Laudato Si’: Does Christianity have a place in Climate-change discourse?

For those of us not fully engaged with modern religious discourse, Laudato Si’ is an encyclical, a papal letter, by Pope Francis, head of the Catholic Church. In essence, he asserts the following: "A true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor" (LS, 45). Published in 2015, Pope Francis instructs us all collaborate as God’s instruments in caring for our common home.

It is from Laudato Si’ that Dr. Hilda P. Koster, a guest lecturer from the Ecological Theology department at the University of St. Michael’s College, drew themes for her talk on Sunday, October 1, 2023. Invited by Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick from the Diocese of Antigonish, she was asked to offer a feminist perspective on these issues. In the Catholic tradition, her visit took place during the “Season of Creation”, which runs yearly from September 1st to October 4th. It was also on the day subsequent to the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

The lecture, followed by a question period and a buffet reception, took place in Schwartz 205. Members of StFX Chaplaincy, a few curious students, and community members gathered to listen. Introductions were made by Bishop Wayne Kirkpatrick (Antigonish Diocese), University Chaplain Father Donald MacGillivray and Father Tom MacNeil, a Pastor in New Glasgow. 

Bishop Kirkpatrick described environmental and climate action as “putting an end to the senseless war against creation, by resolving to transform our hearts, our lifestyles, and the public policies that govern our societies”. He said that “[climate change] is not a purely theoretical or theological concern”, and highlighted the recent memory of floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and other climate emergencies, which caused “significant environmental and ecological damage”.

Dr. Koster spoke mostly of socio-economic issues such as Feminism and Indigenous sovereignty and how they are intrinsically interlinked with climate action. She spoke of eco-feminism, genocide, and a decolonial approach to environmental activism.

“Christianity is the most anthropocentric religion” she stated. Using this statement, she proclaimed that, therefore, Christianity is the “most destructive [religion] to our environment”. She did acknowledge that some degree of anthropocentrism was merited, given that the very definition of sustainability is to preserve resources for future generations.

She accused Pope Francis of privilege and unenlightenment when he did not specifically name the intersectionality of impoverished Indigenous women and climate change when speaking of impoverished, or the “poor” in Laudato Si’. She urged Pope Francis to take on a more “eco-feminist” approach.

During the allotted question period after her speech, I asked her whether she thought that traditional Catholicism, or conservatism, will hinder socio-economic and environmental progress in the fight against the Climate Crisis.

While she didn't specifically comment on conservatism, Catholicism or another form of traditionalist belief system, she did say that some people "enter these spaces with harmful preconceptions and attitudes".

"I went in with some hope and left with none" confessed a student after the talk. An older male colleague asked me: "Why does feminism need to be brought up in everything?”. Although I will not reveal the specific social or cultural context of our exchange, I interpret such a question to be a misunderstanding of the issues faced by all women to date, or perhaps, rhetorically, a deep-seated frustration with the virtue monologues that seem to dominate mainstream culture.

With the contents of the talk still weighing in my mind a couple of days later, I chatted in Wellspring with an International student from the United-States. During our conversation, they said that they feel America is “so behind on pretty much everything that we can’t even begin to talk about Climate Change”.  Although I won’t bore you with the details of our conversation, the Electoral College and southern evangelicals were some topics of discussion. When I inquired about the talk to a Sister of St. Martha, she said that she thought Dr. Koster was being far too critical of Pope Francis and Laudato Si’.

In my opinion, it seems we are in a constant, seemingly never-ending, state of virtue signaling and blame. Given the urgency of the situation, is this really our best resolve? In the end, I did appreciate the talk. It wasn't all that hopeful; the hope is in collective action and having an honest and action-based discourse on issues that still plague us to date. Dr. Koster wasn't preaching a “Second Coming” or divine salvation, as I half expected. Nor did Pope Francis in his encyclical, from my understanding. My only worry is that we will burn in this burning house because the door is too heavy, and the windows are sealed shut. Or maybe because we are stuck in a basement with our headphones in, choosing to be isolated and deaf to the crackling of the flames just outside our bedroom door. Metaphorically speaking of course.