Shortly after Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope, leader of over 1.2 billion Catholics, he signaled his focus on environmental issues by choosing the name Francis, after Saint Francis of Assisi, who revered nature as a “mirror of God.”
Since 2013, Pope Francis has become a prominent voice in the global climate movement. While political leaders debated the technical and economic aspects of climate policy, Francis, who died on Easter Monday, provided moral guidance, addressing the societal impacts of human activity on the planet.
In a Vatican climate summit address last year, he urged acting with “urgency, compassion and determination” due to the high stakes, calling environmental destruction a “structural sin.”
He stated, “We face interconnected systemic challenges: climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, global inequality, food insecurity, and threats to human dignity.”
A call to action
Francis’s most significant contribution was his 2015 encyclical, a letter to bishops offering guidance, focused on the changing environment.
Titled (Praise Be to You), it argued for the interconnectedness of climate change and social justice issues.
Francis emphasized climate change’s disproportionate impact on the poor and criticized the economic systems that enable it. “We don’t face separate environmental and social crises,” he wrote, “but a single, complex crisis encompassing both.”
His words, especially early on, had impact. *Laudato Si’* was released before the UN’s Paris Agreement talks, and leaders at the summit said his message resonated with negotiators. Former U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said after meeting Francis, “He’s been one of the strongest voices pushing for action.”
Building a broad church
Kerry is not alone. Francis made the Vatican a key destination for climate leaders and even welcomed oil executives to encourage climate action.
He often met with top officials from the annual UN climate conference and with Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg during her campaign to raise awareness among political leaders. Beyond photo opportunities, he also aimed to foster breakthroughs. In 2018, he hosted major oil and gas companies, including ExxonMobil, BP, and Shell, for closed-door climate discussions. Following the meeting, some executives released a statement recognizing the need to address global warming.
His influence extended to the church, though not all Catholics embraced his environmental agenda. Some conservatives, particularly from fossil fuel-dependent regions, felt environmental issues were outside his purview. Still, Francis helped make climate change a mainstream concern for many in the church.
Leading up to his encyclical, the Laudato Si’ Movement was founded by Catholic environmental advocates to mobilize Catholics worldwide to address environmental problems. This included educational efforts and advocating for action-oriented steps like divestment.
Francis’s climate efforts were sometimes overshadowed by controversies affecting the church. The resilience of his work remains to be seen. Many potential successors are less interested in climate issues, and some political leaders who previously praised him have been replaced by populists with little regard for his work.
However, his legacy is undeniable. Former Vice President and Nobel laureate Al Gore said, “We’re blessed with Pope Francis.”