The document discusses Pope Francis's upcoming encyclical that will address issues of social justice, economic inequity, and the environment. It will be the first encyclical with the primary focus on the environment. The Pope hopes to influence the upcoming UN climate meeting in Paris and bring religious leaders together to address climate change. He will also speak to the UN General Assembly. The encyclical is expected to explore the moral implications of climate change and how the poor are impacted by global warming. Previous popes have also addressed environmental issues but Francis's encyclical is anticipated to be one of the most important on the topic.

1. Pope Francis

2. This new encyclical is the first one in which the
environment will be the primary topic. Pope
Francis will bring together issues of social
justice and economic inequity along with the
environment and climate change

3. He is also slated to address the UN General
Assembly in September and convene a summit
of world religious leaders to address climate
change

4. According to Bishop Marcelo Sorondo,
chancellor of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy
of Sciences, the pope hopes to influence next
year’s crucial UN climate meeting in Paris,
when countries will attempt to finalize two
decades of troubled negotiations with a
universal and binding commitment to reducing
greenhouse gas emissions.

5. According to Yale religion and
environment professor Mary Evelyn
Tucker, co-founder of the Forum on
Religion and Ecology, the forthcoming
encyclical will be one of the “most
important” documents dealing with
the moral implications of climate
change, and will explore
environmental justice concerns,
including how the poor and other
vulnerable groups are deeply impacted
by global “climate disruption.”

6. The reasons might be
threefold.
First, perhaps Pope Francis
wishes to make clear that
when it comes to matters
of creation, the church
should be a major player,
not a marginal voice.

7. Second, perhaps Francis is
underscoring that this is not just a
question of policies and carbon
emissions, critical as they are, but it
is also one of persons, especially
poor and vulnerable persons, who
often contribute the least to carbon
emissions but suffer the most from
“climate chaos” in the form of floods,
drought, typhoons, and wildly
whipsawing weather patterns

8. Third, might Pope Francis
be suggesting that climate
change is not only a moral
crisis, but a deeply
spiritual crisis as well, one
that cuts to the core of
who we are and how we
relate to all that is?

9. John Paul delivered high-profile
remarks on the topic as early as
1990. "The gradual depletion of
the ozone layer and related
'greenhouse effect' has now
reached crisis proportions as a
consequence of industrial growth,
massive urban concentrations and
vastly increased energy needs," he
said during a World Day of Peace
message.

10. Benedict earned praise as "the green pope"
from some quarters for a series of symbolic
actions on climate change. He installed solar
panels near St. Peter's Basilica, used offset
purchases to make Vatican City the world's
first carbon-neutral state and even purchased
an electric "Popemobile"

11. Joint Workshop of the Pontifical Academy of
Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social
Sciences, 2-6 May 2014

12. 2014 Cafod lecture: Argentinian bishop
highlights urgency of tackling climate change
12 November 2014

13. “When we hear that people have
meetings about how to preserve
creation, we can say: ‘No, they are
the greens!’” Francis said in his
homily at morning Mass, using a
common name for environmental
activists.
“No, they are not the greens! This is
the Christian!” he said.

14. Will Catholic schools, seminaries, and
universities be expected to teach this?

15. Green Building is Ethical Building

16. • Green Building is Ethical Building
• Theology can build support for Green
Building
• Green Building Theology Teaches Green
Values to Members of Religious Institutions

17.  Can we network with other groups, Ngos
before Paris?
 Which groups?
 On what basis can we support the groups?

18. Fr. Allwyn D’Silva
Director - Institute for Community Organization Research (ICOR)
Head - Archdiocesan Office for Environment (Mumbai)
Secretary - Climate Change Desk of Federation of Asian Bishops Conference
(FABC)

19.  1. Personal -What has touched you during the
past one and half day?
 2. Can you suggest what can the FABC and
Bishops’ Conferences plan before December
2015
 What type of advocacy can the Church adopt?
 Any suggestions to improve on the next
Regional Seminars?