One Year Later How A Pope's Message On Climate Has Resonated

6/25/2016
Oneyearlater,howaPope'smessageonclimatehasresonatedCSMonitor.com
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ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT
One year later, how a Pope's message on climate has

resonated
A SHIFT IN THOUGHT
Catholics worldwide are showing a new zeal for combatting climate change
since Pope Francis highlighted the issue in 2015, experts say.

By Cristina Maza,Sta writer / June 24, 2016
Save for later
People hold a banner for ' Climate action Now ' in

St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, in June 2015.
Pope Francis praised the few hundred people who
marched under the banner "one Earth, one
family." Marchers included Christians, Muslims,
Jews, Hindus and others.
Andrew Medichini/AP/File
ForCatholicsaroundtheworld,climatechangeisaheightenedpriorityandmanyaretaking
actioninthewakeofeffortsbyPopeFrancistofocusonenvironmentalstewardship.
Itsastorythatrunscountertopopularperception,whichholdsthatreligiouspeopledonotbelieve
inclimatechangeorbelievethatitfallsoutsidetherealmofhumancontrol.
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Intruth,peopleoffaithhaveplayedimportantrolesinenvironmentalcausesforgenerations.Yet,
atthesametime,pollsfindthatdevoutAmericansaregenerallylesslikelytobeconcernedabout
globalwarmingthantheirnonreligiouspeers.
Recommended: How much do you know about Pope Francis?
ButamongCatholicsthismaybestartingtochange.IntheyearsincePopeFrancisreleased
hisencyclical,LaudatoSi,imploringhisfollowersandfellowbelieverstocarefortheearthandits
creatures,observerssaymoreandmoreRomanCatholicsarebeginningtoviewclimatechangeasa
moralissueinwhichcaringfortheearthandcaringforthepoorintersect.
EnvironmentalismamongCatholicswasntabsentbefore,butnowitsrunninghigherthaninyears.
WhathelpedtoconnectthedotsbetweentheCatholicfaithandtheenvironmentwas,ofcourse,
theencyclicalofPopeFrancis,LaudatoSi,saysTomsInua,theBostonbasedcofounderand
coordinatorofaninternationalnetworkofover300Catholicorganizationsengagedinprotecting
theenvironmentandfightingclimatechange.Thatwasthebigmomentthatreallygalvanizedalot
ofmomentumintheCatholiccommunity.
Action from Brazil to India

Thegroup,theGlobalCatholicClimateMovement(GCCM)wasfoundedin2015justafewmonths
beforetheencyclicalsrelease.Sincethenithasorganizedabout40,000Catholicsfromaroundthe
worldtoparticipateinamarchdemandingthatworldleaderstakeactionduringtheParisclimate
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negotiations.
Theyalsomobilizedalmost1millionCatholicstosignapetitionaskingworldleaderstokeepglobal
warmingunder1.5degreesCbelowpreindustriallevels.TheninMay2016,around30Catholic
organizationsjoinedanamicusbriefinsupportofPresidentObamascleanpowerplan.
Thesecollectiveeffortsareechoedbyinitiativesthatlocalorganizationsarepursuinginmany
nations.
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InBrazil,Catholicgroupshavebeeninstrumentalinfightinglogginganddeforestation.InIndia,
too,churchesandparishesacrossthecountrylaunchedprojectsinthespiritofLaudatoSi.Tomark
EarthDayinApril,theCatholicnonprofitorganizationCaritasinitiatedatreeplantingcampaign
intheKarachiregion,plantingthousandsoftreestohelpbeattheregionsextremeheat.Church
organizationsalsoruncampaignstocutdownonwaste,promoteorganicfarming,andstart
transitioningtowardstheadoptionofsolarpower.
Likewise,GCCMreleaseditsownecoparishguide,whichitdistributestoCatholicchurchesaround
theworldthatareaimingtoreducetheircarbonfootprint.Theguideprovidesinstructionsonhow
Catholicchurchescanreduceemissionsbyadoptingalowcarbonlifestyle,advocateforclimate
justice,andcareforpopulationsharmedbyclimatechange.
TheactionsweretotallyunprecedentedbecauseCatholicsprettymuchwereoverwhelmingly
passiveontheclimateissuebefore,saysMr.Inuainatelephoneinterview.Mobilizingnearly1
millionCatholicsforclimatejusticelastyear,thatwouldhavebeenabsolutelyimpossiblewithout
theencyclical,therewasnowaywecouldhaveachievedanythingnearlyasclosetothat.
A shift in opinion
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In2015,ontheeveofthereleaseofPopeFrancissencyclical,researchshowedthatCatholicsinthe
UnitedStatesweredividedoverglobalwarming.Theirdifferencesmirroredthepartisandivide
foundamongmuchofthepopulation,witharound80percentofCatholicDemocratsclaimingthere
issolidevidencethattheEarthiswarming,andonlyhalfofCatholicRepublicansclaimingthe
same.Meanwhile,around60percentofCatholicDemocratssaidthatglobalwarmingisaserious,
manmadeproblem,whilejustaquarterofCatholicRepublicansagreed.
Butoverthepastyear,perceptionsbegantoshift.Just6monthsafterthereleaseofLaudatoSi,the
percentageofAmericanCatholicswhothoughtclimatechangeisamoralissuejumpedfrom34
percentto42percent,accordingtoastudyconductedbytheYaleProgramonClimateChange
Communication.Meanwhile,astudyreleasedbytheInstituteforPolicyResearchandCatholic
StudiesattheCatholicUniversityofAmericafoundthatCatholicRepublicanswhoreadLaudatoSi
were10percentmorelikelytoagreethathumanactivitiesareresponsibleforclimatechange.
LonnieEllis,associatedirectoroftheCatholicClimateCovenant,aUSbasedclimateadvocacy
groupthatformedin2006,agreesthatthingshavechangedoverthepastyear.
WeweredoingthisbeforePopeFrancismadeitcool,anditsbeenagreat10years.Butinthelast
yearPopeFrancisjustelevatedourworkimmenselyandwevebeenabletodosomereallybig
things,saysMr.Ellis.
Thegroupnowhasaround205creationcareteams,orgroupsthatmeettopromote
environmentaleducationanddiscussafaithbasedapproachtocaringfortheearth,working
aroundthecountry.
Itsnotthatconcernaboutclimatechangeisabsentamongpeopleofotherfaiths.Forexample,
althoughEvangelicalChristiansshowupasamongtheleastconcernedaboutclimatechange,in
onerecentpollfully59percentsaythathumanactionsarebehindtheriseingreenhousegases
versus67oftheUSpublicoverall.
Andlikeotherreligiousandnonreligiousgroups,Evangelicalsarearefarmorelikelytocallclimate
changeaveryorsomewhatimportantissuethantosayitsonlyalittleornotimportant,
accordingtotherecentstudybyGeorgetownUniversitysCenterforAppliedResearchinthe
Apostolate.
Thepollfound,however,thatCatholicsaremorelikelytobeconcernedaboutclimatechangethan
anyotherUSChristiangroup.
A deep-rooted tradition
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A deep-rooted tradition
Thenameoftheencyclical,LaudatoSi(praisebe),istakenfromalineinSt.FrancisofAssisis
CanticleofCreatures,areligioustextthatextolledthevirtuesofnature.Bornin1182,St.Francisof
AssisiisconsideredtheCatholicChurchsforemostecologist.
Butsomehistorianspointto1971astheyearwhentheenvironmentaltenetsofCatholicismbegan
tomakeacomeback.ThatwaswhenPopePaulVIpublishedalettercalledOctogesimaAdveniens,
oracalltoaction.
Manissuddenlybecomingawarethatbyanillconsideredexploitationofnatureherisks
destroyingitandbecominginhisturnthevictimofthisdegradation,hewrote.
Notlongafter,PopeJohnPaulII,electedtothepapacyin1978,toldtheUnitedNationsthat,the
Churchscommitmenttotheconservationandimprovementofourenvironmentislinkedtoa
commandofGod.Healsocalledformoralsolidarityontheenvironmentbetweenindustrialized
anddevelopingnations.
ThesecallsforenvironmentaljusticewerethenabsorbedbyotherpartsoftheCatholicleadership,
includingtheUnitedStatesConferenceofCatholicBishops(USCCB).Allthisgaveaddedlegitimacy
tolocalchurchleaderswhowantedenvironmentalconservationtocountamongtheCatholic
churchscentralteachings.
Bolivia speech
Despitethisrichhistory,includingPopeBenedictXVIorderingsolarpanelsfortheVaticansroof,
expertssaynoCatholicleaderhasplacedbeensourgentandradicalontheissueofecologyasPope
Francis.
DuringaspeechlastyearattheWorldMeetingofPopularMovementsinBolivia,thePopecalled
foranimmediatechangetothewaytheworldeconomyisrun.
Today,thescientificcommunityrealizeswhatthepoorhavelongtoldus:harm,perhaps
irreversibleharm,isbeingdonetotheecosystem,hesaid.
Letusnotbeafraidtosayit:wewantchange,realchange,structuralchange.
WhilemanyCatholicswereunawareofthechurchsstanceontheenvironmentpriortothecurrent
Popesvocaladvocacy,expertssaythatchangeddramaticallyoverthelastyear.
Distrust of 'liberal agenda'
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Distrust of 'liberal agenda'

BillPatenaude,anengineerwiththestateofRhodeIslandsDepartmentofEnvironmental
ManagementandamemberoftheGlobalCatholicClimateMovement,saidtheideaofecological
protectionisnowsinkinginamongpeoplewhoweretraditionallyclimatechangeskeptics.
Environmentalissuesandclimatechangehavebeenspearheadedbythepoliticalleftforalong
time,andthereisalotofdistrust,saysMrPatenaude,addingthattheissuessupportedbythe
politicalleftareofteninconflictwiththepositionsofAmericanCatholics.Ithinksomeclimate
skepticsarereactingtotheliberalagenda,notsomuchtowhatthescienceisshowingandwhat
peopleareexperiencing.ButIthinkthereisatrendofpeopleputtingthataside.
IndevelopingcountrieswithalargeCatholicpopulation,thefaithbasedconnectionbetweensocial
justiceandenvironmentalismwasalreadyevidenttomany,expertssay.Thatsbecausepeoplesee
theeffectsthatextremeweatherconditionsandnaturaldisasterslinkedtoclimatechangehaveon
thepoor.
Butinmuchoftheindustrializedworld,theconnectionswerentasapparent.TheeffortbyPope
Francishasopenedupnewconversations,saysMr.EllisoftheCatholicClimateCovenantinthe
US.
Evenincornersthatyouwouldntexpect,likeintheRustBelt,peoplearetalkingaboutit,Ellis
says.Itsbeenphenomenalinthelastyear,wehavetoturndownalotoftalksbeingplanned
aroundthecountryonLaudatoSi.
'A hopeful vision'

Thepoorandvulnerablearedisproportionatelyimpactedbydisaster,addsMariaVorel,Catholic
CharitiesUSAsseniorvicepresidentfordisasteroperations,duringaconferencecallwith
reporterstomarktheoneyearanniversaryoftheencyclical.LaudatoSicrystallizestherealitiesof
disastersintheUS.PopeFranciscalledonalltolookatourimpactontheenvironmentandthe
interactionoftheenvironmentonpeople,especiallythevulnerable.
Meanwhile,aplethoraofsmallCatholicgroupsareworkingaroundthecountrytoassistvulnerable
populationsinpoorregionssuchastheAppalachianMountainsastheygrapplewiththeeffectsof
climatechangeandenvironmentaldegradation.
Ultimately,manyCatholicssaythatthePopesmessagehasresonatedsowidelybecauseofits
emphasisonunityanditscontrastwiththeoftengloomynarrativesurroundingclimatechange.
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Thereisahopefulvision,saysEllis.Theadvocacy,notonlydoesitchangethesystemasawhole,
butithelpspullusallintomeetthischallengetogether.
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6/25/2016

Switch to Desktop Site

One year later, how a Pope's message on climate has

since Pope Francis highlighted the issue in 2015, experts say.

Save for later

People hold a banner for ' Climate action Now ' in

About these ads

Action from Brazil to India

About these ads

Distrust of 'liberal agenda'

Distrust of 'liberal agenda'

'A hopeful vision'

From cookstoves to forests, UN puts eye on mending global

How much do you know about Pope Francis?

Venezuela's collapse prods region toward kicking its oil habit

Reprints & Permissions

The Christian Science Monitor. All Rights Reserved.

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