Never one to fear wading into the political discourse, Pope Francis made a biting critique of irresponsible development and teamed it with an urgent plea for global action in his 184-page encyclical, Laudato Sì.
Mother Earth, the Pope wrote, was crying out because of the harm inflicted through “irresponsible use”, as humans have come to see themselves “as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will”.
Doomsday predictions could no longer be met with irony or disdain, the Pope, a former chemist, warned.
Released last Thursday, but leaked three days earlier, the encyclical was criticised by climate change naysayers but welcomed by environmentalists, scientists and religious figures around the world.
Archbishop Charles Scicluna praised the document for putting the environment on the agenda of social doctrine, urging humankind to be good stewards of the environment.
Like Pope Francis, Mgr Scicluna has often been criticised for wading into the political discourse. He recently spoke out strongly against spring hunting and development in pristine ODZ land, so this document was the best “high-powered support” he could have wished for.
“The Pope is outspoken against a culture that looks at the environment as a commodity. It’s something we Christians have to meditate upon,” he said.
Asked for his response to the criticism that he should simply stick to issues of a theological nature, Mgr Scicluna responded quickly: “People have a right to say what they think, because that is a guarantee for the Church to also say what it thinks.”
By taking such an activist role, he felt the Church should, first and foremost, lead by example. In fact, on Wednesday, Mgr Scicluna will transmit the encyclical’s message to the faithful at the Seminary in Rabat at 7pm.
“Speaking out is probably the easiest route; it’s leading by example that is the challenge. At least, the Pope’s words should make this slightly easier,” he said.
Michael Zammit Cutajar, Malta’s first ambassador on climate change, said this discourse, coming from a figure of such high moral authority, should make many people think about the search for sustainable prosperity: about how this affected their lives, their choices and decisions.
The Pope is outspoken against a culture that looks at the environment as a commodity
“Governments tend to define national interest – and in democracies, their own electoral prospects – in terms of security and economic achievement. But the Pope urges a broader, more courageous moral vision: looking at what makes a good quality of life, not just creating jobs and lining pockets, and conserving and encouraging that quality in the interest of future generations.”
The Pope’s document comes just months ahead of November’s UN climate change conference in Paris, but Mr Zammit Cutajar – who is working with a Paris-based think-tank supporting the French Foreign Ministry in pre-paring to preside over this conference – doubts whether the Pope is betting this will be a game-changer. “Rather, it may be that this year’s global agenda... ensures an attentive audience for him,” he said.
The obvious question is whether Pope Francis’s message will have an impact on the US political debate. President Barack Obama is aiming for the most ambitious international deal on limiting greenhouse gas emissions through executive action, without having to present a treaty to a hostile Republican US Senate for ratification.
Could the encyclical influence the outlook of candidates for the next US presidency? “There is some time for that possibility to play out, assuming that the US Catholic hierarchy does not muffle Rome’s message... one has to allow time for the Pope’s message to percolate in the US,” Mr Zammit Cutajar said.
Welcoming the encyclical for going beyond a mere expression of faith, Environment Minister Leo Brincat welcomed the document’s strong sense of urgency.
“While some took offence that a Church document... relied on scientific evidence rather than solely on moral ground, in my opinion this is exactly what lifted it way beyond rhetoric,” he said.
Mario de Marco, Nationalist deputy leader and former environment minister, also welcomed the role of spiritual leaders to talk about issues that shaped society, going beyond what was normally perceived to be the realm of religion.
“We cannot continue degrading our environment in a false pursuit of economic development,” Dr de Marco said.
Unfortunately, he said, though all politicians were guilty of talking more than acting, this had to change.
“We all need to show a deeper sense of conviction and commitment if we truly want to reduce the impact of climate change on the world not of today but of tomorrow.”