Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.34075/cs.54.3.5
The Draft of Eco-spirituality According to Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Sì
Mladen Parlov
orcid.org/0000-0002-7248-3959
; Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Split, Split, Croatia
Abstract
In the wake of the Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato sì which talks about the Earth as a common home of all people, the author offers a draft of ecological spirituality. The beginning of true eco-spirituality is ecological conversion, which is nothing else but a renewed consciousness that from our faith and encounter with Jesus Christ we also ought to change our relationship with the world around us. Ecological conversion should help the faithful to repeatedly and correctly develop their awareness of having been created, of their own immersion into the world of creatures with which they are interconnected. Correct ecological attitude leads to internal balance of the man himself, to solidarity with others, to natural balance of all living beings and to spiritual balance with God. Ecological
awareness can help not only to preserve the environment, which is one of the basic goals, but also to change the way of behaviour, which can raise the quality of life of both the individual and the family. Ecological spirituality understands and lives the sacraments in a new way, as a means of salvation and sanctification, because in the sacraments God uses the visible matter in order to communicate his (invisible) grace. Eco-spirituality calls for upbringing and adopting new attitudes in the lives of contemporary Christians which need to help them to properly treat the created world.
Keywords
Pope Francis; encyclical Laudato sì; ecological conversion; eco-spirituality; creature
Hrčak ID:
227187
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2019.
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