| The Tower of Babel is a story of misplaced, arrogant unity. The biblical account tells of a people building a colossal tower with its head in the heavens. They spoke one language and sought to bridge the gap between the earthly and the divine, only to be struck down by God. Angered by their hubris, he scattered their languages and stripped them of their ability to cooperate. Unable to understand each other, the construction of the tower stalled and mankind was kept from broaching the heavens. The story is a warning against mankind’s search for divine power and it is the cautionary tale at the centre of Pope Leo XIV’s first papal encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, as he warns against the rise of artificial intelligence. |
| Papal encyclicals are not common. They are messages, often teachings, written by the Pope and sent to bishops around the world. Encyclicals set offer theological and social analysis of pressing issues and how to navigate the teachings of the Catholic Church. Since 2000, only nine have been circulated by the four Popes. They have spoken of workers rights and goodwill but in 2015, the second encyclical by Pope Francis, Laudato Si’, explored humanity’s responsibilities in the stewardship of creation. At its heart, climate change. |
| In this week’s issue, we have curated a selection of excerpts from Laudato Si’ that explore the connections between climate, our cities and collective responsibilities in a changing world. Broad and wide ranging, it was awaited by both followers of the Catholic church and the scientific community. It questions how in pursuit of technology and profits, the world has lost its responsibility as carers of not just the natural environment, but our shared social and built environment. It examines cities, housing and public space and representations of areas where corporate greed and globalisation have caused many places and cultures to lose their identity. You can read the full encyclical here. |
On pollution and emissions:
| “Technology, which, linked to business interests, is presented as the only way of solving these problems, in fact proves incapable of seeing the mysterious network of relations between things and so sometimes solves one problem only to create others.” |
“The strategy of buying and selling “carbon credits” can lead to a new form of speculation which would not help reduce the emission of polluting gases worldwide. This system seems to provide a quick and easy solution under the guise of a certain commitment to the environment, but in no way does it allow for the radical change which present circumstances require. Rather, it may simply become a ploy which permits maintaining the excessive consumption of some countries and sectors.”
“If present trends continue, this century may well witness extraordinary climate change and an unprecedented destruction of ecosystems, with serious consequences for all of us. A rise in the sea level, for example, can create extremely serious situations, if we consider that a quarter of the world’s population lives on the coast or nearby, and that the majority of our megacities are situated in coastal areas.” |
On humans and cities:“Many cities are huge, inefficient structures, excessively wasteful of energy and water. Neighbourhoods, even those recently built, are congested, chaotic and lacking in sufficient green space. We were not meant to be inundated by cement, asphalt, glass and metal, and deprived of physical contact with nature.”“In some places, rural and urban alike, the privatization of certain spaces has restricted people’s access to places of particular beauty. In others, “ecological” neighbourhoods have been created which are closed to outsiders in order to ensure an artificial tranquillity. Frequently, we find beautiful and carefully manicured green spaces in so-called “safer” areas of cities, but not in the more hidden areas where the disposable of society live.” “If architecture reflects the spirit of an age, our megastructures and drab apartment blocks express the spirit of globalized technology, where a constant flood of new products coexists with a tedious monotony.” “Together with the patrimony of nature, there is also an historic, artistic and cultural patrimony which is likewise under threat. This patrimony is a part of the shared identity of each place and a foundation upon which to build a habitable city. It is not a matter of tearing down and building new cities, supposedly more respectful of the environment yet not always more attractive to live in. Rather, there is a need to incorporate the history, culture and architecture of each place, thus preserving its original identity.” “There is also a need to protect those common areas, visual landmarks and urban landscapes which increase our sense of belonging, of rootedness, of “feeling at home” within a city which includes us and brings us together. It is important that the different parts of a city be well integrated and that those who live there have a sense of the whole, rather than being confined to one neighbourhood and failing to see the larger city as space which they share with others. Interventions which affect the urban or rural landscape should take into account how various elements combine to form a whole which is perceived by its inhabitants as a coherent and meaningful framework for their lives. Others will then no longer be seen as strangers, but as part of a “we” which all of us are working to create. For this same reason, in both urban and rural settings, it is helpful to set aside some places which can be preserved and protected from constant changes brought by human intervention.” On resolutions:“Given the complexity of the ecological crisis and its multiple causes, we need to realize that the solutions will not emerge from just one way of interpreting and transforming reality. Respect must also be shown for the various cultural riches of different peoples, their art and poetry, their interior life and spirituality.”“Whether believers or not, we are agreed today that the earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone. For believers, this becomes a question of fidelity to the Creator, since God created the world for everyone. Hence every ecological approach needs to incorporate a social perspective which takes into account the fundamental rights of the poor and the underprivileged.” |