomfort so as to become closer to God."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"What controversial things has the pope said?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Previously in his 11-year tenure as the head of the church, the pontiff has raised eyebrows by suggesting that even atheists could go to heaven and saying that he did not judge hom*osexuals, as well as taking a softer stance on abortion and remarriage."}}]}}

Pope: Care for creation is an ethical and theological issue - Vatican News (2024)

Pope Francis releases his message for the 2024 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and appeals for humanity's conversion so that we acknowledge the disastrous effects of war and set ethical limits on the development of artificial intelligence.

By Deborah Castellano Lubov

Humanity's abuse of nature requires a true conversion and invites us to change our lifestyles.

Pope Francis made this appeal in his Message for theWorld Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to be held on September 1, 2024, which was published Thursday.

'Hope and Act with Creation'

The Day's theme this year is “Hope and Act with Creation," drawn from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Romans (8:19-25), in which the Apostle explains what it means for us to live according to the Spirit, and focuses on the sure hope of salvation that is born of faith, namely, the newness of life in Christ.

The message signed by Pope Francis on June 27 is broken up into nine sections, which all highlight our responsibility to take care of our Common Home. It stresses that, as Christians called to live in faith and charity, caring for the environment is "a task to be undertaken freely, in obedience to Jesus’ commandment of love."

Pope: Care for creation is an ethical and theological issue - Vatican News (1)

Pope Francis

Enslaved through no fault of its own

"Creation itself, like humanity, was enslaved, albeit through no fault of its own," the Pope laments, observing that it "finds itself unable to fulfil the lasting meaning and purpose for which it was designed."

The environment, the Pope decries, "is subject to dissolution and death, aggravated by the human abuse of nature." Yet, at the same time, he reassures, "the salvation of humanity in Christ is a sure hope also for creation, for, 'the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.'”

“The salvation of humanity in Christ is a sure hope also for creation, for, 'the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God.”

Must be vigilant and willing to change

"In our hopeful and persevering expectation of the glorious return of Jesus," Pope Francis notes, "the Holy Spirit keeps us, the community of believers, vigilant."

The Spirit, he reassures, "continually guides us and calls us to conversion, to a change in lifestyle in order to resist the degradation of our environment and to engagement in that social critique, which is above all a witness to the real possibility of change."

“The Holy Spirit continually guides us and calls us to conversion, to a change in lifestyle in order to resist the degradation of our environment”

Pope: Care for creation is an ethical and theological issue - Vatican News (2)

Bees, who are in rapid decline, are vital to both ecosystems and economies

Urgent to set ethical limits on AI

The Holy Father goes on to explain thathoping and acting with creation means joining forces and walking together with all men and women of good will. In this way, we can help to rethink, “among other things, the question of human power, its meaning and its limits."

In this context, the Pope says, "there is an urgent need to set ethical limits on the development of artificial intelligence, since its capacity for calculation and simulation could be used for domination over humanity and nature, instead of being harnessed for the service of peace and integral development," as he quoted his 2024Message for the World Day of Peace.

“[ There is an urgent need to set ethical limits on the development of artificial intelligence, since its capacity for calculation and simulation could be used for domination over humanity and nature, instead of being harnessed for the service of peace and integral development.]”

Devastating effects of war

The Pope decries how much evil there is in the world.

"Why so much injustice, so many fratricidal wars that kill children, destroy cities, pollute the environment and leave mother earth violated and devastated?" the Pope questions, as he suggested that "the entire universe and every creature therein groans and yearns impatiently for its present condition to be overcome and its original state to be restored."

“Why so much injustice, so many fratricidal wars that kill children, destroy cities, pollute the environment and leave mother earth violated and devastated?”

Pope: Care for creation is an ethical and theological issue - Vatican News (3)

14 years of war in Syria have led to illegal logging and eroded what was once a lush forest near the Mount Abdulaziz nature reserve

No to possessing, manipulating and dominating nature

"To claim the right to possess and dominate nature, manipulating it at will," he underscores, "represents a form of idolatry, a Promethean version of man who, intoxicated by his technocratic power, arrogantly places the earth in a “dis-graced” condition, deprived of God’s grace."

Creation, the Pope recalls, is "not static or closed in on itself," but is "continuously drawn towards its future."

Protecting creation, the Holy Father explains, "is not only an ethical issue, but one that is eminentlytheological, for it is the point where the mystery of man and the mystery of God intersect."

We are free, he notes,"precisely because we were createdin the image of God who is Jesus Christ, and, as a result, are “representatives” of creation in Christ Himself."

“We are “representatives” of creation in Christ Himself.”

Future in eternity is at stake

The Pope says that creation awaits "the revelation of the children of God" as it suffers "as in the pangs of childbirth."

"At stake, Pope Francis warns, is not only our earthly life in history, but also, and above all, our future in eternity."

“At stake is not only our earthly life in history, but also, and above all, our future in eternity.”

Children of God can offer meaningful impact

The Pope encourages the faithful to remember their identity as "children of the Father," suggesting that we are empowered to effectuate concrete change amid living holy lives.

In this way, the message concludes, "our lives can become a song of love for God, for humanity, with and for creation, and find their fullness in holiness."

“Our lives can become a song of love for God, for humanity, with and for creation, and find their fullness in holiness.”

Pope: Care for creation is an ethical and theological issue - Vatican News (4)

A Natural Sciences student in Tirana observes the endangered butterly population

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Pope: Care for creation is an ethical and theological issue - Vatican News (2024)

FAQs

Pope: Care for creation is an ethical and theological issue - Vatican News? ›

Creation, the Pope recalls, is "not static or closed in on itself," but is "continuously drawn towards its future." Protecting creation, the Holy Father explains, "is not only an ethical issue, but one that is eminently theological, for it is the point where the mystery of man and the mystery of God intersect."

What does Pope Francis say about creation? ›

The Pope says that creation awaits “the revelation of the children of God” as it suffers “as in the pangs of childbirth.” “At stake, Pope Francis warns, is not only our earthly life in history, but also, and above all, our future in eternity.”

What has Pope Francis done for the world? ›

His significant achievements include the papal encyclical Laudato si' (“Praise Be to You”; 2015), which addressed the climate crisis and championed environmental stewardship; his efforts to promote unity between Catholics, non-Catholics, and non-Christians; and his historic apologies to survivors of clergy sexual abuse ...

Where does Pope Francis live? ›

What does Pope Francis believe about the church? ›

He says that we best serve the Gospel "not by wielding the doctrine of the church as a club" but by meeting the people "'in the streets', listening to their concerns and attending to their wounds", and so knowing "through a pastoral 'connaturality' how the church's doctrine can best be employed to announce God's ...

What have recent popes said about caring for creation? ›

Pope Francis releases his message for the 2024 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and appeals for humanity's conversion so that we acknowledge the disastrous effects of war and set ethical limits on the development of artificial intelligence.

Does the pope believe in creation? ›

Pope Francis

[God] created beings and allowed them to develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one, so that they were able to develop and to arrive at their fullness of being.

What is Pope Francis' salary? ›

As the Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis does not receive any salary. (In fact, no bishop receives a salary.) All of his living expenses and any financial needs are provided out of the resources held by the Holy See.

What did Pope Francis say about caring for the earth? ›

The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home. Here I want to recognize, encourage and thank all those striving in countless ways to guarantee the protection of the home which we share.

What was Pope Francis' famous quote? ›

"The Lord never tires of forgiving. It is we who tire of asking for forgiveness." "A little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just."

Does Pope Francis have a child? ›

Contrary to popular belief, Pope Francis does not have a wife or a biological child. As a priest, he took a vow of celibacy, which means he committed to abstaining from marriage and having children in order to fully dedicate himself to the service of the Church and its followers.

Who is the Pope in 2024? ›

Pope Francis (Latin: Franciscus; Italian: Francesco; Spanish: Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio; 17 December 1936) is head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State.

Why does the Pope wear red shoes? ›

Red shoes were significant to symbolize walking in the footsteps of the blood of martyrs. Plus a correlation to Christ during his crucifixion, when he was bloodied on His walk to Calvary. This simple but deliberate choice in foot wear speaks for a lot of things that we do in and for our Catholic faith.

What is the most controversial Catholic order? ›

Opus Dei's ultra-conservative teachings have also garnered controversy, even among Catholics. Numeraries and other celibate members of the group practise corporal mortification, the deliberate experience of pain or discomfort so as to become closer to God.

What controversial things has the pope said? ›

Previously in his 11-year tenure as the head of the church, the pontiff has raised eyebrows by suggesting that even atheists could go to heaven and saying that he did not judge hom*osexuals, as well as taking a softer stance on abortion and remarriage.

Why did Protestants not like the pope? ›

The conviction that the pope was the Antichrist was held by almost all Protestants in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. When the pope refused to support reformation in the church and began to use the power of his office to persecute the advocates of reform, Luther concluded that the pope was Antichrist.

What did St Francis say about creation? ›

Francis' Canticle of the Creatures. Laudato Si' translates into “Praise be to you.” In his Canticle of the Creatures, St. Francis praised God for all creation: Brother Sun, Sister Moon and Stars, Brother Wind, Sister Water, Brother Fire, Sister Mother Earth.

What is the Catholic Church's view on creation? ›

For Catholics, rather than being a literal explanation for the origin of life, Genesis 1 teaches key information about God's nature. God made the world how he wanted it to be, and he is omnipotent. Creation also highlights God's transcendence.

What did Pope Francis say about the earth? ›

If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs.

What does the Catholic Bible say about creation? ›

In the first Genesis account of creation, 1:1-2:4 we find an omnipotent, omniscient, all loving, eternal and infinite God. He creates freely according to His divine wisdom and is motivated by genuine love. In Genesis, God creates in a very orderly fashion, following a seven-day plan.

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