Catholic Teachings on the Environment

Many believe that Catholic's do not care or take the environment seriously. This however is not true. The Catholic church teaches that the integrity of creation should be respected and included in the "common good." The common good of the Earth and eachother should always be our first priority. Man was given rule over the Earth by God but man's power over the Earth is not absolute. Absolute Power: complete control or rule of something or someone. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely" -John Dalberg-Acton. Power over creation is limited by concern for your "neighbor" and respect for Earth. Animals were created by God, bless him and give him glory just by their existence. Therefore we owe them kindness. A good example of this is St. Francis of Assisi. We should strive to be more like him. Plants and animals were created for our use but not to waste. These are the teachings of the Catholic Church although sometimes we get too concerned about the common good of others and do not do enough for the environment. So our class has decided to research the church teachings on the environment and get involved!