Pope Francis Discusses Sustainable Development

Rachelle Peterson

Yesterday Pope Francis hosted a summit at the Vatican on the issues of global warming, sustainable development, and economic inequality. Speakers included the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon; economist Jeffrey Sachs; the president of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences Margaret Archer; and others. The summit, “Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity: The Moral Dimensions of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, ” called for strengthening “the global consensus on the importance of climate change in the context of sustainable development” and building “a global movement to deal with climate change and sustainable development throughout 2015 and beyond.” The Pope also expressed concern about “the globalization of indifference” as actions “not respectful of nature” exacerbate economic inequality and “endanger solidarity with present and future generations.”

The summit precedes the release, expected in June, of a papal encyclical on sustainable development. In advance of the encyclical, many scholars have submitted material for the Pope to consider. On Monday, the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation released an open letter signed by scientists, theologians, and pastors asking the Pope to help protect the poor from onerous environmental regulations and to consider the scientific questions behind the anthropogenic global warming theory.  Some of the signatories have expressed concern that the models and data under consideration yield inaccurate depictions of the current climate. The Pontifical Academy of Sciences and Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences have also released a statement signed by a number of scholars warning of “unprecedented climate changes and ecosystem destruction” unless societies quickly “redirect” their “relationship with nature.”

  • Share

Most Commented

September 6, 2024

1.

Professor Alleges "Widespread" Discriminatory Hiring Coverup at University of Washington

Audio acquired by the National Association of Scholars describes allegations of coverup race-based hiring coverup at the University of Washington...

October 29, 2024

2.

The Looming Irrelevance of Middle East Study Centers

Today’s Middle Eastern Studies Centers are facing a crisis due to the winds of change in the Middle East and their own ideological echo chamber....

September 25, 2024

3.

NAS Statement on University of Pennsylvania Sanction of Amy Wax

The National Association of Scholars is outraged—but not surprised—by Penn's decision to penalize Wax for exercising her academic freedom. ...

Most Read

May 15, 2015

1.

Where Did We Get the Idea That Only White People Can Be Racist?

A look at the double standard that has arisen regarding racism, illustrated recently by the reaction to a black professor's biased comments on Twitter....

October 12, 2010

2.

Ask a Scholar: What is the True Definition of Latino?

What does it mean to be Latino? Are only Latin American people Latino, or does the term apply to anyone whose language derived from Latin?...

September 21, 2010

3.

Ask a Scholar: What Does YHWH Elohim Mean?

A reader asks, "If Elohim refers to multiple 'gods,' then Yhwh Elohim really means Lord of Gods...the one of many, right?" A Hebrew expert answers....