Catholic Church joined other global climate change movements such as Action for climate change by the United Nations to champion a safer and sustainable ecosystem by 2050. Climate change refers to the increase of global warming on the earth’s surface. Approximately the heat temperature on earth increases by 1.5 degrees Celsius yearly (Gonzalez, 2010). Pope Francis, in 2015 while preceding the encyclical, called for Catholic believers to participate in the Laudato Si program to make the world more habitable for all living species (Gonzalez, 2010). The Global Catholic Climate Change Movement (G.C.C.C.M) was formed out of the Pope’s call, inadvertently activating over 1.2 billion Catholics globally to help mitigate the climate crisis. The mission of this movement was to: improve sustainability, transition into a clean energy economy, and develop eco-spirituality in Catholics (Gonzalez, 2010). However, G.C.C.C.M has remained focused on achieving its mission despite the various numerous challenges it has faced.
His Holiness called on all Catholic believers to practice eco-spirituality. Cardinals, Bishops, priests usually guide the prayers, and other clergy people to reflect and ask for God’s favor in protecting the environment. The G.C.C.C.M annually has celebrations in which believers are reminded of God-given responsibility to subdue the environment (Jenkins et al., 2018). The importance of observing this canon obligation by all Christians relies on omission or commission. The Pope encourages the believers to participate in simple environmental activities such as regularly planting trees and proper disposal of non-biodegradable materials and offering benefactors to fund the movement.
The movement also formed a youth league that targets people between 15-30 years. The Catholic Church is aware that youths account for more than 2/3 of the world’s population, therefore maximizing their large number for environmental conservation. The future belongs to the young generation and placing them in the frontline will help develop the culture of environmental conservation (Kempf, 2020). The civil movement believes that if every young generation could plant a tree a day, then the world could regain its fading beauty within a decade (Kempf, 2020). Moreover, the movement outlined programs that would encourage youths to participate in general environmental conservation by recycling waste, carbon, and used water which is the main agents of pollution (Kempf, 2020). Pope Francis’s message to the upcoming generation often focuses on ensuring a peaceful, safer, healthier, and sustainable environment now and in the future.
Through the pope, the G.C.C.C.M delivered a powerful message of concern to all believers and non-believers. The movement once again touched on the consequences of environmental degradation. Approximately 70% of low-income households globally depend on natural resources for a living (Caniglia et al., 2015). These families practice farming, fishing, and other resources from nature to make a living. Unfortunately, environmental degradation causes a serious threat to the human race’s existence.
The pollution of the environment, deforestation, air pollution, poor disposal of raw materials on the water bodies, and harmful agricultural chemicals on the farm negatively impact the environment. The G.C.C.C.M warned that for sustainable development to be achieved by 2030 and beyond, environmental conservation must be taken seriously by everyone (Caniglia et al., 2015). The pope in the annual papal New Year message focused on caring for the less unfortunate and vulnerable people in society. The communication was premised on ending poverty through environmental conservation which has a direct link to environmental degradation, thus a healthy ecosystem means alleviating the living standards of the less fortunate.
On transition to the green ecosystem, the G.C.C.C.M focuses on the need for a clean energy economy. In recognition of the Paris Agreement’s efforts on Climate change by global leading economies and UN Action on Climate Change, the G.C.C.C.M joins these global organizations in mitigating the climate crisis (Caniglia et al., 2015). The actions of these three movements are purely based on scientific studies. Global warming has threatened the icebergs in both artic poles; ice melting affects both humans and aquatic lives. The submersion of landmasses along the oceans in coastal states such as Florida, heavy and persistent hurricanes and storms, temperature rises, wildfires in the Amazon forest, and the general decrease in soil fertility are directly linked to climate change (Caniglia et al., 2015). Therefore, formulation policies that would help reduce factors influencing global warming have been a vital factor of the UN agenda on climate change.
The G.C.C.C.M also referred to as the One Earth Movement, is based on the scientific evidence that if no action were taken by everyone globally, there would be no earth to inherit by the next generation. Humans, therefore, would fail in God’s order of taking care of the environment. The continuous use of fossil fuels for energy, emission of excessive greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, deforestation, and toxic chemicals on the farms would increase global warming (Jenkins et al., 2018). In ensuring clean air and water, productive agricultural yields, and healthy human beings now and in the future, every person must take action.
The One Earth Movement has encouraged big manufacturing companies to use renewable energy such as solar and wind for production. The Catholic movement reconciles with the Paris Agreement and United Nations Action on Climate Change that attaining zero-emission by 2030 would ensure sustainable development(O’Collins, 2017). One Earth Movement calls on believers to act as examples in this complex war on climate change, just as the Paris Agreement has legislations forcing members to enact the agreements.
The sustainability of environmental conservation has an impact on the socio-economic development of the globe. The environment needs to be safer for peaceful coexistence between its inhabitants. Based on scientific research, the G.C.C.C.M believes that to eradicate most diseases, ensure clean, safe water and air, and healthy human beings, conservation practices must be sustainable. The movement, convinced by the vision of a cleaner and healthier Garden of Eden, called upon believers to desist from the devil’s temptations of committing dereliction to environmental conservation duty.
His Holiness, while launching the G.C.C.C.M, emphasized the need for praying on God’s grace to eject hatred and violence present in humans hearts that manifests itself in the environmental degradation (Gonzalez, 2010). Based on scientific findings, the One Earth Movement notes that food security for the growing global population would be a mirage by 2050 if the situation persists. The raging drought and invasion of pets and diseases would impede crop production resulting in famine. Therefore, the movement calls in humans, especially believers, to exhibit adherence to God’s orders and biblical teachings to save the environment from environmental destruction. There are nearly 130 million active G.C.C.C.M members in 90 countries across the six continents, enough number that One Earth Movement hope would help in environmental conservation (Gonzalez, 2010). These members are encouraged to act and spread the gospel on the urgent need for environmental conservation.
The G.C.C.C.M, just like the early evangelical Christians, faced numerous challenges. First, the movement has been made and perceived as a pure Catholic initiative (Gonzalez, 2010). The Protestants feel excluded leading to the low penetration of the movement in areas dominated by the protesting religious groups. While commemorating the One Earth Movement, Pope Francis invited even non-believers to join the movement; however, the absorption rate of such sect has been minimal. Some of the Protestants are active in environmental conservation, and their contribution would be of great to the movement.
Secondly, there are no binding charters or policies that guide the implementation of movement policy and action. The movement depends on the goodwill of Catholic Church members for implementation. Outside Catholics dominated regions, the Catholic Church has not been vocal on the movement (Jenkins et al., 2018). Most Catholics are not even aware of the movement’s existence. The low infiltration of the movement message to the believers hinders its implementation and achievement by 2050 (Jenkins et al., 2018). Unlike UN Action on Climate Change and Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which have clear policies and implementation programs, One Earth Movement limits its implementations to the church and environment conservationist non-believers.
Thirdly, the political will lacks among major nations globally. The Pope noted that political plays are not keen on ensuring a sustainable environment. Short-term selfish gains drive politicians that environmental conservation does not guarantee. Climate Change takes a long period of time to be felt, just like environmental conservation. Politicians, in collaboration with their campaign donors, who are largely multinational manufacturing companies, are complicit in environmental degradation (Lavizzari & Prearo, 2019). The companies emit polluted gas into the air, thus polluting the air resulting in global warming. Oil-producing companies make billions out of the sales, and converting them into solar energy, for instance, would render most of these companies obsolete (Lavizzari & Prearo, 2019). Political class, aware of such facts, are non-committal to implement and observe the One Earth Movement policies. The fear of millions of people losing jobs reduced revenues and resulting complaints from the citizens’ limits politicians from being vocal about environmental conservation. However, scientific study has proved that renewable energy creates more jobs and yield more revenue than fossil fuel energy. Political expediency clouded by insatiable power greed could not allow politicians to see the long-term environmental conservation benefits.
Besides, the concern of socialists and other demographers has raised concerns with the increasing population. The study by the UN on food security notes that over 690 million people globally faced hunger in 2019; the figure could triple by 2030 should the world ignore the Climate change crisis (Jenkins et al., 2018). Most developed countries such as Japan, China, the U.S, and most European countries have been advocating for the reduced population. Practices of population reduction, such as birth control and abortion, have been legalized in most nations globally. Those advocating for population reduction argue that to reduce pressure on the environment, the population must be decreased to a sustainable figure. Pope Francis, just like his predecessor, has remained vocal on opposing birth control and abortion.
The Catholic Church always advocates for more human reproduction and the sacred of life. Pope Francis challenged those blaming environmental degradation on the increasing population, to be honest (O’Collins, 2017). They referred to God’s creation and committed to reproducing and filling the earth. The environmental encyclical maintained that the earth could be safer if everyone takes environmental conservation responsibility seriously. Furthermore, it upheld that a clean environment would provide a surrounding of peaceful co-existence between human beings (O’Collins, 2017). The G.C.C.C.M, therefore, ignores the fact that the human population should be controlled to reduce pressure on the environment. The Catholic Church encourages leaders, organizations, and individuals to collectively reduce the poverty rate through sustainable environmental conservation practices.
The fifth challenge remained to be inadequate resources to achieve the One Earth Movement policy. Action on environmental conservation requires much capital that Church members’ contributions and donors could not meet. The G.C.C.C.M managed as an affiliate organization to the Catholic Church needs large financial capital to fulfill the environmental conservation mission (Caniglia et al., 2015). Organizations such as the Paris Agreement on climate change and UN Action on climate change depend on their members’ huge sums of dollars to mitigate climate change, something that the church alone could not raise.
In conclusion, the G.C.C.C.M, Laudato Si program, has a vision for a sustainable environment. Nations and individuals should join in supporting the movement to ensure a greener ecosystem for socio-economic development. Climate change affects everyone globally, and categorizing it as a specific organization, religion, race, or demographic responsibility would lead to continuous degradation of the environment. A green ecosystem entails, among other things, high yield crop production, clean water, and safe air, sustainable development, and reduction of the poverty rate. Environmental conservation would ensure sustainable development and transition into a green ecosystem and be taken as collective individual responsibility.
References
Caniglia, B. S., Brulle, R. J., & Szasz, A. (2015). Civil society, social movements, and climate change. Climate Change and Society: Sociological Perspectives, 1, 235–268.
Gonzalez, J. L. (2010). The story of Christianity: Volume 1: the early church to the dawn of the reformation (vol. 1). Zondervan.
Jenkins, W., Berry, E., & Kreider, L. B. (2018). Religion and climate change. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 43, 85–108.
Kempf, W. (2020). Introduction: Climate Change and Pacific Christianities. Anthropological Forum, 30, 215–232.
Lavizzari, A., & Prearo, M. (2019). The anti-gender movement in Italy: Catholic participation between electoral and protest politics. European Societies, 21(3), 422–442.
O’Collins, G. (2017). Catholicism: A very short introduction (vol. 198). Oxford University Press.