By Charles Igwe
In his latest Apostolic Exhortation titled ‘Laudate Deum,’ Pope Francis expresses deep concern over the escalating impacts of climate change and urges co-responsibility and immediate action to address the current environmental crisis. He criticizes the global community for its inadequate response and points out that climate change will increasingly affect the lives of many individuals and families.
The Apostolic Exhortation begins with a reflection on the growing climate-related challenges, emphasizing that climate change’s signs are unmistakable and have led to extreme weather events, unusual heatwaves, and environmental distress. Pope Francis notes the acceleration of global warming, causing severe consequences and melting ice caps in Greenland and Antarctica, which will impact everyone in a generation.
The Pope challenges those who downplay climate change, stating that the planet is experiencing an unusual acceleration of warming, leading to rising sea levels, glacier melting, and the need for many communities to relocate their homes. He counters the argument that transitioning from fossil fuels would result in job loss, pointing out that climate change itself is causing job losses due to rising sea levels and other climate-related phenomena.
Pope Francis highlights that the poorest in the world bear the least responsibility for climate change, while the wealthiest one percent of humanity is responsible for twice as many emissions as the poorest 50 percent. He rejects the idea of blaming the poor and emphasizes that the per capita emissions of wealthier countries far exceed those of poorer nations.
The Apostolic Exhortation also acknowledges that some segments of the Catholic Church have questioned climate change. Pope Francis cites data from various environmental studies to substantiate the gravity of the ongoing environmental challenges.
The Pope calls for collective efforts to address climate change, protect our common home, and ensure a sustainable future for all.
