12:58 p.m. (1058 GMT, 06:58 a.m. EDT)
The scientist credited with coming up with the goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees F) says Pope Francis’ science is on target.
Speaking at the launch of the encyclical, John Schellnhuber said everything in it “is in line with the scientific evidence. This is very gratifying.”
In his presentation, Schellnhuber illustrated how the earth has warmed over the course of history. He discounted as a “myth” claims that a growing population in the developing world is responsible for destroying the environment.
Addressing an issue that is particularly dear to the Vatican, since it gets into questions of birth control, he said: “This utterly wrong, actually. It’s not poverty that destroys the environment. It’s wealth, consumption and waste. And this is reflected in the encyclical.”
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12:38 p.m. (1038 GMT), 6:38 a.m. EDT)
The Church of England has praised the papal encyclical on climate change, describing it as a compelling document that is not just good for Roman Catholics but everyone on the planet.
The church’s spokesman on environmental issues, Bishop of Salisbury Nicholas Holtam, described climate change as one of the great moral challenges of our times.
He said Pope Francis has underscored how the consumption of the wealthy nations has repercussions in poorer ones, and that what is “bad for our neighbors is also bad for us.”
He says churches and other faith communities “have a unique power to mobilize people for the common good and change attitudes and behaviors.” He called on leaders to achieve ambition and binding climate change agreements.
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12:26 p.m. (1026 GMT), 6:26 a.m. EDT)
Environmental groups are heaping praise on the pope for stressing many of the points they have been making for years, including that the world’s poor will suffer the most from climate change.
WWF International President Yolanda Kakabadse says the pope’s message “adds a much-needed moral approach” to the debate on climate change, which “affects the lives, livelihoods and rights of everyone, especially the poor, marginalized and most vulnerable communities.”
Rhea Suh of the Natural Resources Defense Council says the pope is “imploring people of good will everywhere to honor our moral obligation to protect future generations from the dangers of further climate chaos by embracing our ethical duty to act.”
Greenpeace leader Kumi Naidoo emphasized passages in the encyclical calling for policies that reduce carbon emissions, including by replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. He said that’s “a crystal-clear call on responsible investors, CEOs and political leaders to step up the pace of the clean energy revolution.”
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12:12 p.m. (1012 GMT), 6:12 a.m. EDT)
The U.N.’s top climate official, Christiana Figueres, calls the pope’s encyclical a “clarion call” that should guide world leaders to a “strong and durable” climate agreement in Paris at the end of the year.
The deal will be the first time all countries, both rich poor, agree to take climate action. But experts say the climate targets pledged so far won’t suffice to keep global warming below 2 degrees C (3.6 F), the goal of the U.N. talks.
Figueres has long been arguing that transitioning to a low-carbon economy makes economic sense and has been trying to get corporate leaders aboard.
Welcoming the pope’s message, she said that “coupled with the economic imperative, the moral imperative leaves no doubt that we must act on climate change now.”
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12:03 p.m. (1003 GMT, 6:03 a.m. EDT)
Pope Francis’ much-anticipated encyclical on the environment has now been launched. With it he’s trying to recast the environmental debate in moral terms and indicts big business and climate doubters in the process.
He calls for a bold cultural revolution to correct the “structurally perverse” economic system of the rich exploiting the poor that is turning Earth into an “immense pile of filth.”
The encyclical “Laudato Si” (Praise Be) aims to spur courageous action in U.N. climate negotiations and in daily life.
Francis explains the science of global warming and blames the phenomenon on a manifestly unfair, fossil fuel-based industrial model that harms the poor most. He urges Catholics and non-believers alike to undergo an awakening to protect God’s creation for future generations, saying the world needs nothing short of new concept of progress.
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11:52 a.m. (0952 GMT, 5:52 a.m. EDT)
The official launch of Pope Francis’ environment encyclical is historic for reasons other than the text itself: It marks the first time that a high-ranking official from the Orthodox Church has presented a document of the pope.
The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, says it is “a sign of great ecumenical hope” that Metropolitan of Pergamon John Zizioulas, a leading theologian in the Greek Orthodox Church, was sent by the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, to represent him.
Bartholomew has been at the forefront of Christian leaders in drawing attention to the need to care for God’s creation, and Francis dedicated two paragraphs of the encyclical to Bartholomew’s work.
Zizioulas said he was honored to be part of the “historic” presentation but awed by the number of journalists on hand. “May God help me and protect me,” he quipped, to laughter.
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11:36 a.m. (0936 GMT, 5:36 a.m. EDT)
The Vatican spokesman says that in the 25 years that he has worked there, he has never seen as much prolonged, global and intense anticipation for a single document as with the release of Pope Francis’ environment encyclical.
The Rev. Federico Lombardi started a news conference to launch “Laudato Si” (Praise Be) that “clearly humanity has wanted to hear the word of the pope, considering it important and timely.”
The news conference was packed, and held in a Vatican audience hall rather than the normal press briefing room to accommodate the crowds.
Lombardi said: “On this day we feel the universal church united with the pope.”
Over the past month, the Vatican sent bishops around the world preparatory documents to help them explain the issue to their flocks. Two days ago, Francis sent a copy of the encyclical itself to each bishop, along with a hand-written letter introducing it.
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10:40 a.m. (0840 GMT, 4:40 a.m. EDT)
The Vatican is launching Pope Francis’ environment encyclical with a high-level press conference aimed at inspiring action from people of all faiths and no faith at all to combat climate change.
Speakers are expected to include Cardinal Peter Turkson, whose Vatican office penned the first draft of the document.
Joining him will be Metropolitan of Pergamon John Zizioulas, a leading theologian in the Greek Orthodox Church, which has prioritized protecting God’s creation.
German scientist John Schellnhuber, an atheist, is credited with coming up with the goal to keep global warming from increasing by 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels.
Economist Carolyn Woo is head of Catholic Relief Services, the overseas humanitarian agency of the U.S. church.
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