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Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, honored Francis of Assisi with the name he selected for himself when he was elected as pope in 2013. The pope’s namesake, Saint Francis, remains widely venerated by Catholics nearly 800 years after his death, not only for his commitment to the natural world but because of his deep devotion to Jesus Christ as well as his ministry to poor people, including the establishment of the Franciscan order.
Pope Francis, whose warm, humble, no-nonsense manner galvanized the Roman Catholic Church and drew widespread admiration from outsiders, has died.
By the time Pope Francis assumed the papacy, one of St. Francis’ central devotions, the environment, was already heavily politicized because of climate change. The pope often spoke directly to both the issue and the context, addressing failures of world leadership and calling for policy reform, including in preparation of remarks for the United Nation’s annual climate conference held in Dubai in 2023. That year, I began analyzing Francis’ commentary on the environment, and the year after, as the presidential election neared, I started examining the language used on this subject by Donald Trump and other Republican leaders.
Francis’ writings touch on many facets of climate change, including the intersection between science and religion, the need for cultural change in the way humans interact with creation and the role of greed endemic to the “ecological crisis,” as he termed it. In “Laudato Si (Praise Be): On the Care of Our Common Home,” his landmark climate encyclical, he asked, “Is it realistic to hope that those who are obsessed with maximizing profits will stop to reflect on the environmental damage which they will leave behind for future generations? Where profits alone count, there can be no thinking about the rhythms of nature, its phases of decay and regeneration, or the complexity of ecosystems which may be gravely upset by human intervention.”
Pope Francis, the Roman Catholic Church’s 266th leader, has died at the age of 88.
President Trump and his allies do not communicate about nature, pollution and climate change in such terms. When they address the role of fossil-fuel or corporate interests and the environment, it tends to be summarized as “drill, baby, drill.” The Trump administration is actively encouraging human intervention in nature and dismissing climate science. And yet, the president and other Republicans also emphasize the importance of ensuring that Americans have access to “clean air and clean water.”
This is, in fact, what Francis wanted, too, for all people. In his message for the Catholic Church’s World Youth Day 10 years ago, he put it this way: “We need to show a healthy concern for creation, for the purity of our air, water, and food….”
Is this not what Americans desire as well?
Pope Francis was a particularly beloved figure in the Los Angeles region. The pontiff’s death finds the community grappling with a ‘big loss.’
According to a recent Gallup poll, the ideologies of the American left and right are the most polarized they have been in the last 30 years. But nature, clean air and clean water are all issues everyone can rally around.
On Earth Day, may the passing of Pope Francis allow us a moment to reflect upon this, and upon his words, including those written for the climate conference in Dubai: “I too, who bear the name Francis, with the heartfelt urgency of a prayer, want to leave you with this message: Let us leave behind our divisions and unite our forces! And with God’s help, let us emerge from the dark night of wars and environmental devastation in order to turn our common future into the dawn of a new and radiant day.”
Allison Agsten is the director of the Center for Climate Journalism and Communication, at USC’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.
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Ideas expressed in the piece
- Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ emphasizes that climate change is primarily caused by human activity and calls for urgent, collective action to address environmental degradation, framing it as a moral obligation rooted in care for “our common home”[1][3][4].
- The document critiques profit-driven systems that prioritize economic gain over environmental sustainability, questioning whether those focused on maximizing profits will consider long-term ecological damage[4][5].
- Francis links environmental stewardship with social justice, urging society to hear “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” and advocating for policies that protect vulnerable populations disproportionately affected by climate change[2][4].
- He advocates for an “ecological conversion,” urging individuals and communities to adopt lifestyles aligned with environmental responsibility and spiritual reverence for nature as part of God’s creation[2][5].
Different views on the topic
- Critics of Francis’ environmental stance often prioritize economic growth and energy independence, arguing that policies to reduce fossil fuel use could hinder industrial progress and job creation, though this perspective is not directly addressed in the provided sources[4][5].
- Some policymakers and industry leaders reject the scientific consensus on human-driven climate change, dismissing calls for regulatory action as exaggerated or politically motivated[4].
- The encyclical’s integration of faith and environmentalism has been met with skepticism by those who view climate action as separate from religious doctrine, preferring secular frameworks for addressing ecological issues[5].
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