Blessed Tomorrow Leader, Mary Evelyn Tucker, co-founder of Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, recently offered some advice for Non-Catholics who wish to engage the Pope’s Climate Encyclical. While the exact parameters of the doctrine are still unclear, the nature of the document will likely speak to values held by all people of faith, not just Catholics.
There is nothing exclusively Catholic about the concerns raised by Pope Francis, which carry with them a notion that climate action is a measure to preserve human life. Tucker believes the encyclical "will awaken an even broader religious response among the world's traditions," including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Confucianism.
At the end of the day, climate change effects everyone. While many suffer directly from its impact(s), the values of every human suffer along with them; making climate change more than a Catholic issue. It is a human issue.
Panel Contemplates Why the Papal Encyclical on the Environment Will Matter
By Jamie Manson for National Catholic Reporter
NEW HAVEN, CONN.
As anticipation builds in progressive Catholic circles about the forthcoming papal encyclical on the environment, Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, co-directors of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, are busy contemplating its potential impact on stakeholders outside of the Catholic church, including environmental scientists, lawmakers, and leaders of world religions.
To explore the possibilities, Tucker and Grim gathered a panel of experts across various disciplines to discuss "Pope Francis and the Environment: Why his new climate encyclical matters" last week at Yale University.
