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Stewardship of the earth and solidarity with the poor requires that we understand important Church teachings as well as some relevant scientific facts.
What Does the Catholic Church Say about Climate Change?
Some might be surprised that the Catholic Church has anything to say about the environment, thinking that all the Church is concerned with are issues of faith and morals. But, if you think about it, it makes sense that the Church would have a lot to say about the earth. In the first chapter of Genesis we read that after creating the heavens and the earth, and all the living creatures, “God blessed [the man and woman], saying to them, ‘Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven and all the living creatures that move on earth.’” (Gen. 1:28) God entrusted the care of the earth to humanity and all people have a responsibility to care for the environment. This is not simply a responsibility to the earth itself nor to just humanity alone. Being good stewards of the environment is, ultimately, humanity’s responsibility toward God.
The Effects of Climate Change and Why it is Important to Catholics
“The climate is changing and humans are both contributing to this change and being affected by it."1 This basic statement has skeptics and supporters alike. But whether you agree with this statement or not, science has documented a clear increase in average temperatures that statistical variation alone cannot account for2.
Changing climate means changing weather patterns. Extreme weather events have been well documented in the news. From Hurricane Katrina in the south to flooding on the Red River in the north, wildfires due to drought in Australia and a massive heat wave in Europe, these events “will continue to increase and, in turn, affect coastal communities, human health, water quality and availability and crop yields.” When these extreme weather events occur, everyone is affected.
Also . . .
- EPA: What are Greenhouse Gases?
- The Good Life from a Catholic Perspective: The Problem of Consumption (USCCB)
by Monsignor Charles Murphy - Climate Change and Children's Health
- FAQs About Global Warming and Climate Change: Back to the Basics (EPA Brochure)
(1.55 MB)
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