In a speech to a joint meeting of Congress, Pope Francis said the United States must play an important role in mitigating climate change. The pope raised the issue in his encyclical in May, which called attention to environmental deterioration caused by human activity.
“I am convinced that we can make a difference and I have no doubt the United States – and this Congress – have an important role to play,” he said. “Now is the time for courageous actions and strategies” to combat poverty and protect nature. “In this regard, I am confident that America’s outstanding academic and research institutions can make a vital contribution in the years ahead.”
The pope also called for humane treatment of refugees and migrants throughout the world. “The fight against poverty and hunger must be fought constantly and on many fronts, especially in its causes. I know that many Americans today, as in the past, are working to deal with this problem,” he said. “It goes without saying that part of this great effort is the creation and distribution of wealth. The right use of natural resources, the proper application of technology and the harnessing of the spirit of enterprise are essential elements of an economy which seeks to be modern, inclusive and sustainable.”
EPA administrator Gina McCarthy said in a tweet that the pope “is calling on all to work for environmental justice & #actonclimate. Couldn’t agree more!”
The chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, James Inhofe of Oklahoma “was pleased that the pope didn’t refer to climate change specifically,” said Agri-Pulse. The National Farmers Union, which has chosen climate change as its top issue because of potential effects on family farms, said the pope “has challenged us to focus on this enormous threat.”