Pope Francis Exposes the Hard Truth: Our Planet Is in Peril
Pope Francis condemns climate change skeptics and criticizes Western lifestyles as irresponsible, placing blame on both big industries and world leaders in his powerful statement on the urgent environmental crisis
In a scathing statement on Wednesday, Pope Francis condemned big industries, world leaders, and "irresponsible" Western lifestyles for their role in the escalating climate crisis. He penned these words in his strongest statement yet, titled Laudate Deum ("Praise God"), a 7,000-word encyclical.
The pope strongly criticized climate change deniers and those who are delaying action, pointing out that certain effects of the climate crisis are already irreversible for several centuries. These effects include the rise in global ocean temperatures, ocean acidification, and a decrease in oxygen levels.
Despite ongoing denial, concealment, glossing over, or attempts to relativize the matter, the indicators of climate change are unmistakably present and progressively apparent. The fact that we have recently observed extreme weather events, recurrent periods of atypical warmth, droughts, and other forms of outcry is impossible to disregard. Disregarding climate change will inevitably exacerbate the likelihood of heightened and increasingly frequent occurrences of extreme events.
Located in Wilmington, California, the Phillips 66 Los Angeles Refinery Wilmington Plant was the site of a recent protest on November 28, 2022. Climate activists gathered outside the refinery to express their concerns about the soaring gas prices in California and the subsequent increased profits of oil companies. Among them was California Governor Gavin Newsom, who has called for a special session of the Legislature on December 5th to discuss a potential windfall tax on oil industry profits. Notably, Phillips 66 reported a staggering third-quarter profit of $5.4 billion, a significant increase compared to the $402 million profit of the same period in the previous year.
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The pope emphasized the unequal burden placed on wealthy nations in contributing to climate change.
Highlighting the fact that per capita emissions in the United States are approximately double those of individuals in China, and around seven times higher than the average emissions of the poorest nations, he asserted that a substantial shift away from the unsustainable lifestyle associated with the Western model would yield substantial and lasting effects.
Furthermore, he criticized leaders and businesses that give priority to immediate financial gains rather than taking action to address climate change. "Unfortunately, the urgent issue of the climate crisis is not of particular interest to influential economic powers, who are solely focused on maximizing profits while minimizing costs and time."
In addition, he expressed disapproval towards certain viewpoints within his own church, stating, "I have come across dismissive and illogical opinions, even within the Catholic Church."
The pope's statement follows his 2015 encyclical letter, Laudato Si ("Praised Be To You"), the first papal writing solely focused on ecological issues and a fundamental aspect of his papacy. This statement is timely as it precedes the UN COP28 climate conference in Dubai, scheduled for the end of November. During the conference, countries will undergo a "global stocktake" to evaluate the pace of their progress towards climate targets.
