Why conservative Catholics are wrong and right about 'Laudato Si'

Catholics around the globe are more divided today than at any time in recent history because Pope Francis has taken a powerful stance on a politically divisive issue. What should Catholics do?

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Pope Francis has rocked the world and made a powerful impression with his encyclical, "Laudato Si." The news feeds and blogs have lit up with analysis, commentary and judgement. Battles rage between Catholics on social networks like Facebook and Twitter as some accuse Pope Francis of participating in an unholy agenda and others claim him for their side.  

Catholic Herald made headlines with a headline of its own, proclaiming Pope Francis to be "pessimistic." Likewise, many conservative readers of Catholic Online are certain to agree with that assessment.

However, Catholic Online, and Catholics in general have one unwavering mission and it is one that we must accept, no matter where it leads. We must pursue the truth. Truth that is unbiased by politics or preference, or popular movements. It is truth that is supported by science and above all, the magisterium of the Church.

What is the truth?

"The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more like an immense pile of filth," Pope Francis wrote. He's right. Is that pessimistic? Critics have argued that the environment is cleaner than it was decades ago. Those critics are also correct, but only in some respects.

We have cleaned up some of our planet, especially in the industrialized world near major population centers. We have learned that we cannot simply dump what we want into lakes and rivers and expect to enjoy clean water. However, this does not mean that we aren't mucking up the planet. The oceans are blighted with massive garbage patches, many the size of major American states. Thousands of waterfowl die each year from plastic pollution alone.

Many species of animal are becoming extinct so rapidly that scientists have already warned we are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction event in planetary history. That mass extinction is being caused by human activity.

Finally, our planet is warming. Despite claims that the USA had a cool year in 2014, the fact is the past 12 months have been the warmest months on our planet on modern, recorded history. And with CO2 rising, it does not look like it will abate in the near future. The oceans are acidifying, coral reefs dying and El Nino and extreme droughts and other weather anomalies are likely to become commonplace.

Is this pessimistic? Is sure sounds like it, but these are also statements of fact. These ideas may not be politically popular, or politically correct, especially for American conservatives, but that's too bad. Science is true whether you believe in it or not. Its conclusions aren't subject to your approval.

With the planet dying, is there any reason for optimism?

The answer is yes!

The very fact that Pope Francis issued an encyclical is evidence of optimism. Far from being a pessimistic letter, "Laudato Si" is issued in the hope that we will come together in a spirit of optimism and solidarity to make the world a better place for our children. If the world were already too far gone, there'd be no point to the letter, for the end would be nigh.

As a species, humans have confronted and overcome every single challenge ever presented to us. Every famine, every conflict, every disease, every disaster of every kind, we have survived and even flourished. Even in the face of global warming and mass extinction, there is widespread belief that we will survive. The world may be greatly diminished as a hospitable, diverse place, but we will survive and build anew.

With such a record of success, optimism is warranted.

In addition, we have succeeded in a number of other great feats that until now, were the stuff of miracles. We have connected most of the planet, both by road networks, shipping lanes, and airports as well as by virtual means. We can communicate instantly around the globe. We have brought electricity to most of the planet as well as sanitation and other improvements in infrastructure.

We've eradicated diseases and parasites and new research is certain to cure even more afflictions. We have reduced absolute poverty and world hunger may be eradicated within the next decade or so. Our life expectancy is rising.

If any of us were given the choice to live today or a century ago, most would logically choose to live in today's world.

Such facts speak well of humanity and our ability to rise above our circumstances to accomplish great things.

Since the time of the Old Testament, we have beheld the power God has given us as a people and it has astonished us. We have the power to heal and to mend, to build and to create, but we also have the power to kill and to afflict, to destroy and obliterate.

The world needs power plants, roads and factories. Nobody sane wants to live in a world without the convenience these things provide. We need capitalists to pioneer and engineer the great things of tomorrow for us. But we also need those who put society first, who care for the poor and the sick and who check capitalism before it runs roughshod over the masses.

This drives home the need for Pope Francis to speak to us about the environment and our place within it. Pope Francis doesn't just have a prerogative to speak to us about the environment, he has an obligation to do so.

The choice is ours. We can dismiss "Laudato Si" as pessimism, or as socialism, or whatever label we need to use so we can sleep at night. Or we can check our attitudes and listen to what our Holy Father really has to say.

We can then work together to build a new Tower of Babel to the sky, in pursuit of the last dollar, or we can work together to build a new promised land, a city upon a hill that shines with a holy light for the good of all people.

You decide.

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