Pope Francis has blamed human
selfishness for global warming in his
long-awaited encyclical calling for
action on climate change.
In th
e letter, he urges the rich to change
their lifestyles to avert the destruction of
the ecosystem.
Environmentalists hope the message will
spur on nations ahead of the UN climate
conference in Paris in December.
But parts of the document, leaked earlier
this week, have already been criticised
by some US conservatives.
It has been dismissed by two Republican
presidential candidates.
Humans to blame
The encyclical , named "Laudato Si (Be
Praised), On the Care of Our Common
Home", aims to inspire everyone - not
just Roman Catholics - to protect the
Earth.
The 192-page letter, which is the highest
level teaching document a pope can
issue, lays much of the blame for global
warming on human activities.
Pope Francis writes that: "We have come
to see ourselves as her lords and
masters, entitled to plunder her at will.
"The violence present in our hearts,
wounded by sin, is also reflected in the
symptoms of sickness evident in the soil,
in the water, in the air and in all forms of
life."
He criticises what he calls a "collective
selfishness", but says that there is still
time to stop the damage, calling for an
end to consumerism and greed.
'Moral approach'
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi
launched the pontiff's second encyclical
at a news conference on Thursday.
The teaching is more evidence of a
pontiff determined to act as a catalyst for
change, and a powerful diplomatic player
on the world stage, says the BBC's
religious affairs correspondent
Caroline Wyatt.
The release comes six months before
international leaders gather in Paris to
try to seal a deal to reduce carbon
emissions.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
welcomed the document, saying climate
change was a "moral issue requiring
respectful dialogue with all parts of
society".
It has also been widely praised by
environmental groups, with WWF
president Yolanda Kakabadse saying
it "adds a much-needed moral approach''
to the debate on climate change.
Greenpeace leader Kumi Naidoo
highlighted passages calling for policies
that reduce carbon emissions, including
by replacing fossil fuels with renewable
energy.
But a leak of the document, published
by Italy's L'Espresso magazine on
Tuesday, had a frosty response from
sceptical conservatives in America,
including two Roman Catholic presidential
candidates.
Jeb Bush said he did not get his
economic policy from his bishops,
cardinals or pope - so why his policy on
the environment?
Meanwhile Rick Santorum questioned
whether the Pope was credible on the
issue of climate science.
US Senator, Jim Inhofe, chairman of the
US Senate Environment Committee, said
he disagreed with the Pope's
"philosophy" on global warming.
"I am concerned that his encyclical will
be used by global warming alarmists to
advocate for policies that will equate to
the largest, most regressive tax increase
in our nation's history."
However, many academics have
welcomed the pontiff's input.
Prof Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystem
Science at the University of Oxford in the
UK, said: "If Pope Francis can't speak up
for our unborn grandchildren, then God
help us all."
Will Pope sway Americans? - Roger
Harrabin, BBC News environment
analyst
The UN's climate change chief Christiana
Figueres says the Pope's message will
influence talks in Paris this year on a deal
to tackle global warming.
Developing countries are demanding
firmer promises of financial help from
rich countries so they can adapt to
inevitable changes in the climate and get
clean energy to avoid contributing to
further warming.
Ms Figueres said their position would be
strengthened by the Pope's insistence
that this was the clear moral
responsibility of the rich.
The encyclical will be welcomed by poor
countries in Africa and Latin America.
The big question is how it will play in the
USA, where it has already been
dismissed by a Republican presidential
candidate Jeb Bush, who is a Catholic.
Leading Republicans have warned the UN that they will undo President Barack
Obama's climate policies - so if the
encyclical sways any of the conservative
Catholics in Congress that could prove
significant.
selfishness for global warming in his
long-awaited encyclical calling for
action on climate change.
In th
e letter, he urges the rich to change
their lifestyles to avert the destruction of
the ecosystem.
Environmentalists hope the message will
spur on nations ahead of the UN climate
conference in Paris in December.
But parts of the document, leaked earlier
this week, have already been criticised
by some US conservatives.
It has been dismissed by two Republican
presidential candidates.
Humans to blame
The encyclical , named "Laudato Si (Be
Praised), On the Care of Our Common
Home", aims to inspire everyone - not
just Roman Catholics - to protect the
Earth.
The 192-page letter, which is the highest
level teaching document a pope can
issue, lays much of the blame for global
warming on human activities.
Pope Francis writes that: "We have come
to see ourselves as her lords and
masters, entitled to plunder her at will.
"The violence present in our hearts,
wounded by sin, is also reflected in the
symptoms of sickness evident in the soil,
in the water, in the air and in all forms of
life."
He criticises what he calls a "collective
selfishness", but says that there is still
time to stop the damage, calling for an
end to consumerism and greed.
'Moral approach'
Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi
launched the pontiff's second encyclical
at a news conference on Thursday.
The teaching is more evidence of a
pontiff determined to act as a catalyst for
change, and a powerful diplomatic player
on the world stage, says the BBC's
religious affairs correspondent
Caroline Wyatt.
The release comes six months before
international leaders gather in Paris to
try to seal a deal to reduce carbon
emissions.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
welcomed the document, saying climate
change was a "moral issue requiring
respectful dialogue with all parts of
society".
It has also been widely praised by
environmental groups, with WWF
president Yolanda Kakabadse saying
it "adds a much-needed moral approach''
to the debate on climate change.
Greenpeace leader Kumi Naidoo
highlighted passages calling for policies
that reduce carbon emissions, including
by replacing fossil fuels with renewable
energy.
But a leak of the document, published
by Italy's L'Espresso magazine on
Tuesday, had a frosty response from
sceptical conservatives in America,
including two Roman Catholic presidential
candidates.
Jeb Bush said he did not get his
economic policy from his bishops,
cardinals or pope - so why his policy on
the environment?
Meanwhile Rick Santorum questioned
whether the Pope was credible on the
issue of climate science.
US Senator, Jim Inhofe, chairman of the
US Senate Environment Committee, said
he disagreed with the Pope's
"philosophy" on global warming.
"I am concerned that his encyclical will
be used by global warming alarmists to
advocate for policies that will equate to
the largest, most regressive tax increase
in our nation's history."
However, many academics have
welcomed the pontiff's input.
Prof Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystem
Science at the University of Oxford in the
UK, said: "If Pope Francis can't speak up
for our unborn grandchildren, then God
help us all."
Will Pope sway Americans? - Roger
Harrabin, BBC News environment
analyst
The UN's climate change chief Christiana
Figueres says the Pope's message will
influence talks in Paris this year on a deal
to tackle global warming.
Developing countries are demanding
firmer promises of financial help from
rich countries so they can adapt to
inevitable changes in the climate and get
clean energy to avoid contributing to
further warming.
Ms Figueres said their position would be
strengthened by the Pope's insistence
that this was the clear moral
responsibility of the rich.
The encyclical will be welcomed by poor
countries in Africa and Latin America.
The big question is how it will play in the
USA, where it has already been
dismissed by a Republican presidential
candidate Jeb Bush, who is a Catholic.
Leading Republicans have warned the UN that they will undo President Barack
Obama's climate policies - so if the
encyclical sways any of the conservative
Catholics in Congress that could prove
significant.
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