I have been a member and leader in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, the largest Archdiocese in the country, for nearly 15 years. As a member of the Office of Religious Education (ORE), I have served as Director of Biblical Formation and currently serve as the Director of Pastoral Juvenil, the branch of the department that provides formation for Latino youth.
Here in Los Angeles, we see the effects of climate disruption first hand, from the statewide drought to skyrocketing temperatures. We’re all feeling the effects of climate disruption, but some people, like the poor and marginalized, are the ones being more radically affected by these climatic changes, a point the Encyclical, Laudato Si, highlights several times. As a result, the most vulnerable have to cope with life-threatening issues like water scarcity, increased flooding, suffocating smog, and food insecurity.
One of the most concerning things is that climate change is no longer a regional or country-specific issue that only affects some. It has become a worldwide problem felt by everyone at various degrees.
That’s why Pope Francis’ Encyclical is so important. This is the first document of its type in the history of the Catholic Church that focuses exclusively on climate and ecology. It is the first document that highlights the need to hold humanity responsible for the actions we have taken that are now endangering our common home. The Encyclical presents an opportunity for people of faith and “all people of goodwill” to unite in support of a shared cause: care of our common home in order to protect those most vulnerable. Pope Francis knows that fully caring for creation will help real people, right now, and especially the generations to come.
It’s clear that climate change is a moral issue. As the spiritual leader of one billion global Catholics and over 70 million U.S. Catholics, Pope Francis’ moral teaching and guidance about care for others and care of God’s creation has the power to make a real difference as we tackle the climate crisis.
Catholics bring a distinctive and important voice to this conversation because we’re a global church that has a connection to believers around the world, putting us in touch with what’s going on in communities on every continent. Further, the Church respects the role of science and has recognized human-caused climate change for decades. Our unique perspective means we need to be a part of this conversation, and the release of today’s Encyclical is a wonderful opportunity to engage in this conversation not only with our fellow Catholics, but with others in our communities who are of different faiths and backgrounds.
Pope Francis is making a direct call for dialogue on this important issue. He calls the different sectors of society; religious, science, civic, political, etc. to participate in transparent dialogue to reach compromise and solutions on this important issue. Environmental degradation requires immediate action. Our planet and our most vulnerable communities do not have time to waste.
We have a great responsibility to take action. As Pope Francis says, we must be remembered as the generation that put forth solutions and not the generation that let the planet waste as a result of global indifference.