Pope Francis emphasized the urgency of the climate crisis during his introduction to a three-day climate summit scheduled to take place in the Vatican in May. As a strong advocate for addressing climate change, the pontiff expressed deep concerns for the well-being of our planet, stating that humanity’s failure to adequately tackle the crisis has pushed the world to the brink of collapse.
The pope firmly believes that the impact of climate change will increasingly harm individuals and families, affecting various aspects of life such as healthcare, employment opportunities, access to resources, housing, and forced migrations.
Highlighting the stance of the Bishops of the United States, Pope Francis asserts that climate change is one of the primary challenges faced by society and the global community. Its consequences disproportionately affect the most vulnerable individuals, both domestically and internationally.
Notably, San Diego Bishop Robert W. McElroy, who was elevated to the rank of cardinal by Pope Francis in 2022, has argued that while abortion is a grave evil, the long-term consequences of uncontrolled climate change pose a greater threat to humanity’s future.
Both abortion and climate change are considered significant life issues within the Catholic Church, according to McElroy. However, he emphasizes that neither should be deemed as preeminent over the other. Interestingly, Pope Francis has specifically singled out the United States as being particularly responsible for the climate emergency due to the perceived irresponsible lifestyle of its citizens.
“If we consider that emissions per individual in the United States are about two times greater than those of individuals living in China, and about seven times greater than the average of the poorest countries, we can state that a broad change in the irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model would have a significant long-term impact,” the pope said last October.
The vigilant individuals at The Pillar Catholic, an online Catholic news outlet, highlighted at that time that “U.S. per capita emissions are less than 1.5 times that of China,” and emphasized that China’s per capita emissions levels “are significantly higher than the global average.”
Furthermore, the pope neglected to mention that when considering the overall emissions, China’s emissions are more than twice that of the United States, and the air quality in America is one of the cleanest among all nations, whereas China’s air quality is one of the poorest. In his introduction to the Vatican summit, scheduled for May 15-17, Francis asserts that climate change is no longer a secondary or ideological matter, but a tragedy that affects us all. He further describes climate change as a distressing and evident example of structural sin.
