Today's religion and world affairs news from the United States and around the globe: the release of Pope Francis' encyclical, protests against the first woman nominated for Afghanistan's Supreme Court, and the shooting at a historic church in Charleston.
BERKLEY CENTER IN THE NEWS
God’s Poor in God’s Creation
by Drew Christiansen
America
http://americamagazine.org/issue/gods-poor-gods-creation
Inspired by the life and deeds of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis has spent the last two years focusing his agenda on the poor, the environment, and achieving peace. The poor have consistently remained at the top of the list--and the Pope's encyclical makes clear the impact of climate change on poor communities across the world.
Catholic Scholars Defend Focus of Pope's Encyclical
Associated Press Television
http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/apexchange/2015/06/17/pope-climate-change-scholars.html
Climate change skeptics, both secular and religious, have suggested that Pope Francis is outside his field of expertise and should stick to theology. But Father Drew Christiansen says Catholic social teaching's concern for the good of all humanity is understood to encompass "the planetary good, which involves air and water and all the resources that we share in common."
The Pope, the Saint and the Climate
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
Washington Post op-ed
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-pope-the-saint-and-the-climate/2015/06/17/2087095e-1531-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html
At the beginning of his encyclical, Pope Francis offers a tribute to his namesake saint, who revered all animals and the environment. Placing his declaration in a spiritual context, the Pope quickly moves on to the scientific evidence, calling people across the world to recognize the harm they are causing and to change their ways before more damage is done.
Lessons for the World
by Drew Christiansen
Die Zeit
http://repository.berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/150618ChristiansenLessonsWorldGerman.pdf Even in uncongenial times, Catholic social teaching can make a decisive difference on controversial issues. With worldwide interest and Pope Francis’s exceptional moral authority, built not only on his office but on his personal integrity and charisma, Laudato Si has potential to shape global environmental policy. It is particularly poised to give impetus to agreement on a Global Covenant on Climate Change in Paris in December in ways that may surprise us all.
"Er geht hard zur Sache"
Die Zeit
http://repository.berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/150618MannionErGehtHardZurSache.pdf An interview with Gerard Mannion.
The Worldwide Release of the Encyclical
https://youtu.be/JyChqiBsAs8
Georgetown University interview with Gerard Mannion.
What is an Encyclical?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhDDlY1v0HE
Georgetown University interview with Drew Christiansen.
ENCYCLICAL
Release of Encyclical Reveals Pope’s Deep Dive Into Climate Science
by Anthony Faiola, Michelle Boorstein, and Chris Mooney
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/how-pope-franciss-not-yet-official-document-on-climate-change-is-already-stirring-controversy/2015/06/17/ef4d46be-14fe-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html?hpid=z2
In the 192-page paper released Thursday, Francis lays out the argument for a new partnership between science and religion to combat human-driven climate change--a position bringing him immediately into conflict with skeptics, whom he chides for their “denial.” Francis urges taking public transit, carpooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, recycling, and boycotting certain products. (...) “We have had a battle between powerful interest groups on environmental issues for a long time. The missing voices have been the poor and the vulnerable. You turn the page,” John Carr said of the document, “and it always starts with, how does this affect the weakest and the most vulnerable. That’s not where the Senate finance committee or the U.N. start.”
related | Pope Francis Aligns Himself With Mainstream Science on Climate
by Justin Gillis New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/19/science/earth/pope-francis-aligns-himself-with-mainstream-science-on-climate.html?_r=0
The Pope’s Moral Case for Stopping Climate Change
by Emma Green
Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/06/pope-francis-encyclical-moral-climate-change/396200/
In other words, this is far from the Church’s first foray into environmentalism. “I always remind my environmental friends that St. Francis was ours before he was theirs,” said John Carr, a professor at Georgetown and former staffer at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “This didn’t begin with Earth Day or Al Gore. It began with Genesis.”
The Pope Believes in Climate Change (and One Group of Catholics Is Glad to Hear It)
by Amy Sullivan
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/17/the-pope-believes-in-climate-change-and-one-group-of-catholics-are-glad-to-hear-it/
Despite the international stir the release of Pope Francis' encyclical has caused, Latin American congregations will likely welcome the leader's statements--as many of these communities have demonstrated in recent years a more urgent preoccupation with the consequences of environmental change.
On Technology in Agriculture, Pope Francis’s Concerns are for Corporate Power, Not G.M.O. Risk
by Andrew Revkin
New York Times op-ed
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/18/on-technology-in-agriculture-pope-franciss-concerns-are-for-corporate-power-not-g-m-o-risk/
In a section of the encyclical on industrial-scale agriculture, Pope Francis acknowledges the lack of evidence for human health risks from technologies such as genetically modified crops. He instead focuses his criticism on the societal impacts of current practices and the harm in placing land and power in the hands of a few--which ultimately endangers the livelihoods of small producers and rural workers.
AROUND THE WORLD
Afghan Clerics Protest Nomination of First Woman to Supreme Court
by Mirwais Harooni
Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/us-afghanistan-court-idUSKBN0OY1EK20150618
Members of an influential Islamic panel in Afghanistan have protested against President Ashraf Ghani's nomination of a woman to the Supreme Court, a milestone appointment in a country where the Taliban once banned women from most areas of public life.
Pope Francis Criticizes Nations That Close Doors to Migrants
by Phillip Pullella
Reuters FaithWorld
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/06/18/pope-francis-criticizes-nations-that-close-doors-to-migrants/
Amid debate in Europe on how to deal with the growing immigrant crisis, Pope Francis calls for respect for migrants and suggests that “people and institutions” who close doors to them should seek forgiveness from God.
DOMESTIC
9 Dead in ‘Hate Crime’ Shooting at Historic African American Church in Charleston
by Robert Costa, Lindsey Bever and J. Freedom du Lac
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/17/white-gunman-sought-in-shooting-at-historic-charleston-african-ame-church/
In one of the worst attacks on a place of worship in the United States in recent memory, a pastor and eight others were shot to death in the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston last night.
Michelle Obama's Powerful Message To Young Muslim Women In East London
by Carol Kuruvilla
Huffington Post Religion
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/17/michelle-obama-mulberry-school-for-girls_n_7606940.html?utm_hp_ref=religion
First lady Michelle Obama's new campaign, Let Girls Learn, aims to ensure that young women around the world have the chance to go to school. As part of this new venture, she visited the Mulberry School for Girls in London on Tuesday, encouraging the predominantly Muslim student body to fight for their rights to education and continue reaching for their dreams.
God’s Poor in God’s Creation
by Drew Christiansen
America
http://americamagazine.org/issue/gods-poor-gods-creation
Inspired by the life and deeds of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis has spent the last two years focusing his agenda on the poor, the environment, and achieving peace. The poor have consistently remained at the top of the list--and the Pope's encyclical makes clear the impact of climate change on poor communities across the world.
Catholic Scholars Defend Focus of Pope's Encyclical
Associated Press Television
http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/apexchange/2015/06/17/pope-climate-change-scholars.html
Climate change skeptics, both secular and religious, have suggested that Pope Francis is outside his field of expertise and should stick to theology. But Father Drew Christiansen says Catholic social teaching's concern for the good of all humanity is understood to encompass "the planetary good, which involves air and water and all the resources that we share in common."
The Pope, the Saint and the Climate
by E.J. Dionne, Jr.
Washington Post op-ed
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-pope-the-saint-and-the-climate/2015/06/17/2087095e-1531-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html
At the beginning of his encyclical, Pope Francis offers a tribute to his namesake saint, who revered all animals and the environment. Placing his declaration in a spiritual context, the Pope quickly moves on to the scientific evidence, calling people across the world to recognize the harm they are causing and to change their ways before more damage is done.
Lessons for the World
by Drew Christiansen
Die Zeit
http://repository.berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/150618ChristiansenLessonsWorldGerman.pdf Even in uncongenial times, Catholic social teaching can make a decisive difference on controversial issues. With worldwide interest and Pope Francis’s exceptional moral authority, built not only on his office but on his personal integrity and charisma, Laudato Si has potential to shape global environmental policy. It is particularly poised to give impetus to agreement on a Global Covenant on Climate Change in Paris in December in ways that may surprise us all.
"Er geht hard zur Sache"
Die Zeit
http://repository.berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/150618MannionErGehtHardZurSache.pdf An interview with Gerard Mannion.
The Worldwide Release of the Encyclical
https://youtu.be/JyChqiBsAs8
Georgetown University interview with Gerard Mannion.
What is an Encyclical?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhDDlY1v0HE
Georgetown University interview with Drew Christiansen.
ENCYCLICAL
Release of Encyclical Reveals Pope’s Deep Dive Into Climate Science
by Anthony Faiola, Michelle Boorstein, and Chris Mooney
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/how-pope-franciss-not-yet-official-document-on-climate-change-is-already-stirring-controversy/2015/06/17/ef4d46be-14fe-11e5-9518-f9e0a8959f32_story.html?hpid=z2
In the 192-page paper released Thursday, Francis lays out the argument for a new partnership between science and religion to combat human-driven climate change--a position bringing him immediately into conflict with skeptics, whom he chides for their “denial.” Francis urges taking public transit, carpooling, planting trees, turning off unnecessary lights, recycling, and boycotting certain products. (...) “We have had a battle between powerful interest groups on environmental issues for a long time. The missing voices have been the poor and the vulnerable. You turn the page,” John Carr said of the document, “and it always starts with, how does this affect the weakest and the most vulnerable. That’s not where the Senate finance committee or the U.N. start.”
related | Pope Francis Aligns Himself With Mainstream Science on Climate
by Justin Gillis New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/19/science/earth/pope-francis-aligns-himself-with-mainstream-science-on-climate.html?_r=0
The Pope’s Moral Case for Stopping Climate Change
by Emma Green
Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/06/pope-francis-encyclical-moral-climate-change/396200/
In other words, this is far from the Church’s first foray into environmentalism. “I always remind my environmental friends that St. Francis was ours before he was theirs,” said John Carr, a professor at Georgetown and former staffer at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “This didn’t begin with Earth Day or Al Gore. It began with Genesis.”
The Pope Believes in Climate Change (and One Group of Catholics Is Glad to Hear It)
by Amy Sullivan
Foreign Policy
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/17/the-pope-believes-in-climate-change-and-one-group-of-catholics-are-glad-to-hear-it/
Despite the international stir the release of Pope Francis' encyclical has caused, Latin American congregations will likely welcome the leader's statements--as many of these communities have demonstrated in recent years a more urgent preoccupation with the consequences of environmental change.
On Technology in Agriculture, Pope Francis’s Concerns are for Corporate Power, Not G.M.O. Risk
by Andrew Revkin
New York Times op-ed
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/06/18/on-technology-in-agriculture-pope-franciss-concerns-are-for-corporate-power-not-g-m-o-risk/
In a section of the encyclical on industrial-scale agriculture, Pope Francis acknowledges the lack of evidence for human health risks from technologies such as genetically modified crops. He instead focuses his criticism on the societal impacts of current practices and the harm in placing land and power in the hands of a few--which ultimately endangers the livelihoods of small producers and rural workers.
AROUND THE WORLD
Afghan Clerics Protest Nomination of First Woman to Supreme Court
by Mirwais Harooni
Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/18/us-afghanistan-court-idUSKBN0OY1EK20150618
Members of an influential Islamic panel in Afghanistan have protested against President Ashraf Ghani's nomination of a woman to the Supreme Court, a milestone appointment in a country where the Taliban once banned women from most areas of public life.
Pope Francis Criticizes Nations That Close Doors to Migrants
by Phillip Pullella
Reuters FaithWorld
http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2015/06/18/pope-francis-criticizes-nations-that-close-doors-to-migrants/
Amid debate in Europe on how to deal with the growing immigrant crisis, Pope Francis calls for respect for migrants and suggests that “people and institutions” who close doors to them should seek forgiveness from God.
DOMESTIC
9 Dead in ‘Hate Crime’ Shooting at Historic African American Church in Charleston
by Robert Costa, Lindsey Bever and J. Freedom du Lac
Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/06/17/white-gunman-sought-in-shooting-at-historic-charleston-african-ame-church/
In one of the worst attacks on a place of worship in the United States in recent memory, a pastor and eight others were shot to death in the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston last night.
Michelle Obama's Powerful Message To Young Muslim Women In East London
by Carol Kuruvilla
Huffington Post Religion
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/17/michelle-obama-mulberry-school-for-girls_n_7606940.html?utm_hp_ref=religion
First lady Michelle Obama's new campaign, Let Girls Learn, aims to ensure that young women around the world have the chance to go to school. As part of this new venture, she visited the Mulberry School for Girls in London on Tuesday, encouraging the predominantly Muslim student body to fight for their rights to education and continue reaching for their dreams.
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