
In an address before the United Nations Office in Nairobi Thursday, Pope Francis reiterated his environmental message, declaring that it would be “sad, and I dare say even catastrophic,” were particular interests to prevail over the common good at the
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.27 Nov 2015, 5:34 AM PST0

In the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris next month, a group of cardinals, patriarchs and bishops have called for a radical, legally binding international climate agreement that mandates, among other things, complete global decarbonization by 2050 and “an end to the fossil fuel era.”
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.27 Oct 2015, 5:30 AM PST0

A Reuters piece Tuesday accuses certain U.S. bishops of open opposition to Pope Francis’ call for respect for the environment, citing several new contracts for drilling rights to oil and gas companies.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.22 Sep 2015, 11:42 AM PST0

In a meeting with environment ministers of the European Union, Pope Francis urged the adoption of UN sustainable development goals later this month as well as intensified preparation for the “COP21” in Paris.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.17 Sep 2015, 5:30 AM PST0

In their write-up on the poll, Associated Press journalists Rachel Zoll and Emily Swanson wondered aloud how American bishops and priests could be so negligent in carrying the Pope’s words to their flocks. The writers lament that early on “questions arose about whether American bishops and parishioners would embrace the message with any enthusiasm.”
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.20 Aug 2015, 1:02 PM PST0

The Vatican’s financial chief appeared to criticise Pope Francis’s eco-encyclical Laudato Si after saying the Church has no God-given mandate to pronounce of scientific matters . In an interview with the Financial Times, Cardinal George Pell, who has been leading
by Nick Hallett18 Jul 2015, 4:18 AM PST0

Naomi Klein, a Canadian environmental crusader who describes herself as a “secular Jewish Feminist,” addressed Vatican officials Wednesday, bashing “economic experts” who place “outsized value on protecting corporate profits and economic growth” rather than the poor, who she said will
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.3 Jul 2015, 5:39 AM PST0

In a recent interview, Bishop Mario Toso, who co-wrote the first draft of the papal encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’, denied that Pope Francis had any intention of “canonizing” scientific theories regarding climate change, but only wished to assert his authority on the moral level.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.30 Jun 2015, 11:11 AM PST0

Pope Francis’ controversial encyclical letter on the environment may already be having an effect on US politicians, according to Miami Archbishop Thomas Wenski, who said Wednesday that the Pope’s words have softened the climate rhetoric of two Republican presidential hopefuls: Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.25 Jun 2015, 5:08 AM PST0

In a truly bizarre reversal of roles, in the course of just a week the New York Times has gone from being the Church’s most trenchant detractor to being an ardent enforcer of Catholic doctrine, polling Catholics to find out whether or not their parish priests are preaching about the Pope’s new encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.22 Jun 2015, 9:48 AM PST0

Pope Francis tackles more than just dirty air and polluted rivers in his new encyclical on the environment. He also warns that a society dominated by media and Internet can stifle human relationships and dull the mind, a syndrome he refers to as “mental pollution.”
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.19 Jun 2015, 10:19 AM PST0

For Pope Francis, in the framework of responsible stewardship for creation, the manipulation of gender implies an assault on the Creator and a disrespect for his designs. In his new encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’, the Pope condemns the
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.18 Jun 2015, 3:30 PM PST0

Rarely has the Vatican reacted more swiftly to a journalistic fiasco than it did this week, banning veteran Italian journalist Sandro Magister from the Holy See Press Office and revoking his accreditation just hours after Magister published online a leaked version of the letter.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.18 Jun 2015, 11:21 AM PST0

In no fewer than 17 tweets as of this printing, Pope Francis has begun e-blasting excerpts from his new encyclical letter on environmental stewardship, calling above all for an “honest debate” on the situation of the environment and what society can do about it.
by Thomas D. Williams, Ph.D.18 Jun 2015, 8:54 AM PST0