Folia Theologica et Canonica 6. 28/20 (2017)

SACRA THEOLOGIA - Szabolcs Anzelm Szuromi, O.Praem.. Encyclical letter «Laudato si’» as ‘constitution’ on responsibility of global sustainability

ENCYCLICAL LETTER «LAUDATO SP» AS ‘CONSTITUTION’ ON RESPONSIBILITY... 49

environmental degradation on the lives of the world’s poorest. Young people demand change. They wonder how anyone can claim to be building a better future without thinking of the environmental crisis and the sufferings of the excluded.”

We can read these introductory sentences in Art. 13 of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter Laudato si’ on the care for our common home, published on May 24"1 2015. Much later, the Holy Father expressively emphasizes in his essential Encyclical Letter on the created world:

“In the meantime, we come together to take charge of this home which has been entrusted to us, knowing that all the good which exists here will be taken up into the heavenly feast. In union with all creatures, we journey through this land seeking God, for “if the world has a beginning and if it has been created, we must enquire who gave it this beginning, and who was its Creator". Let us sing as we go. May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.”

II. When we read the above quoted thoughts, we can understand immediately why is used here for title “Constitution on Responsibility of Global Sustainability”. We must notice that the human being has a unique supernatural vocation, like it expressed precisely by Johann Auer in 1977 in his great dogmatic theological volume, edited with Joseph Card. Ratzinger, interpreting the Gaudium et Spes pastoral constitution of Second Vatican Council.4 Through the individuality of mankind exceeds every other being of the World. They consciously use the environment - living or inanimate components - which surrounds him in order to fulfill his own goal. Nevertheless, this activity is not separated from other members of human society, but happens in interaction within the society, or at least his acts have direct or indirect effect on the society. I must emphasize here: not only on the “society” but on the “environment”, on the created world. As we can read in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church'. “The human person is and ought to be the principle, the subject and the end of all social institutions. Certain societies, such as the family and the civic community5, are necessary for the human person. Also helpful are other associations on the national and international levels with due respect for the principle of subsidiarity(Art. 402).6

4 Auer, J., Il Mondo come creazione (Piccola dogmatica 3), Assisi 1977. 243-A84.

5 Cf. Rouco Varela, A. M., La família, motivo de esperanza (Biblioteca de autores cristianos 203). Madrid 2015. 221-224, 229-234.

6 Catechismo della Chiesa Cattolica. Compendio, Città del Vaticano 2005. Art. 402 ( 1881-1882; 1892-1893).