Laudate Deum:
To all people of good will on the climate crisis

Pope Francis states his rational for this writing in these words:

Eight years have passed since I published the Encyclical letter, Laudato Si’, when I wanted to share with all of you, my brothers and sisters of our suffering planet, my heartfelt concerns about the care of our common home.  Yet, with the passage of time, I have realized that our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point.  In addition to this possibility, it is indubitable that the impact of climate change will increasingly prejudice the lives and families of many persons.  We will feel its effects in the area of healthcare, sources of employment, access to resources, housing, forced migration, etc.

I respect Pope Francis’ concerns on the topic of climate change and its impact on the planet as a theologian of the Christian church and as a trained scientist.  He can speak with authority in both fields.  In doing so he also reveals the heart of a pastor. His writing on the effects of climate change are primarily addressed at the impact it has on the most poor and vulnerable among us, as well as the environment in its entirety. 

This is brought out in chapter two, “A Growing Technocratic Paradigm.”  Here Pope Francis

argues that the powerful, the wealthy and ambitious turn to technology for profit, power, and comfort without regard for its impact and harm to the environment and those who are the least powerful or wealthy.  He writes:

But that risk is always present, because ‘our immense technological development has not been accompanied by a development in human responsibility, values, and conscience … We stand naked and exposed in the face of our ever-increasing power, lacking the wherewithal to control it.  We have certain superficial mechanisms but we cannot claim to have a sound ethics, a culture and spirituality genuinely capable of setting limits and teaching clear-minded self restraint.

Pope Francis calls for “multilateralism”, by which he smeans depending on various citizen groups and individuals around the world to take on the economic powers and governments that seem not able to address climate change in any meaningful way.  “For this reason, I reiterate that unless citizens control political power – national, regional, and municipal – it will not be possible to control damage to the environment.”

He also critiques past climate conferences (mostly in negative terms) and makes comments about what to expect and hope for with COP28 in Dubai, which has already taken place and was mostly ineffective and disappointing. About this conference he writes:

 If there is sincere interest in making COP28 an historic event that honors and ennobles us as human beings, then one can only hope for binding forms of energy transition that meet three conditions: that they be efficient, obligatory, and readily monitored.

It is obvious that the only ones paying attention to the Pope’s words were the protesters and indigenous peoples at the conference.  Too bad.

In the last chapter, “Spiritual Motivations”, Pope Francis sounds a hopeful note: 

I cannot fail in this regard to remind the Catholic faithful of the motivations born of their faith.  I encourage my brothers and sisters of other religions to do the same, since we know that authentic faith not only gives strength to the human heart, but also transforms life, transfigures our goals and sheds light on our relationship to others and with creation as a whole.

John Hanson