The Pope's Encyclical Letter

Another problem that we may stumble upon would be relying on other people to be ecologically responsible instead of ourselves. We often believe that there are other people out there in the world who are making a difference and so we passively sit back and do nothing. However, we are all accountable for our own actions. Palmer (2015) is a man who worked around the world with people from every major religion from Daoism to Zoroastrianism. He has witnessed many religious environmental movements emerge and grow. He states that the basis of the environmental

The papacy – the office held by the pope as head of the Catholic Church - gained great power from the sixth through eighth centuries, and there are several reasons for this surge in influence. Starting around 590, Pope Gregory I sought to convert Teutonic invaders to Christianity. Islam was also in play, as it had taken over most of Asia and Africa. According to Earl Cairns, by trying to win Teutonic tribes to Christianity, the medieval church “…further centralized its organization under papal supremacy and developed the sacramental-hierarchical system characteristic of the Roman Catholic Church.”

The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II as it is often called, was an Ecumenical Council, (which means it affected the worldwide Christian community) of the Roman Catholic Church. It began on October 11, 1962 under, Pope John XXIII with over two thousand attendants (Hollis 23). The council ended on December 8, 1965, with Pope Paul VI presiding over the council due to the death of Pope John XXIII in 1963. The council consisted of four different sessions convening in the fall of the four years during which the council took place. Topics discussed and debated throughout the council were issues concerning the church, the liturgy, revelation and scripture, and the clergy.

In “Save the Earth, Buy Less” Jared Blumenfeld that “China will overtake the United States next year to become the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases The most worrying threat to our planet at the present time is global warming. Global warming is a massive problem for one to solve, but we can create positive change by making environmentally-conscious personal choices and inspiring others to take collective action. I believe we all can take actions to reduce the global warming: we can reduce pollution, we can recycle products and we can conserve water. These all actions can contribute to making our planet a “greener” place to live.

Pope Leo X was originally named Giovanni de’ Medici was born in Florence, Italy on December 11, 1475 and died on December 1,1521 in Rome. He was raised in the culturally sophisticated city of Florence, Italy and was born in a family of renowned people of the arts and politics. Pope Leo X was the son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, who was the ruler of the Florentine republic and was destined religious life, as he became a Cardinal Deacon at the age of 13. He received the best education in Europe and had several tutors because of his father. Pope Leo X studied Canon Law and theology at the University of Pisa. The death of his father eventually led him back to Florence, where he stayed until 1494, when the de’ Medici family was charged with the betraying

The concern of global warming contains many arguments, as presented by DiCaprio on Earth Day 2016. First of all, his speech explores

My grandmother, the President of Bitterroot Valley Recycling, has been saying that the need for the advancement of humanity and climate change issues are one for years, maybe it’s because of people like my grandmother that I’ve become interested in the Vatican Summit titled “Modern Slavery and Climate Change” and in particular Pope Francis’s words on how “Ecology is Human” (Gallagher p.1). Yes, everyone who believes in climate change issues knows that we humans are part of the problem, but it wasn’t until the July 2015 Vatican sponsored Summit that a religious leader ever took a stand on the more complex side of climate change (Gallagher p.1). Pope Francis claims that “humans are ecology” and therefore the real issues of climate change are aspects closer to home such as our dependency on technology, and how urban areas have a growing population of homeless/jobless citizens (Gallagher p.1). Pope Francis says that all of these issues are a part of climate change happening in the world today and that hopefully by joining together to face climate change, the United Nations, as well as separate countries and communities, will be able to help solve pressing issues in our world today (Gallagher p.1). After the

Pope John Paul the Second It was recently this year that the Catholic world had lost its leader,

In almost 200 pages, Pope Francis details his position on climate change in an encyclical released on June 18th titled Laudato Si (Praise be to You).

n the past the public hasn’t given much notice to publications by the Pope’s, aside from a few historic examples most tend to go unnoticed. Unlike Pope’s before him, Pope Francis is living in the digital age and seems to be gaining a reputation for being more in touch with reality. The encyclia has been made widely available online and has quite the following in the media. Although it won’t be an immediate solution to the problem it’s a step in the right direction. By laying out clear steps on how to reduce carbon emission this has the potential to make a big difference. This is taking credibility away from climate change deniers who try to use religion as a crutch for ignorance. Pope Francis has given climate change a sort of celebrity endorsement that hopefully won’t be ignored. All of this leaves the future looking a little brighter.

“In his 1990 World Day of Peace speech, John Paul II declared the environment to be a moral priority of the Church, warning that “world peace is threatened not only by the arms race, regional conflicts, and continued injustices among peoples and nations, but also by a lack of due respect for nature.” Benedict XVI was nicknamed “the green pope” because he spoke on environmental issues so frequently; he had solar panels installed on the roof of the Vatican and even rolled out a hybrid version of the Popemobile.” (The Pope’s Moral Case for Taking On Climate Change- The Atlantic)

Climate change and global warming is a significant issue with severe climate, economical, and health consequences. Global warming will intensify our current weather extremes, dissolve our already depleting resources, lead to economic difficulties, lead to widespread diseases, and present future generations tremendous great difficulties. We should recognize climate change as an immediate crisis and respond to it by reducing our carbon emissions, focusing our efforts towards finding clean energy, and electing leaders that will address it as major concern. It is time for us to admit what we have done to the planet and take responsibility

"Possibly the most disturbing environmental phenomenon of recent times is the threat of global warming" reads the article. Greenhouse emissions have been scientifically proven to change our climate patterns, raise sea levels and harm life on earth. This a big factor that contributes to jeopardise God's creation and the life on it. This issue will affect every generation after us unless we find a solution. The best thing we can do now is try and prevent it while we can. The statement "The cry of the seven million inhabitants of these beautiful islands, including Tuvalu, Kiribati, Palau, Tonga, Nauru and the Cook Islands, who fear that their lands will be battered and submerged by rising sea levels and changing weather patterns, requires us to take immediate measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions." supports the urge by the Catholic Church to resolve this issue and protect islands surrounding Australia that will most likely be affected by

A meeting discussing global warming and the ongoing climate change (and the impact CO2 emissions have on the growing problem) has been in session in Peru for the past few days. Dozens of world leaders are gathering to discuss possible changes that can be implemented to halt the increase in temperature seen around the globe. However, many prominent scientists have stated that it may be too late for these world leaders to make any significant impacts (Associated). These scientists, and many other people around the world, believe that humans have contributed significantly to global warming, and as a result mankind needs to do whatever it can to combat this ongoing crisis. Nearly 3,500 miles away from Peru, United States Senator James Inhofe is in Washington D.C., representing Oklahoma in the United States Senate. Senator Inhofe is one of the loudest preachers of the belief that global warming is not the dire threat that so many scientists make it out to be. Inhofe has claimed that it is “arrogant for people to believe human beings are able to change what He (God) is doing in the climate” (Tashman). The Senator believes that only God controls the climate and the environment, and to even think that humans are impacting the earth’s climate is misguided (Tashman). These two opposing viewpoints bring with them questions of religion, politics, human responsibility, and ultimately the fate of the planet. On one side, there are those who say that the science is so concrete, and the

Pope Francis describes a relentless exploitation and destruction towards environmental discomfort, for which he blamed apathy from the pursuit of profitable faith in political as well as technological injustice. The Laudato Si’ unambiguously accepts scientific causes that impacts the climate that were beneficially man-made, stating “climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods”. Representing one of the principals that challenges humanity. After great anticipation, Pope Francis determined and faced the difficulties of climate change and pleaded for justice, to “enter into dialogue with all people about our common home.” The Pope reaches for new conclusions and is calling for a spiritual transformation and a solid connection to Earth’s ecosystems. The Laudato Si’ is different, as it is not addressed specifically to the one beliefs with additional groups added. Pope Francis invites the people of the world to a dialogue on the subject of environmentalism. Pope Francis has written Laudato Si’ as caring for creation is something that is close to his heart. More fundamentally, Pope Francis believes that there are substantial ecological complications today that must be addressed. They include not only problems in the natural environment but also in the human sphere, particularly among the disadvantaged. Pope Francis wrote the encyclical, dated 24 May 2015 and was officially published at on 18