140. Laudato Si’ – A Liberating Sobriety, Serenity and Peace

We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. [Romans 8:22-23, NRSV]

Modern lifestyle places a premium on consumption, unlimited “freedom”, private possessions, instant gratification, superficial “development”, and flashy-exhibitionism of “when you have got it, flaunt it”. But our happiness and fulfillment in life cannot possibly lie in how much we possess or consume, but rather in how grateful we are for the abundance that we have. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis challenges us to a spirituality of sobriety rooted in the belief that “less is more.” Spot-lighting St. Francis of Assisi [LS, 10], he proposes a return to simplicity, urging an “education in responsible simplicity of life” [LS, 214], and placing before us by his own life example even more than by his words, the virtues of a Christian spirituality of simplicity:

Christian spirituality proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with little. It is a return to that simplicity which allows us to stop and appreciate the small things, to be grateful for the opportunities which life affords us, to be spiritually detached from what we possess, and not to succumb to sadness for what we lack. This implies avoiding the dynamic of dominion and the mere accumulation of pleasures [LS, 222].

We shall unpack a little of his alternative vision of sobriety to excessive possession and consumption.

1. A Capacity to be happy with little

In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis urges the world to curb excessive consumption. He turns to the best of Christian spirituality which proposes an alternative understanding of the quality of life, and encourages a prophetic and contemplative lifestyle, one capable of deep enjoyment free of the obsession with consumption.

Christian spirituality urges sober living, and proposes a growth marked by moderation and the capacity to be happy with little.

A return to simplicity, so we can pause to appreciate small things. In this, the Pope resonates with the saints, amongst whom is Saint Therese of Lisieux who said, “Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity”;
To be grateful for opportunities in life [“the conditions of possibility”];
To be virtuous people, capable of self control, able to delay gratification and to avoid material attachments, able to love very generously;
Not to succumb to sadness for any “lack”. As the biblical scholar Professor Raymond Collins once said in class, “I see that you have a roof over your head, that you had a change of clothes, that you have had something to eat, and that you have the privilege of attending theology lectures – I say you are rich!”;
To avoid the desire to dominate and accumulate;
To think of the consequences of our actions and not think of profit every time;
To conserve, not waste;
To follow Christ in authentic freedom that is coupled with a spirit of solidarity and co-humanity.

2. Catch a revolution of the heart

Pope Francis aims at starting a revolution of the heart. If we join that revolution, then in the fervor of that spirit, we will:

grasp that “the goods of the earth belong to humanity as a whole” and that “every economic decision has a moral consequence”;
develop a sense of fraternity and solidarity with the poor and future generations that is required to heed the call to “accept a less material way of life, with less waste” ;
find the moral courage to live out the challenge to adopt an ethic of “simplicity, moderation and discipline, as well as a spirit of sacrifice, as part of everyday life”;
recognize that our waste and excessive consumption is akin to theft from the Poor;
welcome the stranger that arrives at our door fleeing conflicts exacerbated by climate change;
see that contempt for human beings marches in lock step with contempt for nature, and that a world marred by abortion will bear the physical scars of pollution and exploitation as well;
experience the abuse of creation – like the pain caused by an illness or injury; and
become faithful stewards tending the gift of creation and all that is found in creation as “ontological siblings” for the common good of all humanity.

3. Catch an unfamiliar word on “private property”

It is striking that the encyclical talks about private properties.

In Catholic social teaching, private properties are always secondary. The primary principle is that God created the earth for the good of all. What faith does is to take a step back and begin with creation itself.

Pope Francis is saying, before we talk about anything else, creation belongs to God. It’s not ours; it does not belong to us [LS, 67].
The most radical aspect here is that for all our claims of private property, of technology and all of the things that we do as co-creators, really we are not owners, but occupiers of space and users of time on loan to us. We are mere renters and tenants, never landlords and owners.

In Ecuado in July 2015, the Pope said a person’s wealth always comes with a “social mortgage”, meaning the right to private property is not absolute, but rather comes with a responsibility for others. The biblical teaching in this regard is “to whom much is given, of him will much be expected” [Luke 12:48]. In this way, Pope Francis said that we move beyond purely economic justice, based on commerce, towards social justice, which upholds the fundamental human right to a dignified life. When Pope John Paul II visited Ecuado 30 years ago, he said that when conflicts arise between environmental protection and resource exploitation, we must find solutions that respect the needs of people above economic reasons alone. Now, Pope Francis said that “one thing is certain: we can’t turn our backs on reality, on our brothers and sisters, on mother earth.” He insisted that it is wrong to turn aside from the surrounding reality, ignoring “what’s happening around us, as if certain situations don’t exist or have nothing to do with our life.”

In improvised remarks, the Pope said that in Rome during winter, it is common for an old, homeless man to die near the Vatican of cold, and no media outlets report it. “A poor man dies of cold and hunger and it isn’t news,” he said, echoing similar statements from his apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium. “But if the markets at one of the world’s capitals lose two or three points, we have an international scandal. I ask: ‘Where is your brother?’”

It isn’t about individual property. Much like the episode of Jesus and the Rich Young Man [Matthew 19:16-22], it is about removing obstacles so as to allow the poor and marginalized to improve their conditions.

[4] Catch a spirit of serenity and peace

There is a line in Laudato Si’ which captures Pope Francis’ spiritual resonance with St Francis of Assisi on simplicity and sobriety. It goes straight to a healthy attitude towards ecology:

“The poverty and austerity of St. Francis were no mere veneer of asceticism, but something much more radical: a refusal to turn reality into an object simply to be used and controlled” [LS, 11].

We miss much when we forget that this “radical” lived-vision is born of meditation. An outer peace is unattainable without a serene interiority. Once, looking at Pope Francis, Archbishop John Baptist Odama of northern Uganda remarked pensively: “In Pope Francis, I see Jesus. He is at peace both inside and outside.” And we see a translation of that incisive remark in the text of Laudato Si’. The way to environmental and social harmony is, in Pope Francis’ approach, found through the cultivation of peace – inner peace of the self and peace with creation. The encyclical sees environmental degradation and social injustice as the result of imbalances or “wounds” within ourselves, among humans and between humans and the natural world. Recall the crucial paragraph on this point:

“The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she ‘groans in travail’ (Rom 8:22)” [LS, 2].

The key, as always, is inner peace. On this key, Laudato Si’ is a spiritual writing that deserves our regular re-visits:

“Inner peace is closely related to care for ecology and for the common good because, lived out authentically, it is reflected in a balanced lifestyle together with a capacity for wonder which takes us to a deeper understanding of life. Nature is filled with words of love, but how can we listen to them amid constant noise, interminable and nerve-wracking distractions, or the cult of appearances? Many people today sense a profound imbalance which drives them to frenetic activity and makes them feel busy, in a constant hurry which in turn leads them to ride rough-shod over everything around them. This too affects how they treat the environment” [LS, 225].

And to conclude this short series of reflections on Laudato Si’, we turn to these wise words in the text:

“An integral ecology includes taking time to recover a serene harmony with creation, reflecting on our lifestyle and our ideals, and contemplating the Creator who lives among us and surrounds us, whose presence ‘must not be contrived but found, uncovered’” [LS, 225].
“We are speaking of an attitude of the heart, one which approaches life with serene attentiveness, which is capable of being fully present to someone without thinking of what comes next, which accepts each moment as a gift from God to be lived to the full. Jesus taught us this attitude when he invited us to contemplate the lilies of the field and the birds of the air, or when seeing the rich young man and knowing his restlessness, “he looked at him with love” (Mk 10:21). He was completely present to everyone and to everything, and in this way he showed us the way to overcome that unhealthy anxiety which makes us superficial, aggressive and compulsive consumers” [LS, 226].

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