POPE CALLS FOR CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION

By Miriam Raftery

June 23, 2015 (Vatican City)—Pope Francis has issued a rare encyclical urging a global “revolution” to address climate change.  An encyclical is one of the church’s most authoritative teaching documents traditionally addressed to the 1 billion Catholics worldwide. But this time, the Pope says his message is aimed at “every person living on this planet” to save our “common home.”

The Pope warned that “Doomsday predictions can no longer be met with iron or disdain.”  He criticized modern society’s addiction to fossil fuels, technology worship and consumerism – trends he views as “reckless” actions that have pushed our planet to the breaking point.

A former teacher, the Pope issued persuasive arguments calling for drastic changes to embrace sustainability, including specific actions such as recycling, improving public transit and protecting our environment.  He asked, “What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?”

The 184-page document draws on the works of dozens of scientists, theologians, scholars from a wide range of fields and previous Popes. 

To the faithful, Pope Francis issued this reminder: “We are not God. The Earth was here before us and has been given to us.” 

A Pew Research poll just released found that 7 in 10 Catholics believe the planet is getting warming and almost half believe man’s actions are responsible and that climate change is a serious problem.  That faith splits down party lines however, with 80% of Catholic Democrat and only half of Catholic Republicans agreeing that global warming is occurring.

The Pope’s call for action drew mostly praise from world leaders outside of the U.S., including the current and past Secretary-Generals of the United Nations. Former Secretary General Kofi Annan said he applauds the Pope for his “strong moral and ethical leadership,” concluding that more such leadership is needed. But he asked, “Will we see it at the climate summit in Paris?”

Here in the U.S., the Pope’s action has drawn strong reactions among Presidential candidates and other politicians. 

Florida Governor Jeb Bush, a Catholic who declared his candidacy for the presidency last week, stated dismissively, “I don’t get economic policies from my bishops or my cardinals or my Pope.  I think religion ought to be about making us better as people and less about things that end up getting in the political realm.”

Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, another Republican Presidential candidate, suggested that the church would be “better off leaving science to the scientists and focusing on what we’re really good at, which is theology and morality.”  Santorum apparently was unaware that Pope Francis actually holds a degree in chemistry from a school in Buenos Aires.

On the heels of the Pope’s call for action on Climate Change, the Lancet, one of the world’s most respected medical journals, issued a report by the 2015 Lancet Commission on Health and Climate Change, which concludes that climate change poses a severe threat to public health worldwide. 

Democratic presidential campaign frontrunner  Hillary Clinton, former First Lady and Secretary of State, sent a tweet  stating she believes that the Pope is is right, adding, “Climate change is a moral crisis that disproportionately harms the neediest among us. We need leadership, not denial.”

California Senator Barbara Boxer, a Democrat and Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Committee in the U.S. Senate, issued a press release which states, “The Lancet report reaffirms once again that we must take steps that will allow us to protect the health of our children and families worldwide. Climate change deniers in Congress need to stop ignoring the serious repercussions of unmitigated climate change, such as extreme heat and weather events, and work with us to reduce dangerous pollution and address this serious threat to public health.”