Catholics for a Changing Church

Leonardo Boff

Theologian-Philosopher, Earthcharter Commission

  Every country, especially those that are experiencing financial crises, such as Brazil in 2015, has a persistent obsession: we have to grow; we must assure the growth of the GNP, namely, the sum of all the wealth produced by the country. This economic growth is fundamentally the production of material goods. It causes a high degree of social inequity (unemployment and reduction of salaries) and a perverse environmental devastation (exhaustion of the ecosystems).

In reality, we should first talk about the kind of development that entails essential non-material elements, principally such subjective and humanistic dimensions as the expansion of liberty, creativity and ways of shaping life itself. Unfortunately we are all hostages of the mirage that is growth. Long ago the balance between growth and the preservation of nature was destroyed, in favor of growth. Consumption is already 40% above the planet's capacity to replace its goods and services.  And the planet is losing her sustainability.

Now here's reflection from John Chuchman that might question one of your core Christian beliefs: Is Hope over-rated? It's difficult to know if John is being a bit tongue-in-cheek with this one or deadly serious. It is a reflection that is almost guaranteed to cause you to think.

Hope is Overrated

I'm giving up on Hope.

I have dumped despair,
so I really do not need its struggling opposite,
Hope.

Anyway,
looking back,
it seems Hope was simply
a diversionary tactic
that kept me from truly looking at
the causes for despair.

Hope was dangerous
and misguided.

It was defeatist,
relinquishing my responsibility
to speak out and act against
what is wrong.

Hope allowed me to be passive.

Hope required no talent,
not much thinking,
and no expression of
My True Self.

Hope tricked me,
absolving me of Responsibility.

Ben Franklin had it right,
Live in Hope and you'll die fasting.

Hopium;
I refuse to be addicted.

Love, John

See more reflections on John Chuchman's blog, and on his "Is God Laughing or Crying" cartoon blog.

Thank you to Catholica

Pope Francis at his weekly General Audience in St Peter's Square on Wednesday opened a new Chapter, a weekly catechesis focusing on the Family.

He began this new cycle by recalling the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the Family which took place in October.
The Holy Father told the thousands of faithful present that he wanted to share with them what took place and what the Synod has produced.
He continued saying, that during this time there was much media attention on the work being done at the Synod and for that the Pope expressed his thanks. But, Pope Francis added, often the vision of the media was a bit 'in the style of sports or political coverage,: “they often spoke of two teams, pro and con, conservatives and liberals, and so on.”

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