Revisiting Pope Francis’ Call for ‘Ecological Conversion'

THIS YEAR, WE celebrated the 10th anniversary of “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis’ papal encyclical on the climate crisis. It came at a moment of ascendant hope—the Paris climate talks were just weeks away—and it added immeasurably to that hope: The most recognizable person on planet Earth was using his unique voice not just to offer politician-scale bromides about global warming but to issue a remarkable, deep, and unsparing critique of modernity as it had led us to this pass and a deep and loving vision of where we might still go.

A decade on, much has changed, mostly not for the better. Now the most famous person on the planet is doubtless Donald Trump—and he’s famed for being a vile and evil man, implicated in rape and assault in his own life and complicit in it around the country and the world. That he is supported in this ugliness by a rock-solid bloc of evangelicals brings shame to the Christian witness—shame to the name of Christ.

It’s a good time to revisit just a few of Francis’ words (which seem to be echoed by his successor, Leo), if only to remind ourselves that our species and our faith are capable of moral witness and human goodness. So:

Is it realistic to hope that those who are obsessed with maximizing profits will stop to reflect on the environmental damage which they will leave behind for future generations? Where profits alone count, there can be no thinking about the rhythms of nature, its phases of decay and regeneration, or the complexity of ecosystems which may be gravely upset by human intervention. ...

What [we] need is an ‘ecological conversion,’ whereby the effects of [our] encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in [our] relationship with the world around [us]. Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience. ...

We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it.

Pope Francis promised that Vatican City would become the first solar-powered nation on Earth.

It should be noted that Francis here, as so often, walked the talk. He promised that Vatican City would become the first solar-powered nation on Earth, and in August a final deal was struck: A 1,000-acre site north of Rome will become a solar array, and any electricity that the Vatican doesn’t need will be donated to the local community. Under terms of the agreement with the Italian government, the agricultural use of the land will be preserved—a beautiful idea made ever easier by innovations in “agrivoltaics.”

Of particular interest to the Holy See, perhaps: Recent demonstrations found that grape yields can increase by as much as 60% when vines share the fields with solar panels, because they help regulate extreme temperatures. Imagine communion with wine from Brother Sun!