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 SL» AS ‘CONSTITUTION’ ON RESPONSIBILITY... 5 1

Finally the last sentence:

“(31 ) God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

The description of Genesis testifies (Gen. 1-3) that there is a certain beginning of the Universe in time. The human being who is living within it is unity of body and soul, therefore not merely material but spiritual - moreover intellectual - creature. Like we can read in the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: “The dignity of the human person is rooted in his or her creation in the image and likeness of God. Endowed with a spiritual and immortal soul, intelligence and free will, the human person is ordered to God and called in soul and in body to eternal beatitude” (Art. 358).s Keeping in mind this assertion, I must emphasize, that the “spiritual” and “intellectual” features mean not only a component of the personality, but imperishable unique values which enrich not only the concrete person, neighborhood, society, religious behavior and convictions, intellectual challenges and discovering, etc.; but also become part of the future of human milieu, integrated into the history of the human culture as some elements for the good of the next generations. This is the particular reason why we can establish that while the human being exceeds his own surrounding world - if you like: exceeds the environment - in the same time he has a serious, profound responsibility too for the created World, entrusted him to cultivate and care for it. This mission gives crystal-clear bases to act for protection of the Created World, to analyze, to esteem, to use every way of any science to fulfill the intention of the Creator. Not for our personal glory; not for discovery itself; not for some temporary solution; but for the Created World, for mankind and the new generations of mankind who have - and will have - the same mission: “cultivate and care for it."

III. When Pope Francis composed his masterpiece as “constitution of global sustainability” has built on many former sources, but also on a key principle, which unfortunately is contemporarily disappearing from the day-to-day life: responsibility ! Yes, it is true, the above described high mission of mankind to fulfill and protect the Created World is on one hand an extraordinary value but on other, it cannot be completed without true responsibility. Responsibility of people, of families, of researchers from every kind of sciences, and responsibility of politicians or those who are in position to make influence on them. Nevertheless, the other expression is also important: “true”. If the responsibility is not “true”, means limited by some individual interest, the effect, the conclusion loose the afore-mentioned extraordinary value. 8

8 Catechismo della Chiesa Cattolica, Art. 358 (1699-1715).