El Salvador Should Not Spurn God’s Gift of Gold

by Alejandro Chafuen *

I am writing to offer some thoughts on the surprising position expressed by some leaders in the Catholic Church in El Salvador concerning proposed private sector precious metal mining activities. The Catholic Church certainly has no tradition of being opposed to precious metal production and use, and it is difficult to imagine why today it would oppose state-of-the-art environmentally sound mining and reclamation projects that would benefit thousands of human beings. Mining not only provides jobs in rural areas where employment opportunities are lacking, but it yields unique mineral products which are useful and highly valued by society. In particular, the precious metals gold and silver have long been valued by mankind for a wide variety of artistic, industrial, monetary and even religious purposes. The Church cares deeply about the environment, but also affirms the morality of prudent use of resources to benefit mankind. This is the natural order of our condition.

Assertions that all precious metal mining activity causes unacceptable and irreversible damage to people and the environment is an unbalanced view, because the costs and benefits of each mining operation differs. Modern mining and reclamation practices have made great advances to protect the environment in recent decades. A blanket statement in opposition to all precious metal mining lacks context and should be reconsidered. Some may attempt to reference Pope Benedict XVI’s recent (January 1, 2008) statement in the publication The Human Family, A Community of Peace, citing a passage that "we have to care for the environment, because it has been entrusted to man to care for and cultivate with freedom and responsibility,” but they should not fail to include the very next sentences: "Human beings, obviously, are of supreme worth vis-à-vis creation as a whole. Respecting the environment does not mean considering material or animal nature more important than man. Rather, it means not selfishly considering nature to be at the complete disposal of our interest, for future generations also have the right to reap its benefits and to exhibit towards nature the same responsible freedom that we claim for ourselves. Nor must we overlook the poor, who are excluded in many cases from the goods of creation destined for all."

Precious metals are critical to many of the environmental technology solutions supported by environmentalists including solar panels, wind turbines, energy efficient fuel cells, bio-diesel processing and others. It is clear that Pope Benedict does not advocate placing environmental preservation over and above man’s need for employment and the many benefits of the mineral products from the earth. Thus, any unqualified opposition to precious metal mining cannot reasonably be inferred from the Pope’s recent statements, nor has it any sound basis in Roman Catholic Church doctrine and practice. The environmentalists can’t have it both ways as do those who personally oppose abortion but support it as a policy for society at large.

The Catholic Church is most certainly not opposed to the use and consumption of precious metals. To the contrary, the general instruction of the Roman Missal, i.e., the directions for Catholic Mass, as approved by the Holy See on March 17, 2003, expressly directs that sacred vessels to be used for the celebration of Mass, are ordinarily to be made from precious metal, preferably gold, as the following statements demonstrate: "Among the requisites for the celebration of Mass, the sacred vessels are held in special honor. Sacred vessels are to be made from precious metal. If they are made from metal that rusts or from a metal less precious than gold, then ordinarily they should be gilded on the inside," General Instruction (2003), paragraphs 327-328. These longstanding Church practices strongly favoring the use of precious metals continue to be followed across our globe. Each year, thousands of newly ordained priests worldwide normally obtain gifts of sacred vessels with precious metal content for conducting Mass.

The Vatican State itself authorizes the minting of gold coinage each year, including in 2007 and 2008, specifically commemorating at present the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI. These coins, which are composed of actual gold, and are available for purchase today on the Vatican website. This further demonstrates that the Roman Catholic Church under Pope Benedict XVI is not opposed to the use and consumption of precious metals.

As we just began the period of Lent, we can recall the Golden Rose tradition. A flower of red-tinted gold is given by the Vatican as a symbol of papal recognition for outstanding service to the Church. The Golden rose is usually blessed during a Sunday during Lent. Pope Alexander III explained in 1163 that the flower is the symbol of Christ the king, the gold of His kingship.

Given the ongoing use and consumption of precious metals by the Church as directed by the Vatican, for coinage as well as sacred vessels and other purposes, the Church could not logically be opposed to all production of precious metals from the earth, which is, of course, where those materials ultimately come from.

From the golden rings that are worn by Archbishops and Popes, to the gold given our Lord shortly after His birth on the Epiphany, gold is a part of Church history and tradition. The Holy Family may have used the gold to flee to Eygpt, but whatever they decided, they did not spurn the gift of gold. Nor should El Salvador. Gold is part of our natural wealth from the earth, and it is fully within the bounds of doctrine the Catholic Church to mine, refine and use gold in Christian societies. In sum, the views of Pope Benedict XVI and the Church are more closely aligned with the position of environmentally responsible mining advocates utilizing sustainable development principles and best practices, than with radical environmental activists who advocate a post-Christian theology aimed to supplant the Catholic Church itself.

* Alejandro Chafuen wrote 'Economía y Etica' RIALP, 1991, and 'Benedicto XVI y la Libertad' in Catholic.net.

Click here for the Spanish version of this article.

Click here for the Spanish version of the article pubished in the co Latino Newspaper.

Click here for the U.S. Congress Letter to President G.W. Bush about mining issues in El Salvador.

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