Pope forces Catholics, others to confront issues of the day

From religious fundamental- ism to same-sex marriage to trickle-down economics to even the Mafia, Pope Francis has issued numerous denunciations since becoming leader of the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics in March 2013 that have caused people around the world to sit up and take notice.

The pope’s willingness to use the power and authority of his office to fuel a global debate on the major issues of day has either been greeted with enthusiastic support or with derision. His supporters have responded thus: It’s about time. His critics, on the other hand, have questioned the propriety of a major religious figure insinuating himself into the political debate surrounding economic theories, for instance.

But no issue has caused as much controversy and an examination of conscience as Pope Francis’ recent encyclical on climate change. There had been a leak out of the Vatican about the pope’s decision to dive head first into what is without question one of the most controversial topics in the industrialized world. The aim of the leak was to take the wind out of Francis’ sails, but when the papal encyclical “Laudato Si” was officially published, it sent shock waves through the centers of power in the United States and Europe.

POPE’S BRUTAL ASSESSMENT

Why? Because Pope Francis was brutal in his assessment of what we – the haves – are doing to the planet, much to the detriment of the have-nots.

“Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods,” Francis said in the papal encyclical. “It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.”

The pope didn’t stop there. He talked about how human beings are destroying Mother Earth with their uncontrollable avarice.

“The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth,” Francis said. “In many parts of the planet, the elderly lament that once beautiful landscapes are now covered with rubbish.”

But it was his contention that the rich nations of the world are largely responsible for the climate-change crisis – with the attendant suffering brought upon the poor – that became the rallying cry of his defenders and his detractors.

Indeed, the pope didn’t pull any punches when he pinpointed the main cause of climate change: the burning of fossil fuels. He said this practice is bringing about the “unprecedented destruction of the ecosystems, with serious consequences for all of us.”

FLOODS AND DROUGHTS

Rising sea levels, widespread drought – parts of California are veritable dust bowls – and flooding on a global scale are the consequences of man’s lack of respect for the earth.

Pope Francis couched “Laudato Si” in moral, ethical and economic terms and challenged the developed world, in particular, to change its destructive ways.

Lest anyone think that the head of the Roman Catholic Church was simply creating unnecessary controversy, consider this: In December, representatives of more than 200 nations will meet in Paris to try for the umpteenth time to reach agreement on reducing the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are the main causes of climate change.

What the pope has done is put forth a cogent argument for why people of faith and good will should participate in the debate about the earth’s future.

For Roman Catholics, especially those who eagerly embraced Francis’ unyielding opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, the issue of climate change should be just as important. After all, human life is at stake – as evidenced by the thousands of people who die each year from famine brought on by widespread drought.

The pope’s focus on climate change wasn’t the only shot across the bow of the world powers. Last week, he denounced failure of the “great powers” to act when there was intelligence indicating that Jews, Christians, homosexuals and others were being transported to death camps in Europe during World War II.

He also decried the deaths of Christians in concentration camps in Russia under the Stalin dictatorship, which followed the war.

The underlying message of the pope’s focus on the war was that turning a blind eye to death and destruction of the innocent was a sin.

That also is the message from Pope Francis with regard to climate change: Let us not pretend there isn’t a problem.