Climate Courage: the Pope was a climate activist

This week the world has come together to mourn the death of Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday, age 88. As speculation mounts about who will replace him, and whether they will be a reformer or traditionalist, we want to reflect on Pope France’s contribution to the climate movement and the change he drove around the world, not just across the 1.4 billion Catholics he led, but beyond to other religions and cultures too. 

Pope Francis was an unapologetic environmental advocate, and he used his papacy to raise awareness about the critical need to curb greenhouse gas emissions. While many believed he shouldn’t discuss it, because it was considered ‘political,’ the Pope said that climate change was a spiritual issue, and he clearly laid out the consequences of not tackling it in his 2015 “Laudato Si” - the first-ever papal encyclical focused solely on the environment. In it, he discussed climate change, loss of biodiversity to water scarcity, as well as societal breakdown, and how the poorest would suffer the most. 

A follow-up “Laudato Si” was published in 2023, and in this, Pope Francis called for a broad change in the “irresponsible lifestyle connected with the Western model.” So, we must ask - did we listen? Because global emissions have kept rising, including record emissions released in 2024. 

One positive sign of the Pope’s contribution is environmental leaders from around the world acknowledging the impact he had in waking the world up to the dangers we face, leaving a legacy firmly entrenched in the climate movement. The Pope was a climate activist. 

We had two very special guests join us. Clare Westwood, who is a powerhouse in the climate movement, and regional director of the Roman Catholic Episcopal Commission for Creation Justice of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, and the Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Laudato Si' Asia – a Coalition for Culture of Care, Resilience and Ecological Justice (LSIA-CAREJ). 

Dr Lorna Gold is the Executive Director of the Laudato Sì Movement. Lorna’s focus is on supporting the team at a time of significant change, amplifying the intersection of faith and environmental stewardship. Since 2015, LSM's team's dedication has cultivated a global network advancing ecological conversion. Dr Gold’s tenure as Interim CEO at FaithInvest fortified her resolve to align faith-based investments with environmental and social sustainability, pioneering strategies that resonate with shared values for a healthier planet.

We’ll be discussing the Pope’s legacy and a lot more of the environmental news we think you should be aware of, including the economic and geopolitical situation the world is currently in, so come and join us, 25th April, 8am UK, 2pm TH, 3pm SG, 6pm AEST. 

Climate Courage is a livestream, held every two weeks and is co-hosted by Andrea T Edwards, Dr. David Ko and Richard Busellato. On the show, we cover critical topics across the full spectrum of the polycrisis, in everyday language, and we go big picture on the climate crisis, while also drilling down and focusing on the actions we can all take to be part of the solution. Whether individual action, community action, or national/global action - every single one of us can be part of ensuring a live-able future for our children and grandchildren. We owe them that!

#ClimateCourage #RethinkingChoices #UncommonCourage 

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My book Uncommon Courage, an invitation, is here https://mybook.to/UncommonCourage

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