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
56 SZABOLCS ANZELM SZUROMI, O.PRAEM. has become indispensable; otherwise, the new power structures based on the techno-economic paradigm may overwhelm not only our politics but also freedom and justice. (...) It is foreseeable that, once certain resources have been depleted, the scene will be set for new wars, albeit under the guise of noble claims. War always does grave harm to the environment and to the cultural riches of peoples, risks which are magnified when one considers nuclear arms and biological weapons. “Despite the international agreements which prohibit chemical, bacteriological and biological warfare, the fact is that laboratory research continues to develop new offensive weapons capable of altering the balance of nature”. Politics must pay greater attention to foreseeing new conflicts and addressing the causes which can lead to them. But powerful financial interests prove most resistant to this effort, and political planning tends to lack breadth of vision. What would induce anyone, at this stage, to hold on to power only to be remembered for their inability to take action when it was urgent and necessary to do so?” (Arts. 53, 57). Already in the following - Second Chapter - we can see the unique characteristic of the papal document as compared with other - secular or scientific - declarations or statements which were issued in the same themes during the last years. The Holy Father intentionally inserts the entire complex topic into a theological, religious context, as a significant component of the day-to-day human life, work, culture which essentially influences the faithful concept on global sustainability and its every aspect. Therefore, the Second Chapter - entitled: The Gospel of Creation - describes such questions like the light offered by faith (Arts. 63-64); the wisdom of the Biblical accounts (Arts. 65-75); the mystery of the Universe (Arts. 76-83); the message of each creature in the harmony of creation (Arts. 84-88); a universal communion (Arts. 89-92); the common destination of goods (Arts. 93-95); and the gaze of Jesus (Arts. 96-100). From this list is quite clear that the Holy Father elevated the entire problem on another, higher level, which is based on not some secular sociological model but upon a supernatural - faithful relations with the Created World and also among the members of different societies. We can see the same interpretation in Articles 199-201 about religions in dialogue with sciences, and in the entire Chapter Six too. Chapter Three returns to the strict observation of the environmental, ecological and human questions, deliberating the recent scientific results. It is expressed precisely with the chosen title; The human roots of the ecological crisis. This chapter covers those difficult problems like technology as creativity and power (Arts. 102-105); the globalization of the technocratic paradigm (Arts. 106— 114); practical relativism (Arts. 122-123); the need to protect the employments (Arts. 124-129); and new biological technologies (Arts. 130-136). The indicated topics raise questions from different current fields of the human activity, including those new technologies which on one hand appear as possible solu
