Two questions to consider this Earth Month

“We actually have all the knowledge we need. All the tools we need,” said one of the authors, of the latest climate assessment report from the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “We just need to implement it.” The report’s grim outlook was, sadly, not a surprise in the least. 

At a recent address at Gonzaga University, Cardinal Michael Czerny, the Pope's point man on climate change and head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development agreed with the report’s findings: “The perils facing nature and human society are now beyond debate," he said. "The problem today isn’t ignorance but indifference and despair.” 

But as Christians, the cardinal continued, we possess an "effective antidote to indifference and despair." That is, "to invest our time, talents and energy in compassion, solidarity, charity and the preferential option for the poor.”  

In Pope Francis' encyclicals “Laudato si” and “Fratelli tutti”, Cardinal Czerny said, the Holy Father frames Catholics' social responsibilities as our responses to two questions: what needs doing, and who’s going to do it?  

As we live into this Easter season filled with hope, I encourage us all to honestly wrestle with those questions. Seeing clearly and answering boldly won't always be easy, but we must have faith that we can do it. The stakes for our planet and for future generations could not be higher.    

At Catholic Climate Covenant we are re-establishing our values internally to help us more clearly answer these questions. Our new tagline, Together for Our Common Home, reflects our prioritization of our guiding values of Catholic faith, collaboration, leadership, justice, and hope. 

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of seeing what needs to be done and raising your hand to do it! 

In shared faith and action, 

​

Dan

Dan Misleh
Founder
Catholic Climate Covenant