The Catholic Church is going green. In 2007, the Vatican began installing solar panels on its buildings, beginning with the large Paul VI audience hall, in an effort to conserve energy. It also played host to a conference on climate change and development, bringing together scientists and experts from around the world to discuss environmental concerns.
Pope Benedict XVI is behind this “green” movement all the way. During a meeting with two Italian dioceses in Veneto, the Pope explained, “Today, we all see that man can destroy the foundations of his existence, his earth, hence, [we see] that we can no longer simply do what we like or what seems useful and promising at the time with this earth of ours, with the reality entrusted to us. On the contrary, we must respect the inner laws of creation, of this earth. We must learn these laws and obey these laws if we wish to survive.”
In a recent interview, Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti, the regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, directed attention towards new ways in which people can sin. Contrary to the reports of many popular media companies, he was not creating a new list of “sins,” nor rewriting the Ten Commandments, but trying to create an awareness of several new and serious global concerns (including the destruction and degradation of the environment).
In going “green,” the Vatican's message may simply be this: In the face of a rapidly expanding, changing, and technologically-advancing world, let's slow down, set limits, and consider how our actions might transgress against a loving, creating God.
So how can individuals follow example of the Holy Father and the Vatican? Here are 10 simple suggestions to help your parish show a love for creation and become more environmentally sustainable.
If it's good enough for St. Peter's Basilica…
In preparation for the Great Jubilee in 2000, St. Peter's Basilica cut its energy consumption by an estimated 40 percent when it switched over to energy-saving light bulbs. Talk to your parish about switching to the new, more energy efficient light bulbs (if you haven't already!)
Need a ride?
Carpooling to church can be a great way to reduce vehicle emissions and do your part to respect the environment. Get together with members of your parish and share the ride on Sunday morning (or Saturday evening). Not only will you be helping the earth, you'll get a chance to learn more about some of your fellow parishioners and save money too!
Recycling - not just for aluminum cans
The Recycler's Handbook estimated that recycling half the world's paper would prevent the harvesting of nearly 20 million acres of forest. Every bulletin, song sheet, or prayer card passed out during Mass can be easily recycled, saving tons of trees. Parishes can also print on both sides, save and reuse scrap paper, and recycle the missalettes at the end of every year.
Tithe Online
Yeah, I said it. Tithing is hopping on board the e-billing train. Avoiding all the paper transactions involved in tithing (the checks, the envelopes, etc…) can save a significant amount of time and money, not to mention trees. Sites like simplegive.com offer churches easy and effective ways to move their tithing to the World Wide Web and many have discovered that allowing for online tithing has greatly increased consistent giving among church members.
Eco-friendly wine
The Eucharist is the source and summit of the Mass. So how could we use anything but environmentally friendly wine for such an important sacrament? Wines from sustainable farms are made using environmentally sound practices and maintain the long-term health of the land. Organic wines are made from grapes grown without use of chemicals or pesticides. Purchasing either option for your parish encourages reverence for the earth and shows a love of God's creation.
Quit buying new everything
Reuse, reuse, reuse. Cut down on cost of living by borrowing and trading already existing goods instead of buying new ones. Studies have found that the U.S., with less that 5 percent of the world's population, uses about a quarter of its resources. One way to stop contributing to this staggering fact is to stop throwing perfectly good items away. Donate to the St. Vincent DePaul Society or start up a second hand sale at your church, and let one parishioners trash be another one's treasure.
Father, won't you be like my father and turn up the thermostat?
I don't know about you, but my dad has a complicated relationship with the thermostat. He monitors it neurotically and turns it down or up (depending on whether it's winter or summer) obsessively to save on the heating and cooling bills. Churches are notoriously cold in the summer and hot in the winter. This spring, open some windows (if possible) and let the AC take a break. Or better yet, close up the church (turn off the lights, turn up the AC) and try a couple outdoor Masses - you'll be surprised at the amount of energy you'll save.
River of glory, springs of our birth
The water shortage is real. In fact, water wars are already starting in the U.S. and across the globe. Water is a sign of our baptism; we have a responsibility to make sure the water we use is life-giving, in every sense of the word. How to do your part? For one, stop buying bottled water. Corporations such as Coca Cola are making a fortune bottling up other countries' water resources, polluting what's left so the locals can't use it, and then making them buy back their own water for crippling prices. Purchasing bottled water supports practices such as these. Plus, tap water is cleaner and cheaper. So why not?
Flowers are lovely but--
Now, don't get me wrong. I love the way the altar looks come Christmas (think red poinsettia explosion) and Easter (lilies always were my favorite), but there's a way to make these natural decorations even better. Plant them! Fresh cut flowers may be beautiful (and cheaper), but they're incredibly wasteful way to use God's brilliance. Cover the altar in potted plants and flowers and when it's time to move them off the altar, either put them in the ground around the church or send them home with parishioners to put in their garden.
When in prayer, do as St. Francis did
If you're looking for a saint to pray to when the fear of global warming strikes, I suggest St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and ecology. But let's take it a step further and not just pray to, but like, St. Francis. Go outside. Sit in the grass, or at the base of a tree, and simply meditate on the beauty all around you. It's so easy to get caught in the daily grind, so remember to take time every day to revel in God's wondrous creation. Before you know it, you'll begin to see the world in a whole new way.
