Pope Francis: care for creation, sustainable development and climate change

Pope Francis will write a letter to 1.2bn Catholics all over the world, emphasising the importance on sustainable living, eradicating poverty and calling on world leaders to address climate change.

The pope has been critical of high profile issues in the past. He has spoken out against the dangers of fracking and environmental devastation, and in his most controversial episode he publically condemned ‘trickle down’ economic theories, warning of an ‘economy of exclusion’.

But in his latest endeavour, the pope is gearing up to use a Papal encyclical to urge Catholics world-wide to care for creation, sustainable development and the impact that climate change is having in developing countries.

He is also expected to travel to the US in September this year to address the United Nations leaders, where he will most likely urge them to act to address some of the key issues faced by the global community.

According to sources close to the pope, his wish is to directly influence a summit that will take place in Paris this year to address climate change. Bishop Marcelo Sorondo, chancellor of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences said that academics within the Vatican had supported the pope’s initiative.

Sorondo told Cafod, the Catholic development agency, at a meeting in London. “The idea is to convene a meeting with leaders of the main religions to make all people aware of the state of our climate and the tragedy of social exclusion.”

Sorondo has also spoken out on the need to address the pressing issue of climate change. The Argentinian Bishop told a meeting, “We still have time to act. The challenge of climate change has become not only economic, political or social. It is also an issue of morals, religion, values such as justice and social inclusion, the obligation of solidarity with future generations and the moral obligation to care for the earth, namely creation, which is our habitat. And this is the point of concern for the Pope.”

Image: Semilla Luz via Flickr

Further reading:

Pope Francis: ‘if we destroy creation, creation will destroy us’

Pope Francis: a year in the life of an environmental pope

Pope Francis speaks out against fracking and environmental devastation

Pope Francis says no to an ‘economy of exclusion’

Justin Welby: ‘change the world’ and be more like Mandela in 2014