Protecting “The common home that God has entrusted to us”. That’s the view that Pope Francis is taking towards the growing issue of climate change and environmental degradation in the world. His encyclical (letter written by a Pope) regarding this matter is due to come out some time around the 18th of June 2015, and it will probably address concerns he has brought up in previous comments.
He has stated that climate change and global warming are primarily due to man and his activities, and he will also probably speak specifically about fossil fuels. The fact that we have not moved more towards renewable energy, and seem to be just dependent on this fuel which is increasing the atmospheric temperature of our home is something that he has spoken on before.
A draft of the encyclical was leaked into newspapers, and it’s causing quite a stir, because everyone is wondering what the final outcome would be. The encyclical will be a social and economic statement as much as a religious one, and will deal with all facets of this problem.
This is the first time that any Pope has spoken up clearly about this issue, and I for one think that it’s definitely a step in the right direction. Science shouldn’t be viewed as something apart from moral or spiritual influence. If something like climate change is man-made, then man has a direct responsibility towards rectifying the situation, and that should be encouraged by any religion.
We are all created as part of one big planet, and everyone and everything is interrelated. Everyone has a part to play in protecting our Earth against climate change.