Pope Francis: Environmental Activist

Pope Francis is standing up for climate change. In May, the pontiff published a papal letter (encyclical) outlining why man-made climate change is an important issue for the Church. Not only is it a matter of creation care, it also adversely affects the “least of these,” he wrote. However, one major objection surfacing is that the pope’s proposed solutions could harm the people he wants to help—the poor. Some claim that giving up fossil fuels would require the poorest countries to forgo immediate needs like refrigeration and some medicines.