Pope Francis Calls for Action on Climate Change - The Diane Rehm Show

Pope Francis’ highly anticipated encyclical, released early Thursday, marked the first time a pope has used this prominent platform to warn of the dangers of climate change.  Addressed to all of humanity, the pope’s teaching document places most of the blame for environmental damage on humans, saying every person has a moral responsibility to take action against it.  Pope Francis’ widespread popularity gives him a unique voice in this conversation; some observers say he could provide vital momentum to the fight against climate change.  But many — including a handful of U.S. presidential candidates — feel religion has no place in what is a scientific and political debate.  We look at how the Roman Catholic Church could influence global climate change policy.

Guests:

Father Thomas Reese senior analyst, National Catholic Reporter; author of "Inside the Vatican: The Politics and Organization of the Catholic Church"

Robert Destro professor of law and director of the Interdisciplinary Program in Law & Religion, Columbus School of Law at The Catholic University of America

Rev. Canon Sally Bingham founder and president, Interfaith Power & Light

Amy Harder reporter covering energy and climate policy, The Wall Street Journal

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