Pope Francis' Eight Major Messages, in His Own Words

In a document remarkable for its sweep and its depth, Pope Francis unveiled his long-awaited encyclical on the environment on Thursday, in essence calling on humanity to address a climate and environmental crisis that calls for urgent global action.

The nearly 200-page treatise entitled "Laudato Si" or "Be Praised," stretches far beyond a usual encyclical, documents meant to steer church teaching for the world's 1.1 billion Catholics.  It instead addresses the entire global community in a harsh critique of modern life, calling for a reassessment of lifestyle and politics and economics that have led to the climate change that threatens us all.

"Climate change is a global problem with grave implications:  environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods.  It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day," the pope said.

"I urgently appeal, then, for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet.  We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all."

The encyclical stretched on to encompass the many areas of the crisis, their causes and potential solutions.  He was unsparing in his critique of politicians, business and industry leaders and ordinary people alike, urging them to look within for the answers.

"Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes of lifestyle, production and consumption, in order to combat this warming or at least the human causes which produce or aggravate it," he said.

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