It’s bad enough Pope Benedict talked up the environment the other day because all my liberal tree hugging friends are now yelling triumphantly at me that the Pope agrees with them and Al Gore.
That is how stupid my friends are. If you’re for good stewardship of the planet, you’re with Al Gore. (I have to get better friends.)
I explain to them that I care about the world but I don’t care about Al Gore. I recycle but I won’t ever pay some punk to reduce my carbon footprint. I want cars to use less gas but only because it means less money in the hands of Muslim lunatics.
But if it wasn’t bad enough to have the current Pope going all green, we now have former Pope’s acting with an environmental conscience – from beyond the grave!
A tree blessed eight years ago by Pope John Paul II during his visit to the Holy Land was the only one in its plot of land to produce olives this year, a Jewish National Fund official said. “It is a miracle,” Yossi Karni from the JNF, which maintains the plot, told Earthtimes.com.
During a visit to northern Israel, near the Sea of Galilee, John Paul blessed a tree that was planted on the Mount of Beatitudes, where according to Christian beliefs Jesus gave his Sermon on the Mount.
Karni noted that all the trees on the plot were treated equally, but the ones that did not receive the blessing have not given fruit this year.
“They get treated the same, watered the same,” he said, adding that some trees had even started to wither, which he could not explain.
Look, we all know everyone is on the lookout for miracles from Pope John Paul II. But PLEASE tell me, this won’t qualify. If we get just one environmental miracle, us disgruntled conservative, anti-Al Gore Catholics will be even more marginalized than we already are.
July 21, 2008 at 4:42 am
One of my life’s apsirations is to live the same “green” lifestyle as Al Gore.
July 21, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Funny, Paul!
Maybe I could mail Pope Benedict my customer list, ask him to bless it, and then they’ll all increase their orders with me…heck, if it works for an olive tree, what have I got to lose?
July 21, 2008 at 2:04 pm
responsible stewardship of the planet is starkly different than the climate alarmism of the secular left which fervently, if unconsciously, subscribes to paganistic Gaia worship.
Jonathan
July 21, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I’m a Catholic who believes very strongly that climate concerns are very real and very scary.
What is amazing to me is how quickly some Catholics dismiss the Pope.
You folks seem to pride yourself on not being “Cafeteria” Catholics unless the Pope says something you disagree with.
When the Pope came out against the War in Iraq, conservative Catholics dismissed him. Now, when he speaks out for the environment you dismiss him again.
Here’s the deal, conservative Catholics- I don’t ever want to hear again you guys dismissing Cafeteria catholics as a joke. Because it is clear you have become what you mock.
July 21, 2008 at 2:35 pm
We don’t disagree with anything the Church teaches either on good stewardship or war.
What the Pope did not say is “Do whatever Al Gore tells you.” Besides, Matthew’s post is a joke aimed at having a little fun with “us” conservatives.
Also, we have the courage to sign our names to our . We have that going for us, too.
July 21, 2008 at 3:40 pm
As a Catholic (and an evil, godless, wicked, satanic, America-hating, homosexuality promoting, blah, blah, blah public-school teacher), I conclude that there is no global warming. There is only weather. Hot today. Rainy this Wednesday when the hurricane closes in. Dark tonight. Cold this winter.
We should be good stewards of Creation because it IS Creation, but we should never worship Creation (or a con artist like Chaucer’s Pardoner or our Al Gore) as a god.
— Mack
July 21, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Anon – show me where the Pope has infallibly taught on anthropomorphic climate change, and I will humbly submit. Since it’s still a matter of opinion, faithful Catholics can disagree. And perhaps you have forgotten that the Holy Father has stated that faithful Catholics can disagree on matters such as capital punishment and the war on Iraq, but not abortion (and contraception and women’s ordination and any other issue of faith and morals) – so your finger-wagging is improper here.
July 21, 2008 at 5:01 pm
This isn’t an environmental miracle at all! Clearly JP2 is just trying to call Catholics’ attention to the wonders of a mediterreanean diet!!!
Or suggesting we all worship Athena….
Though, this does give me an idea for a new parody (for you photshop inclined guys,…)
Can you work up an ad for “Papal Miracle-Gro”? Maybe you can cone up with other catholic-themed garden supplies as well?
July 21, 2008 at 5:52 pm
“When the Pope came out against the War in Iraq, conservative Catholics dismissed him.”
In general, this is true. Mark Shea has written a lot on the subject. However, dissenting from the Pope’s view regarding the prudence of war is perfectly acceptable. But he still deserves respect, in that you should listen to his opinions just like you listen to anyone else with political and ethical expertise. Personally, I’m against the war 100%. But you can be a good Catholic and support the war. It’s not a matter of faith and morals at all. Just the bishop of Rome giving a personal opinion. Of course, matters such as torture (including waterboarding) must be opposed by all good Christian men.
“Now, when he speaks out for the environment you dismiss him again.”
That’s not true. They’re dismissing fanatics who misrepresent the Pope. Besides, on matters such as environmentalism, Catholics are free to disagree with the Pope. Regarding the olive tree growing better than the others, well yes, of course it’s a miracle! Duh. Blessed objects have a real grace that separates them from other things. We do indeed bless crops and such to show our gratitude to God, but also to ask his assistance in making them grow better.
“Here’s the deal, conservative Catholics- I don’t ever want to hear again you guys dismissing Cafeteria catholics as a joke. Because it is clear you have become what you mock.”
They haven’t dissented from a single dogma of the Faith. I personally would be considered a moderate environmentalist, but I’m not particularly enamored with Gore. He falsifies information, and that’s a fact. But I do have reasonable cause to conclude that climate change is occuring, that we are indeed trashing the rainforests, and that God knows we use too many “disposable” cups. I also submit to a branch of scholastic theology that recognizes animals as morally responsible agents with some degree of free will (cf. Gen 5:9, God will judge the animals too, and since justice cannot completely be accomplished in this world, i.e. a wild dog mauls a boy and escapes, a resurrection of all living creatures is implied). Thus I support animal rights to a certain extent, and I see vegetarianism, although unnecessary, as a laudable return to the original pristine order of nature. We didn’t eat meat in the beginning, and neither did the animals. God permitted us to do so because of our hardness of heart. Now, many Catholics might consider these views far out there, but I haven’t dissented from official Church teaching, and neither have they. We’re both being faithful on all the essentials.
July 22, 2008 at 7:29 pm
All good popes have been concerned about the environment just as the bible commands us. As good Christians, we are to be good stewards of God’s creation. This does not mean worship it or build a cult around it. But to ensure every subsequent generation gets to admire it and live from it as we did. Common sense here. Not rocket science (more like Christianity 101).
July 22, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Here’s the deal, conservative Catholics- I don’t ever want to hear again you guys dismissing Cafeteria catholics as a joke. Because it is clear you have become what you mock.
That’s pretty funny, anon. First – this is not ex cathedra teaching, therefore it is *not* official policy any more than if the Pope said he preferred chicken to beef for dinner. Just as the Pope’s comments on the war were not binding. There is incredible freedom in being Catholic, and the environmentalist movement is one area where we can debate. It is not settled science.
So please, tell me, which of these great environmental policies would the Pope support?
• 1 child policies
• $5,000 baby tax
• Mandatory contraception/sterilization/abortion
• State-controlled thermostats that override the individual’s right to heat/cool their home as necessary
• Bans on automobiles
• Bans on travel
• Rationed “carbon credits” that allow a person X amount of heat, food electricity, etc./year
• Rationed toilet paper use
• Use of foodstuffs (i.e. corn) as bio-fuel, causing food shortages in the neediest parts of the world and increasing prices in industrialized nations
Because those are pretty much all the ideas the environmentalists come up with. Nothing sustainable, nothing practical, and everything serving *them* as elitists while leaving the common folk footing the bill for carbon offsets, increased gas prices, and depressed economies.
I’ve never heard a dyed-in-the-wool environmentalist support something like nuclear power – which is clean, efficient, and good enough for a majority of Europe. I’ve never heard an environmentalist really support solar power, or wind power, or hydroelectric power because each of them “harms” something – like the birds, or the fish, or Ted Kennedy’s view of the Atlantic Ocean.
Which supports the rational claim that environmentalism is a “way too many of you, just enough of me” movement that’s treated by some like a religion.
I live in an apartment. Own one fuel-efficient vehicle. I live close to my place of employment; my husband takes the bus. I turn my air/heat off during the day when we’re not home. I recycle. I buy second hand things like furniture whenever I can.
According to the precepts of the Church, I’m doing what I can to be a good steward to the earth. And I see *nothing* in mainstream environmentalism that is remotely friendly to the most fundamental teachings of our faith: the respect for the dignity and sanctity of human life.
Indeed, environmentalism is the only movement that wants to preserve the planet for the future generations they don’t want to exist!
July 22, 2008 at 10:32 pm
Amy – Just as the Pope’s comments on the war were not binding. There is incredible freedom in being Catholic, and the environmentalist movement is one area where we can debate.
First, I have to get this off my chest: the Pope (both JP II AND our blessed Pope Benedict, may God grant him a hundred years) did not just wake up and say “I think I’ll not support the invasion of Iraq. Why not. Yeah. That’s the way to go here.” Both Popes based their decision on the matter based on church teaching concerning the just war theory, which is a matter of FAITH AND MORALS. When the Bush administration started their sabre-rattling back in 2002, I too thought invading Iraq would be a good idea for many reasons, until I heard what JP II and the church was saying against it, and more importantly, HOW THE CHRISTIANS OF IRAQ WOULD SUFFER. So, I have to say that I too am also uneasy (if not disgusted) at Catholics who dismissed the Pope’s stance against the war as “mere opinions”.
On the matter of the environment, I personally have never met an “environmentalist” (I guess it depends on what your definition is) who dismissed solar or wind power. Either you are exagerating or you simply don’t really know any environmentalists, since those are the two major sources of alternative energy most of them espouse. Incidentally, what the Pope said about the environment was that he sympathized with those who worked to create a better environment and that he was concerned in God’s creation. Nothing particularly earth shattering there. Pretty sound teaching. The title “the Green Pope” is just a marketing ploy being used by some.
Lastly, I do applaud you and your husband for your stance on the environment. If we simply renounce rampant consumerism, wastefulness and live clean lives, we will do an imense amount of good for the environment, and it sounds like you are definitely doing your part.
July 23, 2008 at 12:48 am
Deusdonat makes a great point about the Pope basing his decision on the war on “church teaching concerning the just war theory, which is a matter of FAITH AND MORALS.” In fact, JPII explicitly used the term “immoral” regarding the war decision… for someone who is infallible in matters of morality (and who is not reckless with his words), that shouldn’t be taken lightly by any Catholic.
Deusdonat also makes great points about the environment.
Regarding the olive trees, Eo Nomine beautifully expresses that “Blessed objects have a real grace that separates them from other things.” Why would anyone make a joke out of this story? I am reminded of the scripture where Jesus curses a fig tree and it bears no fruit; albeit there’s a whole deeper symbolism in that case, on a simple level why couldn’t the converse be true where a blessed true produces more fruit?
July 28, 2008 at 1:32 am
A thing can be holy and also funny. For example, Pope Benedict XVI (a holy guy) thought it would be funny to joke about how unthrilled he was to have to fly all the way to Australia.
So, was he wrong to make a joke on himself? Is laughter the opposite of holiness? The general saintly consensus (and particularly that of St. Philip Neri and St. Thomas More) is that becoming like Christ makes you merry as well as making you suffer. Suffering lasts for a moment; joy in Christ lasts forever.