Categoria: English

We live in an ecocidal world

Leonardo Boff6 Comentários

On September 27th the Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change, IPCC, consisting of a few hundred scientists, gathered in Stockholm, Sweden, to evaluate the level of global warming, and they shared with us some worrisome data: «the concentrations of carbon dioxide, (CO2), methane, (CH4), and nitrous oxide, (N2O), primarily responsible for global warming, now considerably surpass the highest concentrations registered in ice nuclei during the last 800,000 years». It is 95% certain that human activity has contributed to this warming. Between 1951 and 2010, the temperature rose between 0.5°C and 1.3°C, and in some places it has already risen by 2°C. The predictions for Brazil are not good: starting in 2050, we could have a permanent summer: all year round.

This temperature could have devastating effects on many eco systems, and on children and the elderly. The IPCC scientists issued a passionate call to the people, to initiate immediate action on a global level, in terms of production and consumption, that might reverse this process and reduce its harmful effects. As Swiss Thomas Stocker, one of the coordinators of the final report said: «The most important question is not where are we now, but where we will be in 10, 15 or 30 years. And that depends on what we do today».

It appears that little or nothing is being done in a measurable and global form. The economic interests in unlimited accumulation, at the expense of depleting the natural goods and services, trump any concern for the future of life and the integrity of the Earth.

After reading the 31 pages of that report, one is left with the fundamental perception that we live in a world order that is systematically destroying the capacity of the planet to sustain life. We relate with nature and with the Earth as a whole in an ecocidal and geocidal manner. If we continue in this direction, we will surely meet an ecosocial tragedy.

The purpose of numerous groups, movements and activists is centered on identifying new forms of living, so that we may guarantee life in her great diversity and live in harmony with the Earth, the community of life, and the cosmos.

In a book that required more than 10 years of intensive research, Canadian Marcos Hathaway, an educator, expert in modern cosmology, and myself, tried to present a careful reflection that would include contributions of both East and West, seeking a direction viable for all. The book is: “The Tao of Liberation: Exploring the Ecology of Transformation”  (Voces 2012). Fritjof Capra wrote a fine prologue, and the Northamerican scientific community has welcomed the English edition: in 2010, the Nautilus Institute awarded us the gold medal for Science and Cosmology.

Our research starts with the following observation: there is an acute pathology inherent in the system that presently dominates and exploits the world: poverty, social inequality, exhaustion of Earth’s resources, and a strong disequilibrium of the life-system. The same forces and ideologies that exploit and exclude the poor are also devastating the entire community of life, and undermining the ecological bases that sustain planet Earth.

To overcome this tragic situation we are called upon, in a very real manner, to re-invent ourselves as a species. To that end we need wisdom, to lead us to a profound personal liberation/transformation, from masters of all things, to brothers and sisters of everything. That transformation also implies a collective liberation/reinvention through a different ecological format, that stimulates us to respect and to live according to the rhythms of nature. We must know what to take from her for our collective survival, and how to learn from her, because she is systemically structured in networks of intro-retro-relations that assure cooperation and solidarity of all with all, and that provide sustainability for life in all its forms, especially human life. Without our cooperation/solidarity with nature and other human beings, we will not find an efficacious solution.

Without a spiritual revolution (not necessarily religious) that involves a different way of thinking (a new vision) and a new heart (a new sensibility), we will search in vain for purely scientific and technical solutions. These are indispensable, but they must be integrated within a different framework of principles and values that are the basis for a new paradigm of civilization.

All this lies within the potentialities of the cosmogenic process, and also within human possibilities. It is important to believe in such realities. Without human faith and hope, we cannot build an arc that will save us a

Free translation from the Spanish sent by
Melina Alfaro, volar@fibertel.com.ar,
done at REFUGIO DEL RIO GRANDE, Texas, EE.UU.

Pope Francis and the shedding of pagan papal customs

Leonardo Boff8 Comentários

The innovations in the customs and speeches of Pope Francis have led to an acute crisis in the conservative groups that strictly followed the directives of the two previous Popes. They find it especially intolerable that the Pope received in private audience one of the pioneers of the “condemned ” Theology of Liberation, Peruvian Gustavo Gutierrez. They are stunned by the Pope’s sincerity in recognizing the Church’s errors, and his own, and in denouncing the careerism of many prelates, calling “leprosy”  the courtesan and flattering spirit of many in power, who are known as “vaticancentrists”. What really scandalizes them is the inversion he makes, by putting in first place love, mercy, tenderness, dialogue with modernity and tolerance towards people, including the divorced and the homo-affective, and only in last place, ecclesiastic doctrines and discipline.

The voices are already being heard of the most radical,  who, referencing Pope Francis, offer petitions, “for the good of the Church” (evidently, their Church), such as: “Lord, illuminate or eliminate him”. Eliminating problematic popes is not a rarity in the long history of the papacy. There was a time, between the years 900 and 1000, in the so-called «pornocratic era» of the papacy, when virtually all the popes were either poisoned or assassinated.

The most frequent criticisms that circulate in the social media of these historically antiquated and backward groups, go along the line of accusing Pope Francis of undermining the sacred nature of the figure of the papacy, trivializing and secularizing it.  In reality, they ignore history and are hostage to a secular tradition that has little to do with the historical Jesus and life style of the Apostles. But it has lots to do with the gradual adoption of pagan and worldly customs by the Church, in the style of the pagan Roman emperors and Renaissance princes.

The door to this process was already opened in the times of Constantine (274-337), who recognized Christianity, and Theodosius (379-395) who made it the sole official religion of the Empire. The decline of the Roman Empire created the conditions for the bishops, especially the Bishop of Rome, to assume the functions of command and order. This was clear with Pope Leo I, the Great, (440-461), who was proclaimed Mayor of Rome in order to confront the invasion of the Huns. Leo was the first to use the term Pope, which previously had been reserved for the Roman emperors. It acquired greater strength with Pope Gregory Magnus (540-604), also proclaimed Mayor of Rome, and later culminated with Gregory VII (1021-1085) who assumed for himself absolute power in the religious and secular fields: perhaps the greatest revolution in the field of ecclesiology.

The present imperial, princely and courtesan customs of the hierarchy, the cardinals and the popes, date back in particular to Pope Sylvester (334-335). In his time the falsehood, the so-called, “Donation of Constantine”,  was created, with the objective of strengthening papal power. According to that “Donation”, emperor Constantine had given the Pope the city of Rome and the Occidental part of the Empire. Included in that “Donation”, unmasked as false by Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa (1400-1460), was the use of imperial emblems and clothing (purple), the title of Pope, the gold crosier, the cape, covered with ermine and trimmed with silk, on his shoulders, the formation of the court and the palatial residences.

This is the origin of the present princely and courtesan customs of the Roman Curia, of the hierarchy of the Church and the cardinals, especially of the Pope. Its source is the style of the pagan Roman emperors and the sumptuousness of the renaissance princes. There has been, then, a process of the Church as a hierarchical institution, adopting pagan and worldly customs.

Those who want to return to the ritual traditions that surround the figure of the Pope are not even conscious of this historically closed and conditioned process. They insist on something that does not comport with the evangelical values, and praxis, of Jesus.

What is Pope Francis doing? He is restoring to the papacy and the entire hierarchy their true style, linked to the Tradition of Jesus and the Apostles.  In fact, he is returning to the most ancient tradition, eliminating the pagan customs of the papacy, within the spirit of the Gospel, that were lived so emblematically by his mentor and inspiration, Saint Francis of Assisi.

The authentic tradition is on the side of Pope Francis. The tradicionalist are only that, tradicionalist and not traditionals. They are closer to the palace of Herod and Caesar Augustus, than to the grotto of Bethlehem and the house of the artisan from Nazareth. In contrast to them is the praxis of Jesus and His sayings about having nothing, about simplicity and humility, and power as service, rather than as exercised by the pagan princes and lords who subjugate and dominate: “it should not be that way among you, that the oldest be like the youngest and the one who gives commands be like the servant” (Luke 22,26). Pope Francis speaks from this original and oldest, tradition, the Tradition of Jesus and the Apostles. This destabilizes the conservatives, who have been left without arguments

Free translation from the Spanish sent by
Melina Alfaro, alfaro_melina@yahoo.com.ar,
done at REFUGIO DEL RIO GRANDE, Texas, EE.UU.

The Tradition of Jesus vs the Christian Religion

Leonardo Boff3 Comentários

To adequately comprehend Christianity, one must make  some distinctions that are accepted by most scholars. Thus, it is important to distinguish between the historical Jesus and the Christ of the faith.  By historical Jesus is understood the preacher and prophet from Nazareth as he actually existed under Caesar Augustus and Herod. The Christ of the faith is the content of the preaching of his disciples, who see Him as the Son of God and Savior.

Another important distinction that must be made is between the Kingdom of God and the Church. The Kingdom of God is the original message of Jesus. It signifies an absolute revolution, redefining the relationships of human beings with God, (sons and daughters), of humans among themselves (all brothers and sisters), of humans with society (the centrality of the poor), and with the universe (the creation of a new heaven and a new Earth). The Church has been possible because Jesus was rejected and therefore, the Kingdom of God was not realized. The Church is a historical construction, that tries to carry on the cause of Jesus in different cultures and epochs. The dominant incarnation is in Western culture, but it is also found in Eastern culture, in the Copt and others.

It is also important to distinguish between theTradition of Jesus, and the Christian religion.  TheTradition of Jesus predates the writing of the Gospels, even though it is embodied in them. The Gospels were written from 30 to 60 years after the execution of Jesus. In the meantime, communities and churches were organized, with their tensions, internal conflicts and forms of organization. The Gospels reflect and are part of this situation.  The Gospels do not pretend to be historical books, but books for edification, and for the diffusion of the life and message of Jesus, as the Savior of the world.

What does theTradition of Jesus mean within this tangle? TheTradition of Jesus is that hard nucleus, the contents that fit in a nut shell and represent the original intention and praxis of Jesus (ipsissima intentio et acta Jesu) before the interpretations that were made of them. It could be summarized in the following: In the first place is the dream of Jesus, the Kingdom of God, as an absolute revolution of history and the universe, a conflictive proposition, because it opposed the kingdom of Caesar. Then, His personal experience of God, that He transmitted to His followers: God is Father (Abba), filled with love and tenderness. His special characteristic is to be merciful, God loves the ungrateful and the bad (Luke 6,35). Then He preaches and lives unconditional love, that He puts on the same level as the love of God. Another point is to give centrality to the poor and the invisible. They are the first addressed and beneficiaries of the Kingdom, not for their moral condition, but because they are deprived of life, which causes the living God to opt for them. Our conduct with them will determine whether or not we attain salvation (Matthew  25,46). Still another important point is community. He chose twelve to live with Him; the number twelve is symbolic: it represents the gathering of the 12 tribes of Israel and the reconciliation of all peoples, becoming The People of God. Finally, the use of power. The only legitimate use of power is that which serves the community, and the power holder must always seek to be in last place.

These values and visions form theTradition of Jesus. As can be seen, it is not about an institution, doctrine or discipline. Jesus wanted to teach how to live, not to create a new religion, an institution with pious parishioners. TheTradition of Jesus is a good dream, a spiritual path that can take many forms and also can have followers other than the religious and ecclesiastic.

TheTradition of Jesus transformed itself through history into a religion, the Christian religion: a religious organization consisting of different Churches, especially the Roman Catholic Church. These Churches are characterized by being institutions with doctrines, disciplines, ethical determinations, ritual forms of celebration and juridical canons. The Roman Catholic Church in particular was organized around the category of sacred power (sacra potestas), which it concentrated in the hands of a small elite, a hierarchy with the Pope at the head, to the exclusion of the laity and of women. The hierarchy holds on to the decision making, and a monopoly on the word. It is hierarchical, and creates great inequalities. The hierarchy illegitimately claims to be identified with theTradition of Jesus.

This type of historical transformation obscures the best of the originality and enchantment of theTradition of Jesus. It is why the Churches are all in crisis, because they are no longer “joy for all the people” (Luke 2,11), as they were at their beginnings.

Jesus, Himself, foresaw this development, warning that is of little use to observe the laws “and not worry about the most important, which is justice, mercy and faith; this is what is important, without excluding the other” (Matthew 23,23).

Returning to the present:  Wherein lies the fascination with the figure and speeches of Pope Francis? It is because he directly allies himself with theTradition of Jesus.  Pope Francis affirms that “love comes before dogma and service to the poor before doctrines” (Civiltà Cattolica). Without this inversion, Christianity loses “the freshness and the fragrance of the Gospel.”  It transforms itself into a religious ideology and becomes a doctrinarian obsession.

There is no way to regain the credibility the Roman Catholic Church has lost, other than to return to the Tradition of Jesus, as Pope Francis is wisely doing.

Free translation from the Spanish sent by
Melina Alfaro, alfaro_melina@yahoo.com.ar,
done at REFUGIO DEL RIO GRANDE, Texas, EE.UU.

The Death and the Burial of Little Sister Genoveva, Midwife of the Tapirape People

Leonardo Boff3 Comentários

On September 24, 2013, in the small village of the Tapirape people, in the Araguaia, the Little Sister of Jesus Genoveva, French by birth, passed away.  Little Sister Genoveva and her companions lived an experience that anthropologist Darcy Ribeiro considered one of the most exemplary in the entire history of anthropology: the meeting and submersion into the indigenous culture of someone of the White culture.What follows is the testimony of Canuto, who knows well the life and work of Little Sister Genoveva. This is how he describes her death:

«In the morning of Tuesday the 24th, Genoveva was well. She kneaded the clay to fix the house. She had a tranquil lunch with Little Sister Odile. She was relaxing when she felt a pain in her chest. Odile hurried to get transportation to take Genoveva to the hospital of Confresa. On the way, her breathing became more and more labored.  She died before reaching the hospital.

Back in the village, there was general consternation. Genoveva had overseen the birth of 100% of the Apyãwa (that is what the Tapirape used to call themselves.  It is what they are now calling themselves again), in their 61 years of shared life.

The Apyãwa wanted to bury her according to their customs, as if another Apyãwa had died. The funeral chants, and rhythmic steps, lasted through the night and the following day.  Much crying and lamentations could be heard.

In keeping with the Apyãwa ritual, Genoveva was buried inside of the house where she lived. The grave was very carefully opened by the Apyãwa, accompanied by ritual canticles. Some 40 centimeters above the ground they placed two bolsters, one at each end. To these bolsters they tied her hammock. It was spread out, as if she were sleeping.  Above the bolsters boards were placed, and earth was put on them. All the earth that was put on the boards was brought by the women, as tradition mandates.  The following day this earth was soaked and it was molded so that it became as firm and thick as well mixed earth. Everything was accompanied by ritual canticles.

In her hammock where she always slept, Genoveva now sleeps the eternal dream among those she chose to be her people.

The news of her passing flew across the region, all over Brazil and throughout the world.  Many Pastoral Agents came. The Coordinators of the Missionary Indigenous Council, CIMI, from Cuiaba, arrived after a trip of more than 1,100 kilometers, when the body was already in the tomb, still covered only by the boards.  The Apyãwa removed the boards so that those who had just arrived could see her one last time in her hammock.

With the ritual chants of the Tapirape were blended other chants, and testimonials of the Christian path of Little Sister Genoveva. At the end, the Cacique said that all the Apyãwa were greatly saddened by the death of the Little Sister. Speaking in Portuguese and in Tapirape, he pointed out the respect with which the Little Sisters had treated all of them during the sixty years of coexistence. He recalled that the Apyãwa owed their survival to the Little Sisters, because when they arrived, the Tapirape were very few and now they number almost one thousand.

Planted in Tapirape territory is Genoveva, a monument to coherence, silence and humility, to respect and recognition of that which is different, proving that it is possible, with simple and small actions, to save the life of a whole people.

Greetings: Antonio Canuto».

In September, 2002, after an encounter with Little Sister Genoveva, I wrote a small article in the Jornal do Brasil, that I bring back in part here:

The Little Sisters of Foucauld are a testament to the new form of evangelization, desired by so many in Latin America: instead of converting people, instead of giving them doctrine, and building churches, they decided to embody the indigenous culture and to live and coexist with them. This path was lived in our times by Brother Carlos de Foucauld, who early in the XX century went to the desert of Algeria, among the Moslems, not to preach, but to coexist with them and to welcome the differences of their culture and of their religion. That is what the Little Sisters of Jesus have done among the Tapirape people, in the Northeast of  Mato Grosso, near the Araguaia river.

On September 17, 2002, I attended the celebration of the fifty years of their presence along the Tapirape. There was the pioneer, Little Sister Genoveva, who began her coexistence with the tribe in October 1952.

How did they come there? The Little Sisters learned through French Dominican friars who had missions in the lands of the Araguaia, that the Tapirape were dying out. From the 1500 who existed in ancient times they had been reduced to 47, due to the incursions of the Kayapo, White men’s diseases, and the lack of women. In the spirit of Brother Carlos, of going to coexist and not to convert, they decided to join that people in their agony.

When she arrived, Little Sister Genoveva heard from Cacique Marcos: “The Tapirape will disappear. The Whites will finish us. The earth has worth, hunting has worth, fishing has worth.  Only we Indians are worth nothing.”  The Tapirape had internalized the thought that they were worthless, and that they were inexorably condemned to disappear.

The Little Sisters went to the Tapirape and asked for hospitality. The Little Sisters began to live the Gospel of fraternity with the Tapirape, in the fields, in the struggle for the yuca of every day. They began learning their language and assimilating all that is theirs, including religion, in a solitary journey without return. In time, they were incorporated as members of the tribe.

The Tapirape’s self respect grew. Thanks to the mediation of the Little Sisters, Karaja women married Tapirape men, thus guaranteeing the multiplication of the people. From 47 they now number almost one thousand. In 50 years, the Little Sisters did not convert a single one member of the tribe. But they accomplished much more: they became midwives of a people, following the light of He who understood His mission as “bringing life and life in abundance”, Jesus of Nazareth.

When I saw the face of a Tapirape woman and the aged face of Little Sister Genoveva, I thought: if she had dyed her white hair with tucum, the Little Sister would have passed as a perfect Tapirape woman. She had accomplished in fact the prophesy of the founder: “The Little Sisters would make themselves Tapirape, so that from here they would go to others and love them, but they always will be Tapirape”.

Should not Christianity follow that path if it wants to have a future in a globalized world? The Gospel without power, and coexistence that is tender and fraternal?

Free translation from the Spanish by
Servicios Koinonia, http://www.servicioskoinonia.org.
Done at REFUGIO DEL RIO GRANDE, Texas, EE.UU.