The Green Model of the Church - A Theological Response to the Modern Ecological Crisis for a Meaningful Social Change

The Church is defined in terms of models. None of the existing models of the Church have incorporated ecological concerns into it's theological framework. Therefore, there is a lack of a model of the Church that incorporates ecological concerns of the time. The Green Model of the Church fills a lacuna in Catholic ecclesiology. It is an appropriate theological response to the ecological crisis of our times.

In other words, the book is an attempt to read the Church from the perspective of an eco-theologian. It is a green reading of the Church dogmas. Theology is both, faith seeking understanding and faith seeking intelligent action. Theology is not for showcasing but for intelligent action aimed at social change.

The purpose of this scholarly work is to build a bridge between biological sciences and theological sciences towards a meaningful social change. It will be of use to those who function at the grass-root level, in the sphere of ecology and the Church.

Dr. Jose Mathew Vayalilkalappura SJ is a Jesuit priest of the Kerala Province of the Society of Jesus. He did his M.Sc in Botany at the University of Kerala and his M.Phil in Plant Tissue Culture at the University of Bharathedasan, Tiruchirappalli. He did his Licentiate in theology at the Oriental Institute, Rome. He has a Doctorate in Ecological theology from St. Joseph's Pontifical Institute, Alwaye. He was an Assistant Professor of Botany & Biotechnology at St. Xavier's College, Trivandrum and retired as Principal from the same College in 2008. He is the founder Principal of St. Xavier's College, Calicut.

The mystery of the Church always fascinated me because the Church stands united in spite of her heterogeneity and complexity. The Church is One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. Until Vatican II Church was more preoccupied with her own internal struggles and problems. With Vatican Council II She started looking outward to the social problems that the world faced. Poverty was one such social problem She took up. Ecological crisis is another social issue that the Church is concerned about. Though the Pontiffs after the Second Vatican Council spoke seriously about ecological crisis and the necessity of Church's involvement in it, nothing happened at the grass root level. The Church is defined in terms of models. None of the existing models of the Church have incorporated ecological concerns into it's theological frame work. Therefore there is a lack of a model of the Church that incorporates ecological concerns of the time. The Green Model of the Church is an attempt to read the Church from the perspective of an eco-theologian. It is a green reading of the Church dogmas. Theology is both, faith seeking understanding and faith seeking intelligent action. Theology is not for showcasing but for intelligent action aimed at social change. Having been a student of biology and theology, my attempt in this book is to build a bridge between biological sciences and theological sciences. At the peripheral levels of research, I encountered a number of obstacles. The duality between the sacred and the secular was one such block. But at deeper levels I encountered perfect harmony and unity. There was harmony between the earth and the sacred. I experienced the Eucharist growing into a colossal phenomenon transforming the whole world into a divine milieu, a cosmic monstrance, a cosmic Eucharist. God is present everywhere and He penetrates into everything. The within of every reality, the Divine milieu, is sacred. The Divine milieus of every reality grow into the Cosmic Christ. Every created reality, because of its numinous quality, is a theophany. Therefore nature is a gift of God to humanity, to be nurtured, cared for and to be handed over to the next generation in a healthy way. Man can reach up to God through His wondrous creation. I have used an experience, analysis, reflection and action methodology for this study. The experience of the polluted and broken world was analyzed using scientific parameters and it was reflected upon through the Word of God. An action plan was charted for implementation at the local level so that the fruits of the theological reflection may be seen visibly at the grass-root levels. Thus the Green model of the Church is a working model for those who are interested in incorporating ecological concerns into their faith.

Ecological crisis is a major threat that affects the quality of life on earth. Climate change is a topic of heated discussion in all circles. The Church has to find her identity and meaning in the ecologically crisis-ridden of today. The Article 1-10 of Gaudium et Spes, (The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World) makes it clear when it says that the aspirations, joys and hopes, sorrows and anxieties of the world are the joys, hopes and anxieties of the Church... The document urges us to "read the signs of our time". Pope Paul VI in his Encyclical letter Octogesima Adveniens wrote about the environmental pollution as follows: "Man is suddenly becoming aware that, by an ill-considered exploitation of nature, he risks destroying it and becoming in turn the victim of this degradation"? In the Encyclical Evangelii Nuntiandi. Pope Paul VI spoke about the "split between Gospel and as an important evangelical problem. The split, according to the Pontiff, between Gospel and culture of which our environment is a part, is also an urgent evangelical problem that needs urgent attention. In 1990, Pope John Paul II devoted his Message for the World Peace Day to the theme: Peace with God the Creator, Peace with All of Creation. "In our day," he wrote, there is a growing awareness that the world peace is threatened--also by a lack of respect for nature. The 4th Chapter of Caritas in of Pope Benedict XVI raises this problem rather emphatically. He even went to the extent of saying that the Church has a responsibility to stand up for the cause of the environment and even asked for a paradigm shift in her attitude towards nature. The Pontiff is very explicit on the prophetic role of every Christian when it comes to the question of the care of the planet. The Pontiff says, "The Church has a responsibility towards creation and she must assert this responsibility in the public sphere." The Encyclical of Pope Francis is about the urgency of the care of the planet.