A Response to Laudate Deum

Pope Francis recently released a response to Laudato Si' encouraging Catholics that now is the time to act on creation care. You can read his Apostolic Exhortation here: https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20231004-laudate-deum.html

As a part of the Common Home Corps, I was asked to give a response as a scientist at a webinar about Laudate Deum. The webinar summarizes the main themes of the Apostolic Exhortation and lifts the voices of scientists, young people, and those most impacted by the ecological crisis.

You can listen to the full webinar here:

https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/resources/pope-francis-apostolic-exhortation-come-learn-pray-act/

I wanted accountability.

I wanted action.

I wanted urgency.

Laudato Si' places a lot of emphasis on the interconnectedness of our faith and creation but ultimately lacks steps, actionable and tangible items, and does not hold parishes accountable for their actions.

I hope Laudate Deum will fill this gap. Calling us as Catholics to greater action.

Laudate Deum begins with a great theme of praising God for his creation, and what a wonderful way to begin - in prayer - with God at the forefront, rooted in gratitude.

Amazement and awe of nature is what struck me the most when I was little choosing a career as an atmospheric scientist. However, the utter realization of what is happening to God’s earth and to God’s people struck something within me and required immediate action.

Recognizing this truth - we are to respond to God’s creation calling out to us and face the reality of what is affecting all of us.

Not your own version of the truth, which is language I hear all too often in our current state

Statements of “Well I don’t experience climate change personally” “I don’t think I’m causing any harm” “I would like to be removed from all of this”

We, brothers and sisters, must be truly rooted in our identity as a – body – of Christ.

- we are not meant to live alone

- we are not meant to live isolated

- we are not meant to turn a cheek and simply say it does not affect me personally, this is simply unjust

We as Catholics are built on being united together

We must take this step forward towards climate action because it is what God has entrusted us to do - to tend to the earth.

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My reality is studying climate, the climate is undeniably changing

However, there is a lack of urgency among us, among students, among young people, among old people.

We must take accountability.

Fellow scientists agree on the severity of the climate crisis -

The climate is warming - the globally averaged temperature of the lower atmosphere has been increasing over the past 150 years.

Humans, we, are responsible for the majority of this warming. There are natural variations and fluxes in temperature and carbon dioxide budgets - however the rate at which we are increasing is unlike any previously studied natural climate fluctuation - it is abnormal - it is human-caused.

We are pumping pollution, greenhouse gases, and multitudes of energy causing variations in climate and weather patterns.

We are seeing rising gulfs, extreme rainfall, flooding, excessive pollution, extreme droughts and heat waves, stronger hurricanes, greater deforestation, and wildfires. The list continues.

The climate crisis is affecting every single one of us

Climate change has become an avoidable topic - it should not be divisive, it should not be frowned upon. The evidence is undeniable.

To deny the severity of climate change is to deny care for your family: your future children and grandchildren.

All people must recognize we must move in the right direction toward climate mitigation and adaptation.

We must make radical changes within our own lives

Pope Francis shares in Laudate Deum: “the necessary transition towards clean energy sources such as wind and solar energy, and the abandonment of fossil fuels, is not progressing at the necessary speed.” [LD 55]

Increasing the divide among cultures, politics, and religions - all of this discrimination must be put to an end - we need to ensure we are living communally

My big questions about Laudate Deum - will it be enough, will it be convincing enough to have an impact, will there be actionable steps we can take?

I am encouraged to see the Pope continuing to write on this topic; we need aggressive action to alter our world’s outlook – We need a game plan; we need policies for the US church and bishops to follow

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We must keep our gaze fixed on Christ and recognize the sanctity of right relationship with the Lord.

Jesus gave up his body and life for us so that we may live - participating in the sacraments and being gifted with the presence of the Eucharist should spark something radical within you and pull you closer to the heart of our Lord.

To grow closer with the Lord is to imitate Jesus is to step into this role of surrender and self-denial: the notion of death to new life. Jesus invites us to follow Him.

To imitate Jesus is to recognize climate change as a reality – to embody this motion of sacrifice and stewardship to move towards new life — we must live sustainably, we must live justly, we must care. We must trust the Lord that this is how we are meant to live.

We are not made for worldly things and consumption. I see many people grasping onto the newest technology, the newest research. All of the greatest luxuries will not fulfill us the way God’s love will. We do not know best.

We are children of God made for eternal life and we must recognize the corest of our identity as sons and daughters of our Lord and move towards this life of simplicity and sustainability - requiring us to let go of what the rapid world is telling us to do.

I hope Laudate Deum provides hope, fulfillment, and community, but steps - steps to help guide when the world can feel chaotic.

We cannot ignore the science, we cannot ignore the injustice that is occurring - climate change is a moral issue, it is a human rights issue

People are hurt, people are sad, people are ready for change.

We, as Catholics, can be this change and can be role models for much of the world.

We must encounter our own humility and learn from another. Through community and genuine accountability - we can move toward a world focused on life in communion with one another.

Let us embrace a spirit of trusting in the Lord

Praise God for his beautiful creation, let's take care of the earth together.