“We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family. There are no frontiers or barriers, political or social, behind which we can hide, still less is there room for the globalization of indifference.” – Pope Francis

Sergio Mello e Souza and Brother Jaazeal Jakosalem write: Although we hail from two different continents, speak many different languages, and represent two different hemispheres of this Earth, this past week was momentous for both of us. That’s because before we became Climate Reality Leaders, we were Catholics, each guided by our faith to love God’s Earth and be good stewards of creation – all living creatures and the planet.

This past week, Pope Francis delivered a historic encyclical – a letter from the pope to Catholic communities around the world – about the interrelatedness of the economy, the environment, and equity entitled Laudato Si’: On Care For Our Common Home.

Pope Francis is not just writing to Catholics in his encyclical. He also hopes it will help people around the world – no matter their faith or creed – understand how the destruction and degradation of our environment is not only harming the home we all share, but also having especially devastating consequences for the poorest among us. It’s a reminder that if we want to solve climate change and poverty, we need to address both at the same time, and that by caring for our world and pursuing a more sustainable way of life, we can lift up the neediest out of poverty and ensure a peaceful, prosperous, and healthy world for future generations. [Continue reading…]