Quantcast
Channel: Be A Franciscan » justice
Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 3

Franciscan Green (Part 2)

0
0

The following is Part 2 of an interview conducted with Fr. Joe Rozansky, OFM, international director of JPIC. In it, Fr. Joe explains why the Franciscans care about the environment and what each of us can do to help out with the cause. The article was written by Alicia von Stamwitz and appears in the August 2012 issue of St. Anthony Messenger. Click here to read Part 1.

It’s in Our DNA

Q. Many groups already work to protect the environment. Why are the Franciscans focusing on this work now? 

A. Our minister general has said, “It’s part of the DNA of being Franciscans.” Pope John Paul II named St. Francis patron of ecology for a reason. If you look at Francis even popularly, you’ll see that he was already known as a man who was concerned about nature.

I need to go back a little to explain why we’re focusing on this now. In 2009 we had a General Chapter — that’s a meeting of the Franciscan provincials and leaders from around the world that takes place every six years. At the chapter, the JPIC group presented various proposals dealing with ecology and environmental justice, and they were accepted by the delegates. We were already working on these issues, but we were encouraged to expand that work and to develop formation courses on these issues and on our spirituality — how JPIC ties into our spirituality.

I’m really happy the Franciscan family has chosen to work on this issue now. I think it’s a real sign of hope.

Q. Can you describe the formation courses you’ve developed? Are they only for Franciscans?

A. The documents and courses were created for the friars, but they could be good resources for people in general. For example, the JPIC office has posted a number of materials on the OFM website (ofm.org) to help people reflect on the themes I’ve mentioned.

Each year we choose an organizing theme, and two years ago we worked on the theme of the environment. Afterward, we prepared two documents: “Care for Creation in the Daily Life of the Friars Minor” and “Franciscans and Environmental Justice.”

“Care for Creation in the Daily Life of the Friars Minor” is kind of an environmental audit. In it there are nine different areas that people can look at, and it raises questions about each: how we use water, how we use energy, how we dispose of our trash, etc. We want to encourage one another to be part of the solution.

“Franciscans and Environmental Justice” basically tries to show the interface between justice and environmental issues. It talks about Franciscan spirituality as a strong motivation for this work, and it outlines a new ethic for a globalized world. It also gives four specific examples of friars living out JPIC values in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the United States. I think readers might find these examples helpful.

Q. Where is the cutting edge of ecological work happening among Franciscans today?

A. In Indonesia the friars are teaching the people organic farming, where they don’t use artificial chemical fertilizers. It’s a lot kinder to the earth itself, and the people themselves are building the momentum. We have about 400 families involved now, developing new skills so they can work for themselves.

We are also involved in the issue of mining in Indonesia. The friars were invited by the bishop to go to a particular island because a mining company wanted to move in there. So the friars did a study about what would happen and then ran an educational campaign for the people. They explained that there would be short-term benefits, but mining would destroy the land. Once the company moved in, it was clear the people would be in worse shape. After the friars went in and educated the people about the reality, the people voted against it. They didn’t allow the mining company to come in.

You can read more about Indonesia in “Franciscans and Environmental Justice.” You can also read about JPIC’s experiences in New Orleans after Katrina, in Amazonia, and in Kenya.

Q. What lessons have you learned from your work? 

A. Generally speaking, I think the Church is at its best when it walks with the people. The first step is always to read the signs of the times, to do social analysis. Oftentimes, I think we do that poorly, because if we were to do it well and really see what’s going on, we would be very indignant about it in terms of the injustices people face, the lack of dignity.

So many people have had their dignity stolen from them, and there’s a growing chasm between the rich and the poor. This is insane. People are being trampled. We’ve got to find ways to share what we have, to share the resources, and at the same time be concerned about our sister Mother Earth, as Francis would say.

As a Franciscan family, we need to come together to try to encourage our own brothers and sisters to be involved in these issues.

How Can We Help?

Q. How can laypeople become involved in these efforts?

A. You know the story of Francis’ conversion — when he embraced the leper? In JPIC we raise the question: Who are the lepers today? I would hope that all of us who are influenced by and love Francis will be challenged to live his commitment to these people, the most marginalized. Not only people we know who live across the street from us, but also the ones who live across the world from us.

I think more and more it’s obvious that we are tied to one another, and if we don’t take that seriously, and if we don’t think together about solutions to the problems we face, we’re all going to go down together.

I would hope that the response wouldn’t be just something verbal, but that people would follow up on what they’ve learned and look for ways to address the situations we see. It could be as simple as one lifestyle change.

For example, in the United States our average food travels 1,500 miles, and that means using all kinds of transportation and fossil fuels. If readers have a farmers’ market nearby and shop there instead of at a grocery chain, they can eliminate some waste and encourage local farmers.

It might sound very small, but a lot of times the small issues are the ones that begin to change our attitudes, and then as our attitudes change, we can look for bigger and bigger questions and bigger and bigger solutions, too.

Click here for further information on the Franciscan Office for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC).



Viewing all articles
Browse latest Browse all 3

Latest Images

Trending Articles





Latest Images