{"id":37159,"date":"2020-03-25T19:16:28","date_gmt":"2020-03-25T19:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cappusa.wpengine.com\/?page_id=37159"},"modified":"2026-08-18T22:26:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T22:26:58","slug":"human-environment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/5.capp-usa.org\/es\/human-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Human Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Join our Newsletter<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Our Human Environment<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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Is Witnessing Serious Destruction<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Must Respect our Nature<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Comprises Life, Dignity, and the Family<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

Inseparable from the Common Good<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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Speaks of a Harmonious Universe<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

One and Indivisable with Our Physical Environment<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cIn addition to the irrational destruction of the natural environment<\/strong>, we must also mention the more serious destruction of the\u00a0<\/strong>human environment<\/strong>,\u00a0<\/i>something which is by no means receiving the attention it deserves.\u201d<\/span><\/h5>\n

Pope St. John Paul II, 38<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Human Environment Articles<\/a><\/div>\n\n
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What is the Human Environment?<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
It is the moral conditions<\/strong>\u2026<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/i>the moral structure with which [man] has been endowed.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n

Pope Francis, 115<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n
It is a \u201cprofound reality<\/strong>: the relationship between\u00a0human life and the moral law<\/strong>, which is inscribed in our nature and is\u00a0necessary<\/strong>\u00a0for the creation of a more dignified<\/strong> environment.\u201d<\/span><\/h5>\n

Pope Francis, 155<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Advance a Human Ecology<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

\"<\/span>There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature<\/strong> without a renewal of humanity<\/strong> itself.\"<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(Pope Francis, 118)<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"In<\/strong> addition<\/strong> to the irrational destruction of the natural<\/strong> environment<\/strong>, we must also mention the more serious destruction of the human environment<\/strong>, something which is by no means receiving the attention it deserves.\"\u00a0(Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"The Church has a responsibility towards creation\u201d. However, \u201c[s]he must above\u00a0<\/strong>all<\/strong>\u00a0protect mankind from self-destruction. There is need for<\/strong>\u00a0what might be called a\u00a0<\/strong>human ecology<\/strong>.\"\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI, 51)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

READ MORE<\/h5>

\"The book of nature is one and indivisible<\/strong>: it takes in not only the environment but\u00a0also life, sexuality, marriage, the family, social relations: in a word, integral human\u00a0development<\/strong>.\"<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI, 51)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"If there is a lack of respect for the right to life and to a natural death, if human\u00a0conception, gestation and birth are made artificial, if human embryos are sacrificed to\u00a0research, the conscience of society ends up losing the concept of human ecology<\/strong>\".<\/span><\/span>\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI, 51)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Advance a Human Ecology<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

\"<\/span>There can be no renewal of our relationship with nature<\/strong> without a renewal of humanity<\/strong> itself.\"<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(Pope Francis, 118)<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"In<\/strong> addition<\/strong> to the irrational destruction of the natural<\/strong> environment<\/strong>, we must also mention the more serious destruction of the human environment<\/strong>, something which is by no means receiving the attention it deserves.\"\u00a0(Pope St. John Paul II, 38)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"The Church has a responsibility towards creation\u201d. However, \u201c[s]he must above\u00a0<\/strong>all<\/strong>\u00a0protect mankind from self-destruction. There is need for<\/strong>\u00a0what might be called a\u00a0<\/strong>human ecology<\/strong>.\"\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI, 51)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

READ MORE<\/h5>

\"The book of nature is one and indivisible<\/strong>: it takes in not only the environment but\u00a0also life, sexuality, marriage, the family, social relations: in a word, integral human\u00a0development<\/strong>.\"<\/span>\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI, 51)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"If there is a lack of respect for the right to life and to a natural death, if human\u00a0conception, gestation and birth are made artificial, if human embryos are sacrificed to\u00a0research, the conscience of society ends up losing the concept of human ecology<\/strong>\".<\/span><\/span>\u00a0(Pope Benedict XVI, 51)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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A Summary of Human Ecology<\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\u201cMan does not create himself<\/strong>. He is intellect and will, but he is also<\/strong> nature, and his will is rightly ordered if he respects his nature<\/strong>, listens to it and accepts himself for who he is, as one who did not create himself. In this way, and in no other<\/strong>, is true human freedom fulfilled<\/strong>.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n

Pope Benedict XVI<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

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Failure Has Consequences!<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

\"When man turns his back on the Creator's plan, he provokes<\/strong> a disorder which has\u00a0<\/span>inevitable repercussions<\/strong> on the rest of the created order<\/strong>.\"<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>(Pope St. John Paul II, 5)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Herein lies <\/span>a grave contradiction <\/strong>in our mentality and practice today: one which demeans the person<\/strong>, disrupts the\u00a0environment<\/strong>\u00a0and damages society<\/strong>.\"\u00a0<\/span>(Pope Benedict XVI, 51)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"The harmony<\/strong> between the Creator, humanity and creation as a whole was disrupted <\/strong>by our presuming to take the place of God and refusing to acknowledge our creaturely limitations<\/strong>.\" (Pope Francis, 66)<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n

READ MORE<\/h5>

\"If an appreciation of the value<\/strong> of the human person and of human life is lacking<\/strong>, we will also lose interest in others and in the earth<\/strong> itself<\/strong>.\"<\/span> <\/span>(Pope St. John Paul II, 13)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Creation<\/strong> is made to connect us with God and to each other; it is\u00a0God\u2019s social network<\/strong>.\"\u00a0(Pope Francis)<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"The seriousness of the ecological<\/strong> issue lays bare<\/strong> the depth of man's moral crisis<\/strong>\".<\/span>\u00a0(Pope St. John Paul II, 13)<\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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What Must We Do?<\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n
\u201cThe decisive issue<\/strong> is the overall moral tenor of society\u201d.<\/span><\/h5>\n

Pope Benedict XVI, 51<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h2>\n

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\"Pope Benedict spoke of \u2018ecology of man<\/strong>\u2019 based on the fact that \u2018man too has a nature that he must respect and that he cannot manipulate<\/strong> at will.'\"\u00a0(Pope Francis, 155)<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

The many problems we face \"confirms the need for carefully coordinated solutions based on<\/strong> a morally coherent world view. For Christians, such a world view is grounded<\/strong> in religious convictions drawn from Revelation.\"\u00a0(Pope St. John Paul II, 2)<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cAn education <\/strong>in ecological responsibility is urgent: responsibility for oneself, for others,\u00a0<\/span>and for the earth\u2026\u00a0<\/span>The first educator, however, is the family, where the child learns to respect his neighbor and to love nature.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>(Pope St. John Paul II, 13)<\/em><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Personal Conversion<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n