Pope Francis Expected To Instruct One Billion Catholics To Act On Climate Change

[onehandle]

Source: Think Progress

At the end of 2015, the nations of the world will meet in Paris and attempt to hammer out a global deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions. And Pope Francis hopes that the world’s Catholics, as well as other major religions, will be a big part of serious climate action.

This includes a series of steps next year. Francis is expected to tell the planet’s 1.2 billion Catholics why acting on climate change is essential to the faith using an influential church document called an encyclical. This has been long-rumored, but will reportedly be released to the world’s 5,000 bishops and 400,000 priests following a papal visit to the hurricane-damaged city of Tacloban in the Philippines.

In September, the Pope will take his message to the U.N. General Assembly in a New York address next year, according to John Vidal of the Guardian, who cited Vatican insiders. He will reportedly personally lobby political and faith leaders there, with the goal of pushing them to commit to real action ahead of the Paris meetings in December of next year.

While it isn’t certain what exactly he will tell these leaders, it will likely be similar to what he has been telling Catholics everywhere since the beginning of his papacy. Earlier this year, Francis told a massive crowd in Rome, “if we destroy Creation, Creation will destroy us!” He has called the destruction of the rainforest a “sin,” and under his leadership, the Church held a five-day summit with scientists, economists, philosophers, astronomers, and other experts to explore ways the Catholic church could address climate and sustainability.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/12/28/3607083/pope-francis-climate-secret-weapon-next-year

[joanbarnes]

1. This is not your Daddy's Pope!

[blkmusclmachine]

2. Let me guess:

Pray harder.

[rewinn]

3. “You pray for the hungry and then you feed them, that is how prayer works”.

...that's what he said about world hunger; I would not be surprised if that represents his attitude toward the environment as well.

This Pope's predecessors were more about multiplying words and less about action, but this guy seems to have a real pragmatic orientation. It remains to be seen, of course, but let us have hope.

[Volaris]

4. That he knows the difference between words and actions

Is likely because he lived through the Dirty Wars in Argentina, and had friends Disappeared. I can promise this, it won't make the Rick Santorums of the world happy.
=)

[1step]

10. or Sean Hannity

or Bill O'Reilly, or Pat Buchanan, and those are just the three I can think of at the moment!

[Rozlee]

21. Not to mention Father Jonathan Morris.

He's appeared several times on Fox News as their Catholic contributor who really slants Cathevangelical. He's spoken out against global climate change and evolution. I like how he totally fumbled on Fox News Red Eye when a viewer asked him how the world got populated if Adam and Eve only had sons.

[happyslug]

41. That is a simple theological question and he could not answer it????

Last edited Tue Dec 30, 2014, 12:52 AM - Edit history (1)

First there is NOTHING in the bible that Adam and Eve only had Sons, only three sons are mentioned by names but the scripture clearly said they had other "sons and daughters". Thus the sons of Adam and Eve had woman they could marry.

Second, the story of Adam and Eve was clearly allegory. As was the story of Cain and Abel and the rest of Genesis prior to Abraham and Lot. These stories had wide circulation in the mid east and the Jews adopted them and gave them a Jewish spin. There are stories to teach "Truths" not facts and as basis for debate (who was the greater sinner, Eve for being tricked to eating the apple, or Adam who chose to eat the Apple rather then live alone without Eve).

Now, these stories were used to explain how nature operated, why woman have the worse birthing pain of any creature. You may dislike the reason given but it was an explanation that did explain why it is so painful compared to other creatures. The three children on Noah being the fathers of the three "Races" the Jews knew of is another attempt to explain observable facts when you have very limited data.

Being allegory, conflicts in text were viewed as minor. Who really cares if Cain was condemned for being a farmer and his offer to God was considered less desirable then the offer of a lamb by Abel? This part of the tale is obversely from verbal tradition of herders not farmers for the Jews had been Herders before they settle down as farmers in Ancient Israel. The main thrust was Cain had no right to kill Abel out of Jealousy, he should help and protect his fellow man not kill them.

We have to remember these tales were told and told over campfires for centuries. While new stories and get gabbled quite quickly as they go from one person to another, such old tales tend to stay the same for centuries for people know the stories and what them heard over and over again, thus these verbal stories begin to be remembered word for word by not only the person saying the story, but the people hearing it. The stories were to teach lessons NOT repeat facts and allegory was a well known way to teach such "Truths".

My point is everything before Abraham can be referred to as Allegory. Fundamentalist are less likely to embrace this concept (Thus they attack William Jennings Bryan testimony in the Scopes Monkey Trial that this whole section of the Bible was Allegory, such Fundamentalists also attack main line Protestants and Catholic who also hold them to be Allegory as do the Jews Rabbis). Allegory shows up in later books of the Bible (Jesus himself told several tales of allegory, referred to as "Parables" and according to most scholars you get a better understanding of his dogma by reading those stories then anything else in the New Testament).

If this Priest, who can NOT even do the above shows the level of the Priests coming out of the seminaries, we are trouble.

[Rozlee]

44. He evidently doesn't follow the Catholic view that the Genesis account isn't literal.

Or he was too embarrassed to even admit that incest with siblings and other close relatives occurred, although he didn't have to look any further than Abraham and his half sister, Sarah. But, this priest acts more like an evangelical Christian than a Roman Catholic. Fox has had him on their financial programs, propping up capitalism and in one emotional outburst, he declared he would 'die' to keep the ACA from distributing birth control. He's a foxbot of the highest order. The fact that he was the theology consultant for Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" doesn't help him any nor does the fact that he was Cardinal Dolan's protege.

[herding cats]

13. That's an interesting observation about Rick Santorum.

He professes himself to be a devout Catholic and says his religious beliefs shape his political and world views. His current stance on Climate Change is that it's "junk science" in line with the majority of his party leaders. Is he going to let his faith in his religious leader guide his beliefs, or is he going to hold onto his current stance and turn his back on his pope?

Another one worth watching on this is going to be Rubio, since he's also a Catholic and a rather infamous climate change denier.

[Dont call me Shirley]

42. And Paul Ryan. He's a new brand of Randian Catholic.

[herding cats]

43. Ah yes, the worship of capitalism, cronyism and living for ones own personal interest.

Paul Ryan is a devout Randian Catholic indeed. Rand had a difficult time dealing with the pope's criticism of capitalism, so he twisted them around to suit his own beliefs. When he was finished with him the pope was pro trickle down, pro capitalism and "down" with a free market system.

It was an epic contortionist performance, the best I've ever seen!

[StevePaulson]

16. I Think I Saw Some Santorum

At a sleazy hotel once.....

[Kennah]

52. Santorum also makes it's way into some of the finest hotels

[mountain grammy]

6. Yes indeed, let us have hope..

welcome to DU

[jberryhill]

5. Like maybe tell them to have smaller families?

If I recall correctly, this God character told Noah to build an ark. Now, you don't see Christians running around building arks. Why anyone takes the request that Adam and Eve to "go forth and multiply" as a continuing directive to all persons, I have no idea. The "go forth and multiply" project has been a success. There is nowhere else left to "go forth" into by that method.

[whathehell]

28. 99% of American Catholics practice birth control..

I doubt it's because they want BIGGER families.

[jberryhill]

31. You have obviously not been to Argentina or Brazil

Or, in your imagination, is South American not "American"?

The headline of the OP refers to a "billion" Catholics. They are not all living in the United States.

[whathehell]

33. Aww...My big BAD for

not saying "U.S. Catholics".

[jberryhill]

35. US Catholics do use birth control

Of what relevance is that to the impact of the vast majority of Catholics elsewhere who DO NOT use birth control, at the instruction of this man and his office?

You are correct, in many matters, US Catholics don't give two shits what the Pope says, and will certainly likewise ignore him on this too.

So "people who ignore Pope's directives to be issued another directive from Pope" is the headline here?

[whathehell]

37. As much "relevance" as their numbers, which are very LARGE..

At this point, they are, by number, the most practiced religion in the US.

In any case, where are your stats regarding the supposedly "vast majority of Catholics elsewhere" who, in your OPINION, 'do not use birth control'?.

[jberryhill]

39. And how do you suppose their number became so "very LARGE"?

So, again, the takeaway here is that Catholics ignore what the Pope tells them to do, but that somehow the Pope addressing the subject of global warming will have an impact of some kind.

Do I understand you correctly?

As far is it being the "most practiced religion" in the US, the breakdown is as follows:



Although it might be tangentially interesting to know what you mean by "practiced", given that you have already claimed the overwhelming majority of US so-called Catholics do not follow church teaching on contraception.

[whathehell]

40. Immigration

Many of the "newer" immigrants (Hispanics, Polish) are Catholic.

[Posteritatis]

46. Considering "protestant" is far from a monolith, whatthehell's probably right

Most Protestants would have some opinions on treating the whole spectrum as one denomination, considering that lumps Unitarians and Calvinists under the same tent.

Regarding your comments above about the birth rates in South American countries, those currently aren't far off from the US. American birthrates have been (mostly) consistent since the late sixties, and those of countries like Argentina have fallen towards the general neighbourhood since then. The United States' birthrate is about 1.9 children per woman to Argentina's 2.2, so both are below replacement level.

The only way countries with those sorts of birthrates can have increases in population is through immigration. Well, either that or annexing other countries or actually having immortals among the elderly, but I haven't seen much of either of those lately.

Incidentally, Italy - Italy! - had a TF of 1.5 children per woman in 2012.

(Gapminder's an absolutely terrific site for looking at data like this objectively. Everyone with a computer should waste a half hour or so there sometime.)

[Tess49]

7. This will drive Jim Inhofe crazier than usual. n/t

[Kennah]

53. The instrumentation fascinates me

I mean how does one accurately measure and record background levels of bat shit crazy as opposed to the rise in levels of bat shit crazy? Ironically, I suspect that Climate Scientists will be the ones to produce said instruments.

[mountain grammy]

8. Lots of crazy, right wing Catholics running around America

denying climate change.. wake up, fools, the Pope is talking to you!

I love the fact that there's now a Pope that agrees with me.

[whathehell]

29. More crazy, right wing Protestant Evangelicals, I'd say..

[mountain grammy]

38. Oh, for sure, a lot more Protestant Evangelicals denying climate change.

I was specifically thinking of a few notable Catholics like Boehner, Santorum, O'Reilly, etc. The Pope is talking to them.

[CountAllVotes]

49. +1

[SoapBox]

9. Koch Heads, Frack'n Frackers, Burn Out the Earth types...

All "good" religious freaks...

Should be in attack mode on the Pope, citing that "their" God wants them to use and pollute everything...or some kind of wacky bullshit.

[Prophet 451]

11. About time too

I'm still not sure how to handle this Pope. He's saying teh right things on poverty and climate change (two of my big issues) but he's horribly homophobic and the RCC is horribly anti-woman.

[rewinn]

24. ...change comes too slow but if you keep surfacing the truth it will prevail....

....the sins of homophobia and misogyny are deeply ingrained in the RC hierarchy and there's no reason to think they will be swiftly repaired, and no reason not to demand their repair.

However is there not now reason for hope? This Pope, like all humans, is imperfect but you can lead him by example!

[Prophet 451]

48. Reason to hope? Absolutely

I just question how much he will be able to change the RCC in the time he has left to him.

[AikidoSoul]

26. The pope is not "horribly homophbic". Just the opposite.

See the story under this title: Pope Francis Demotes Anti-Gay Bishop:

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/pope-francis-demotes-anti-gay-bishop

Then there is his quote from TIME Magazine:

“Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer to the Christian community,” the passage begins. “Are we capable of welcoming these people, guaranteeing to them a fraternal space in our communities? Often they wish to encounter a Church that offers them a welcoming home. Are our communities capable of providing that, accepting and valuing their sexual orientation, without compromising Catholic doctrine on the family and matrimony?”

There are many other quotes and stories about how Pope Francis is trying to soften the way for acceptance of homosexuals in the church. You can try doing some GOOGLE research and look for publications that you trust.

[Prophet 451]

47. He also described gay adoption as child abuse

Now, granted, that was a few years ago and his views might have changed since then but all I see in your quote is "yes, we'll welcome gay people as long as they are celibate".

[Arugula Latte]

56. Well, isn't that nice of him?

[whathehell]

30. He's "horribly homphobic"?

He was roundly praised recently, for asking "Who am I to judge"? when the subject of homosexuals came up, and also for telling Catholics to stop focusing so much on issues like homosexuality and abortion.

Roman Catholic Doctrine, like most Protestant Doctrine believes Homosexuality is a sin, and the Fundies are completely anti-abortion.

[OldRedneck]

12. Is it possible . . .

Is it possible for the Pope to run for President?

[Chemisse]

27. Finally someone who is not driven by big money and lobbyists!

[snooper2]

55. President of what?

[JDPriestly]

14. I can't wait to see how Bill O'Rerilly reacts to this.

[StevePaulson]

15. 1 Billion Catholics

Have about 1/100th the power of the Koch Brothers.

Maybe less.

Sorry popey.

[whathehell]

32. 1 Billion Anbody, I'd guess.

Sorry Stevie.

[Kingofalldems]

17. Fox News crawl: Is Pope Francis a Communist Muslim?

[Rozlee]

45. Lol. They already asked if BenedictXVI was a socialist.

When Caritas in Veritate was released, Fox News ran a couples of cycles asking, "Is the Pope socialist?" They took it down quickly enough. They didn't realize that the 'worse' was yet to come.

[yellowwoodII]

18. He could start

by facilitating population control in overpopulated areas of the world.

[Vinca]

19. Guess the crazies will be questioning the Pope's belief in Jeeeeeezus.

[Bluenorthwest]

20. I wonder if he is sincere? If he is, he'd reverse the opposition to birth control.

Because if he's going to talk about sustainability while encouraging rampant population growth and needless transmission of disease he will not be taken seriously.

[olegramps]

22. Most are unaware that Pope John XXIII established a birth control commission.

His commission which included married couples in addition to priests and bishops voted to revise the church's stance on birth control. Pope Paul VI, his successor, fearing that the church would lose credibility reaffirmed the church's stance. They even tried to swear the commission to silence, but members believing they had been betrayed spoke out. It should also be noted that the future pope John Paul II wrote most of the encyclical that was issued by Paul VI. Perhaps, hopefully, Francis will reexamine the issue and common sense will prevail. In retrospect the refusal to correct this ridiculous anti-sexual nonsense was a failure that resulted in the alienation of millions of Catholics. Also in view that the vast majority of Catholics do not accept the teaching it is utterly ridiculous that a bunch of dimwitted right wing bishops will not admit they are wrong.

[rewinn]

23. Admitting error is not possible to those who live by bullying....

...I was in RC seminary (minor level) for four years.
Looking back, I see that the virtue promulgated above all others was not piety, and certainly not learning; it was obedience.
We were not going to swear to be holy, or promise to study earnestly; the vow that was emphasized was that of obeying the bishop.

When you have a hierarchy that rewards people who don't question orders and kicks out those who do, the leaders become a pack of bullies. And the one thing bullies cannot do is admit that they are wrong.

Electing a Pope who survived the terror regime of Argentina may be the only way to break that system. We may see.

[whathehell]

36. Thanks for that information. n/t

[whathehell]

34. He's not "encouraging" rampant population growth..

The Church doesn't accept The Pill...It's fine with abstinence and the Rhythm method,

[adigal]

25. Expect conservative Catholic heads to explode

Starting with my Tea Party right wing, pro-life, climate change denying cousin.

I'm almost sorry I defriended her. Such cognitive dissonance - who will she obey? The Pope or her master Rush Lombaugh?

[question everything]

50. Good for you Pope. Perhaps you will bring

some change

[napi21]

51. I hope all those "Catholics" we keep hearing about who "HATE DEMS"

listen to this Pope. They can HATE us all they want. I'll still take every one of their votes against the stupid Pubs who keep saying Climate Change is a hoax.

I do have a concern though. I'm afraid lots of those Catholics don't like this new Pope! He's turned their little private world upside down, and it sounds like they don't remember that this Pope too is THEIR LEADER!

[nolabels]

54. I hope it helps, but if closing the barn door after the animals got out........

had poster to hang on the wall, mostly a pope would be the poster child