On Tuesday, a group of religious leaders took out a full-page advertisement on the back page of Politico to offer resounding support for Pope Francis and his recently-released encyclical on the environment, a landmark work of Catholic teaching which argued that governments have a moral obligation to address human-caused climate change.
“As Catholic and evangelical leaders, we are deeply inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical addressing our shared responsibility to be prudent stewards of creation,” the ad reads. “As citizens of the most powerful nation in human history, we have a unique responsibility to promote sustainable development, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and build a thriving culture of life that protects human dignity.”
The advertisement listed around 90 prominent faith leaders, particularly Catholic college presidents such as Villanova University President Rev. Peter M. Donohue, as well as two former heads of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Sister Simone Campbell, a Catholic nun and leader of the Catholic social justice lobby NETWORK. People from other faiths were also listed, such as Rev. Mitchell C. Hescox, President & CEO Evangelical Environmental Network, Brian McLaren, prominent Christian author, Jim Wallis, an evangelical pastor who heads up the faith-based advocacy organization Sojourners, and famed protestant theologian Walter Brugemann.
“We urge elected officials to reflect on the pope’s words and recognize that climate change, poverty and extreme inequality –- interconnected issues that can’t be understood in isolation –- are defining challenges of our day,” the leaders argued. “In a spirit of solidarity, we encourage presidential candidates, Members of Congress and governors who have raised doubts about the seriousness of climate change to consider the moral dimensions of this issue.”
Read more at Catholic and Evangelical Leaders Call on Lawmakers to Fight Climate Change
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