Even the Pope is concerned about the planet’s climate. Ahead of a three-day climate summit to be held in the Vatican in mid-May 2024, Pope Francis asserted that climate change has brought the world to a “breaking point.”
The pontiff is a believer in the climate crisis, writing in the booklet introducing the summit of his heartfelt concerns for “our suffering planet.” He even went so far to say, “The world in which we live is collapsing.”
Humanity’s Failure
The Pope pointed his finger at humanity in general for failing to adequately address the climate crisis.
According to Pope Francis, it was indubitable that climate change’s impact will increasingly prejudice the lives and families of many people. In fact, he thought its effects are already felt in the areas of “healthcare, sources of employment, access to resources, housing, forced migrations, etc.”
U.S. Bishops Cited
In the booklet, the Pope cited the Bishops of the United States when he asserted climate change as “one of the principal challenges facing society and the global community.” Meanwhile, its effects were “borne by the most vulnerable people, whether at home or around the world.”
This recalled the stance of San Diego Bishop Robert W. McElroy, who was elevated to the rank of cardinal in 2022 by the Pope. He argued that abortion might be a great evil, but “the long-term death toll from unchecked climate change is larger and threatens the very future of humanity.”
The U.S. Singled Out
Interestingly enough, Pope Francis singled out the United States as being most responsible for the climate emergency. The culprit? Its citizens’ “irresponsible lifestyle.”
Last October, the Pope already compared emissions per person in the U.S. against that of China. “If we consider that emissions per individual in the United States are about two times greater than those of individuals living in China, and about seven times greater than the average of the poorest countries, we can state that a broad change in the irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model would have a significant long-term impact.”
Pope’s Numbers Challenged
However, the Pope’s calculations might be off. The Pillar Catholic, an online Catholic news outlet, pointed out at the time that “U.S. per capita emissions are less than 1.5 times that of China.” China’s per capita emissions levels are markedly higher than the worldwide average.
The news outlet also pointed out that China’s emissions are more than double compared to the U.S. In fact, America’s air might be the cleanest among many countries, and conversely, China’s air quality is the poorest.
Forging Ahead
Despite this “factual error,” Pope Francis is undeterred. He remains adamant in alluding that very little is more sinful than the climate change crisis.
Climate change is, wrote Francis, “no longer a secondary or ideological question, but a drama that harms us all.” It also manifests “a tragic and striking example of structural sin.”
U.S. Governors to Attend Summit
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey are among those whose names are included in the attendees in the Vatican’s climate summit. With the official title “From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience,” the summit will focus not just on trying to mitigate climate change but also on human adaptation.
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences said in a statement, “We need to embark on building climate resilience so that people can bend the emissions curve and bounce back from the climate crisis safer, healthier, wealthier to a sustainable world.”
The Catholic Church’s Climate Concerns
You might be wondering, “Why is the Catholic Church so concerned about the climate?” True, it’s not the institution you’d think first to hold a climate change conference.
But the Church’s saints, activists and religious leaders have sought to inspire care for the planet using their faith as a basis. The Pope himself has been vocal about climate change, especially its impact on the poor and the vulnerable.
Catholic Views on the Environment
Perhaps it is not surprising that Pope Francis is zeroing in on the climate change issue. Catholic teachings view humanity’s relationship with Earth to be precious and sacred.
According to history, Catholic saints in the past had shown their love for nature. A German saint, Hildegrad of Bingen, was an expert on herbal medicines and botany who “espoused a kind of ‘green’ theology, called viriditas.”
Francis of Assisi’s Influence
Meanwhile, Francis of Assisi — patron saint of ecology — taught how humans must treat animals “with the same dignity as human beings.” It was this saint’s teachings, it seems, that inspired Pope Francis the most.
The Pope took inspiration from his namesake saint when he published an encyclical (a papal letter to all Roman Catholic Bishops) in 2015 called “Laudato si’,” inspired by the saint’s poem from the 13th Century. In the encyclical, the Pope criticized consumerism, lamented environmental degradation and global warming and called for a “unified global action.”
A Noteworthy Effort
Back in 2019, the Vatican hosted another environment-related event, “Synod of the Amazon,” which is a region at risk from environmental destruction. The Church and the Pope’s efforts to highlight the environmental crisis were found to be noteworthy by theologians and academics.
Professor Vincent Miller from the University of Dayton said, “Some might dismiss this synod as just a meeting. But the Synod of the Amazon marks a significant shift from high-minded papal exhortations about taking climate action to a global religious community that gives voice to those living on the front lines of ecological destruction.”
Vatican’s Part in the Battle Against Climate Change
As the battle against climate change continues to rage, the Vatican is undoubtedly leading the charge with its presence at many environmental summits. The Catholic Church’s presence may even lead to stronger commitments from many Catholic countries.
After all, when the Pope published the encyclical in 2015, he’d done it six months ahead of the U.N. climate change conference that established the Paris Agreement. The Pope and the Catholic Church are definitely fighting the same battle as the rest of the world.
