BY: FR. MICHAEL D. PLACE, STD
This issue of Health Progress has as its theme "Environmental Responsibility
and the Ministry." As you might recall, environmental issues have been a concern
of mine for several years (see "Needed:
A Warning System for Environmental Health Risks," Health Progress,
September-October 1999). Previously, I reflected on the environment from
the perspective of health care-related consequences associated with the misuse
of the environment. This column will consider the environment from the perspective
of theology and religious experience.
An excellent resource for such a consideration is the 1991 pastoral statement
on the environment. Entitled Renewing the Earth, the pastoral sought
to "add a distinctive and constructive voice to the ecological dialogue . .
. particularly with the scientific community."1
A quite helpful component of the document is its presentation of what its authors
consider to be the distinctive perspective the Catholic ethical tradition brings
to environmental issues. Elements of that perspective are:
- A God-centered and sacramental view of the universe, which grounds human
accountability for the fate of the earth
- A consistent respect for human life, which extends to respect for all of
creation
- A world view affirming the ethical significance of global interdependence
and the common good
- An ethics of solidarity promoting cooperation and a just structure of sharing
in the world community
- An understanding of the universal purpose of created things, which requires
equitable use of the earth's resources
- An option for the poor, which gives passion to the quest for an equitable
and sustainable world
- A conception of authentic development, which offers a direction for progress
that respects human dignity and the limits of material growth
The Problem Resides in Us
Clearly, we have a rich tradition that should be a helpful resource, as
well as an inspiration, for our environment efforts. In fact, one could question
why, with such a rich heritage, environmental advocacy is not more central to
the Catholic community in general and Catholic health care in particular.
Several years ago, the late Bishop James Malone of Youngstown, OH, offered
two possible explanations. First, he writes, since "the misuse and abuse of
our environment is so pervasive . . . we should begin with the assumption that
you and I are part of the problem, that the problem resides in us." He goes
on to propose that, if we accept that possibility, then:
We quickly realize that each of us have been impacted by the atomized individualism
of a society that allows an individual to dump their trash on a roadside because
that is a convenient time and place; that we are imbued with a spirit of consumerism
that drives us to purchase what we do not need and have no way to dispose
of; that we are driven by the American myth of progress, which insists that
bigger is better and there is plenty of land or space to house it; and finally
that we have bought into the technological mindset that says if something
can be done, it must be done now no matter what the consequences.2
But this is not the whole story. Bishop Malone (influenced by the writings
of Fr. Michael Himes, OSF, and Fr. Kenneth Himes, OSF) goes on to say that not
only are we part of the problem, because of the influence of the culture in
which we live; the Christian tradition has contributed to our becoming part
of the problem because:
The Christian tradition has taken one aspect of the Genesis account of creation
and distorted it in such a fashion as to have contributed to a cosmology that
supports the exploitation of the environment. By focusing on the twin themes
of our being made in the image of God and having been given the responsibility
of subduing the earth and all creatures, our tradition has sustained an image
of humanity having an unlimited sovereignty and dominion over creation. Even
what would appear to be a counter-balance, namely the concept of stewardship,
contributes to the problem. This is because the purpose of stewarding God's
creation in the end is to provide for the good of humanity. Is it any wonder
then that it was the Christian West, which was the cradle of an industrial
revolution, that uncritically began an assault on the environment?3
If the bishop is correct (and I suspect he is), then we have both an individual
and a cultural bias toward environmental abuse to overcome. As Catholic health
care providers, we have then a dual responsibility for changing both our attitude
and our behavior in ways that sustain the environment.
Changing Our Behavior
First, all health care providers, regardless of affiliation, are a part
of the problem because the ways in which modern health care is delivered have
a significant impact on the environment. According to CHA's soon-to-be-published
document, Environmental Responsibility and the Catholic Health Care Ministry,
today's health care delivery generates some 7,000 tons of waste per day
in the United States. Medical waste incineration is the third largest source
of dioxin emissions and the fourth largest source of mercury emissions (see
Jayne Mardock, "Cleaning Up Our 'Environmental Footprints,'").
Second, as Catholic health care providers, we have a moral responsibility
to foster the health and well-being of our communities. This must include minimizing
our own damage to the environment.
Bishop Malone, citing a 1990 article by Frs. Michael and Kenneth Himes, writes
that "creation, all of it, can be said to be a sacrament because it makes present,
makes real the love of God."4 Bishop Malone
found inspiration for greater spirituality around creation and protecting the
environment in the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi. He believed the Franciscan
insight—equality of all creatures and reverence due all creation—should provide
Catholics with "a spirituality that can expand the human imagination and sustain
a movement to restore and protect our environment."5
However, it is not enough to merely have a new vision of how we relate to
the world in which we live. This appreciation must lead to changing our actions
as well. Our actions must stretch our organizations to reach higher goals for
minimizing our impact on the environment. Our actions must be witness to our
change of heart. Only through a commitment to effective action that stems from
a "spirituality of creation" can we break through the inertia of our cultural
bias and take personal and organizational responsibility to be "companions to
all of God's creation."
As a ministry, we are taking these actions together. Many Catholic health
care organizations are committed to environmental efforts. Facilities within
Catholic Healthcare West, for example, are reducing their consumption of natural
resources and even redesigning buildings to better protect the environment (see
Roger W. Hite, "Health Care in an Age of Ecology,"). Ministry-wide, organizations
recycle and reuse, focus on reducing mercury use, and reward employees for creative
ideas leading to greater environmental responsibility. Catholic health systems
work together (and with their vendors) to be better environmental stewards,
including participation in an effort to reduce use of PVC (polyvinyl chlorides).
We collaborate closely with other organizations, such as Hospitals for a Healthy
Environment (H2E) and Health Care without Harm. CHA also helped establish the
Catholic Coalition for Children and a Safe Environment. In June 2003, CHA was
pleased to become an H2E "Champion" (see Laura Brannen, "Managing Medical Waste,").
Sustaining God's Creation
In an address to a 1997 convention on the environment and health, Pope John
Paul II noted humanity's "inconsiderate exploitation of creation that is
a result of human insensitivity."6 He
called for a review of lifestyles based on "firm points of reference and
inspiration: a clear knowledge of creation as a work of God's provident wisdom
and the awareness of human dignity and responsibility in the plan of creation."
Nearly five years later, he spoke in a general address of an "ecological
conversion which in the last few decades has made humanity more sensitive to
the catastrophies we are moving toward."7
John Paul II added that such conversion must go beyond protecting the physical
environment and aim at creating a "human ecology which makes the existence
of every creature more dignified, protecting the radical good of life in all
its manifestations and preparing for future generations an environment closer
to that which God planned. . . . Men and women will once again walk in the garden
of creation, working to ensure that the goods of the earth are available to
all, and not just to a privileged few."
Although the Catholic health care ministry has done much to meet its environmental
responsibilities, as leaders in the health care field and in the Catholic Church,
we must continue to work individually and collectively to minimize the impact
of our footprints on the environment and to fulfill our role in sustaining God's
creation.
NOTES
- National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Renewing the
Earth: An Invitation to Reflection and Action on Environment in Light of Catholic
Social Teaching, in Patrick W. Carey, ed., Pastoral Letters and Statements
of the United States Catholic Bishops, vol. 6, U.S. Catholic Conference,
Washington, DC, 1998, p. 398.
- James Malone, "Sister Moon, Brother Fox," address at Wheeling
Jesuit University, Wheeling, WV, June 1, 1992.
- Malone.
- Malone.
- Malone.
- John Paul II, "Environment Must Be Protected," The Pope
Speaks, September-October 1997 p. 293.
- John Paul II, "Message for the 23rd World Day of Tourism,"
September 27, 1992, available at www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/messages/tourism/documents/hf_jp-ii_mes_20020625_xxiii-giornata-mondiale-turismo_en.html.
CHA Activities Related to Environmental Responsibility
Guided by the ministry's concern for environmental responsibility, CHA has:
- Convened Catholic health care systems around issues related to children's
health and the environment and other environmental concerns; CHA is now working
together to reduce mercury use by facilities
- Invited ministry-wide participation in Hospitals for a Healthy Environment
activities related to waste reduction and mercury use
- Is helping to plan CleanMed 2004, an annual health care conference on environmentally
preferable products and green buildings, which will include a session for
ministry leaders in attendance
- Helped establish the Catholic Coalition for Children and a Safe Environment.
- Promotes environmental responsibility through educational programming,
exhibits, and articles in publications
- Is publishing the booklet, Environmental Responsibility and the Catholic
Health Care Ministry
For more information, contact Julie
Trocchio at CHA, 202-296-3993.
Copyright © 2003 by the Catholic Health Association of the United States
For reprint permission, contact Betty Crosby or call (314) 253-3477.