Pope Francis’ Environmental Encyclical

It goes without saying that we were beyond thrilled, as was every other environmental group in the world, that Pope Francis chose to address the state of the climate with his most recent encyclical. We called on one of our partners to explain the Pope’s intent and desired outcomes of his writing.

The following is an editorial submitted by Tracey Howe-Koch, of Interfaith Power and Light, and also a member of the St. Louis Earth Day Advisory Council:

This past June saw the release of the highly anticipated encyclical, Laudato Si (Praised Be) by Pope Francis. With over one billion Catholics in the world, his call for greater care for the Earth can have a huge, positive impact for the environmental movement.

Pope Francis rightly asserts that climate change is a moral issue, not a political issue. People of goodwill are called to care for those less fortunate, the ones most affected and least able to adapt to climate change. He acknowledges that we live in an “integral ecology.”

God has designed a world in which humans are in relationship with nature. When we are in-sync with nature, we not only grow closer to God, but also realize that our individual decisions have social consequences. Our consumerist lifestyle has not only left our hearts empty, but is destroying the common good for future generations.

Pope Francis calls for action now. He trusts the scientific consensus that climate change is occurring and that immediate steps need to be taken. By working together, advocating for better policies, and making lifestyle changes, we can make a difference. The encyclical is, at heart, a hopeful letter. It is a letter acknowledging all that humanity can be.

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The encyclical has three major points:

Climate change is a moral issue.
Catholics can offer an important perspective.
The time to act on climate is now.

The following are some resources for more information:

“Living With Climate Change” – 3 part series from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Catholic Climate Covenant
Ignation Solidarity Network
Encyclical Letter – Go straight to the source! It’s a very approachable document that pulls from many sectors to create a unified message and a call to action. Whatever your faith, this kind of leadership and direction is inspirational!
Dr. Peter Raven (of the Missouri Botanical Garden) speaks about his role in the Pope’s Encyclical in this interview.