“Eight years have passed since I published the Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’, when I wanted to share with all of you, my brothers and sisters of our suffering planet, my heartfelt concerns about the care of our common home.
Yet, with the passage of time, I have realized that our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point.”
Sober words from Pope Francis’ new apostolic exhortation, Laudate Deum (“Praise God”), released early this month.
It is a comparatively short document (reading time 30 mins).
In it, Francis forcefully challenges all who downplay or deny the severity of the threat posed by climate change.
Despite his sadness at the ineffectiveness of global institutions, he insists that “to say that there is nothing to hope for would be suicidal, for it would mean exposing all humanity, especially the poorest, to the worst impacts of climate change.”
You can read this important communication at www.newpilgrimpath.ie.