environment

The Latest

Pope Francis, Archbishop Justin Welby, and Patriarch Bartholomew I at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Italy, Sept. 20, 2016.

Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican leaders call climate crisis a ‘devastating injustice’

Sep 7, 2021

By Courtney Mares

The three leaders said: ‘We repent of our generation’s sins.’ Read more

Archbishop Dermot Farrell prays in St. Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Dublin, Ireland, on Feb. 2, 2021.

Dublin’s archbishop urges Catholics to tackle ‘climate catastrophe’ in 64-page pastoral letter

Sep 1, 2021

By CNA Staff

‘We are at a critical moment,’ writes Archbishop Dermot Farrell. Read more

Pope Francis: Ecosystem degradation ‘a clear outcome of economic dysfunction’

Jun 4, 2021

By CNA Staff

The pope issued a message marking the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Read more

Pope Francis delivers a message for Earth Day, April 22, 2021. Credit: Vatican Media.

Care for nature, pope tells world leaders at climate summit

Apr 22, 2021

In a video message sent to a climate summit on Thursday, Pope Francis urged care for nature and the preservation... Read more

Pope Francis delivers his message at the Vatican for Earth Day, April 22, 2021

On Earth Day, Pope Francis says the world is ‘at the limit’

Apr 22, 2021

By Hannah Brockhaus

The pope urged world leaders to “act with courage, operate with justice, and always tell the truth to people.” Read more

Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 22, 2016. Credit: Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk.

Pope Francis: World could face a new ‘great flood’

Mar 2, 2021

Pope Francis said in a new book released on Tuesday that the world could face a catastrophe like the Great... Read more

Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States within the Holy See’s Secretariat of State, at the Vatican Oct. 27, 2017. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA.

Vatican official: Catholics can add value to ‘Green New Deal’ debate

Jan 27, 2021

By Courtney Mares

The Vatican Secretary for Relations with States has said that Catholics can apply the Church’s social teaching to evaluate aspects... Read more

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican secretary for relations with states.

Vatican urges Catholics into action on Pope Francis’ Laudato si’

Jun 18, 2020

By Hannah Brockhaus

With a new 200-page document, the Vatican is encouraging Catholics to put their faith into action to promote integral ecology... Read more

Pope Francis on May 29, 2019.

Pope Francis: We cannot remain silent as planet is plundered

Jun 5, 2020

Pope Francis said Friday that people should not remain silent as biodiversity is threatened by destruction and exploitation in a... Read more

Boatmen in Guwahati Assam, India.

Vatican to mark 5th anniversary of Laudato si’ with year-long celebration

May 19, 2020

By Hannah Brockhaus

The Vatican will on May 24 launch a year-long celebration of Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato si’ to mark its... Read more

Pope Francis and UN Secretary General António Guterres in the Vatican Apostolic Palace Dec. 20, 2019.

Pope Francis and UN Secretary General record video urging religious freedom, climate protection

Dec 20, 2019

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis and the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres recorded a video message together at the Vatican Friday in... Read more

Monks at Holy Cross Abbey screenshot 1.

Meet the monks who decided to go green years before Laudato Si

Nov 29, 2019

By Matt Hadro

Years before Pope Francis’ recent ecology encyclical was published, a Trappist monastery in Virginia went back to its spiritual roots... Read more

(CC0 1.0).

Catholic Relief Services dismayed over US intent to leave Paris Climate Accord

Nov 6, 2019

Catholic Relief Services, the official charitable arm of the U.S. bishops, is expressing strong opposition to the Trump administration’s decision... Read more

A wooden cross in the rainforest. Stock photo via Shutterstock.

Church must convert from cultural, ecological sins, Amazon synod concludes

Oct 26, 2019

By Hannah Brockhaus, Courtney Mares

The Amazon synod final document, published Saturday, laid out the need to define “ecological sins” while calling the Church to... Read more

Church building overlooking smokestack.

EPA tells churches to cut mercury but says restrictions on power plants unnecessary

Oct 4, 2019

By Matt Hadro

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is asking houses of worship to eliminate mercury products, while at the same time saying... Read more

St. Francis of Assisi.

Will the real St. Francis please stand up?

Oct 4, 2019

By Matt Hadro

St. Francis of Assisi is widely known for his life of poverty and love of creation. But there’s a lesser-known... Read more

Massachusetts bishops say action is urgently needed on climate change

Sep 17, 2019

The bishops of Massachusetts warned in a new pastoral letter that climate change has reached a crisis level and requires... Read more

Pope Francis at the general audience in St. Peter's Square on Nov. 8, 2017.

Pope Francis announces ‘global village’ alliance for education, environment

Sep 12, 2019

By Courtney Mares

Pope Francis announced Thursday his newest initiative to form an international and interreligious alliance, which he described as “global village”... Read more

Photo courtesy of the Center for Pollinators in Energy.

Catholic groups installing 5,000 solar panels in DC

Jul 23, 2019

By Christine Rousselle

Catholic organizations are installing 5,000 solar panels in a five-acre space in Washington, D.C., in what will become the largest... Read more