— Written by Lyle Jarvis

Pope Francis, Climate Warrior 🌿 🕊️

Since he was first elected in 2013, Pope Francis was a champion of environmental progress. During his inaugural mass in Saint Peter's Square, he was explicit about the need to conserve the environment, urging all people on Earth – especially global leaders, to assume the role of "protector." While Popes in the past have spoken on environmental degradation, Pope Francis was especially profound in weaving his messages on environmentalism into broader social justice issues, and brought new life into the movement, like indigenous voices.

The Pope masterfully reframed environmental issues (like the climate crisis) as ethical imperatives, emphasizing the interconnectedness of humanity and the planet. He also boldly declared environmental degradation a sin, especially when it disproportionately affects the poor and vulnerable.

A key aspect of his approach was looking at climate change not just as a political issue or scientific concern, but as a profound moral duty. He emphasized that humanity has a moral obligation to protect the environment and make connections to other social issues like poverty and inequality. 

Laudato si' was the second encyclical by Pope Francis, and a landmark of his climate legacy. In his writings, subtitled "on care for our common home," the Pope criticizes irresponsible economic development, laments environmental degradation and climate change, and makes a global call for for "swift and unified global action".

Thinking Globally 🌍

Pope Francis was explicit about the impact of climate change on marginalized communities, and masterfully blended his environmental messaging into broader social justice movements.​

An EPA report showed evidence on how socially vulnerable populations in the United States were feeling disproportionately more impacts of the climate crisis, along with the National Institute of Health.

Globally, some of the countries most vulnerable to the climate crisis are the ones with the fewest amounts of emissions. Pope Francis spoke often about this disproportionate equation, and called on leading countries to make a change – continuing a common pillar of Catholicism to protect the poor and the needy.

Faith in the Future 🙏

You don’t have to be a Catholic to appreciate Pope Francis’s approach to environmentalism. Especially in 2025, we need to rally all the voices we can get, and reach far and wide to embrace climate leadership on a global scale. 

The good news is, climate efforts are picking up steam in faith-based communities, and they can have massive amounts of positive impact toward the mission. In a 2020 study, global efforts to divest from fossil fuels included at least 570 faith-based communities!

And while the White House is currently blocking climate progress, there are plenty of bold, courageous leaders out there using their power to make a difference. 

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is reinventing the city to become a greener, bike-friendly metropolis. Mayor Kate Hallego of Phoenix is the Chair of Climate Mayors, a bipartisan network of nearly 350 mayors across the United States. Bahamas Prime Minister, Philip Davis and Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley are calling on polluters to pay off their nations’ debts created by climate disasters.  New climate leaders are emerging every year, making serious progress toward a healthier planet.

This fight is for all of us, and we’d like to thank Pope Francis for being a part of it.  In honor of his legacy, this week, we’ll be watching this 2022 documentary produced by the Laudato Si Movement, available in full for free on YouTube.

Resources & Further Reading 📚️ 

Check out the resources assembled for Catholics and non-Catholics alike from the Laudato Si movement, and read more below about climate and communities of faith.

Further Reading

• Churches are Plugging into Solar Power (Grist)

• Churches in Indiana turn to Solar and Sustainability as an Expression of Faith (EHN)

• How Bay Area Churches Are Becoming Hubs for Climate Change Solutions (KQED)

• Joint statement on climate change by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Francis and Ecumenical Patriarch (Archbishop of Canterbury)

Organizations

• Green the Church – “Standing at the Intersection of the Black Church and the Environmental Movement”

• Laudauto Si Movement – Catholicism

• Dayenu – a Jewish Call to Climate Action

• Ummah for Earth – Islam faith-based climate org

  👀 Some Stories You Might Have Missed This Week 🗞️📺

1. New survey Shows 89% of the World’s Population Want Stronger Climate Action. (The Guardian)

2. New York City set a compost collection record in its second week of a new composting mandate, collecting 3.8 million pounds of compost. (Staten Island Live)

3. A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in climate and infrastructure funds. (AP)

4. Climate experts teamed up to release a guide in the New York Times answering the question: “What’s the Best Thing I Can Do For the Planet?” (NYT)