Seven of Pope Francis’ Hopes for Our Planet

“We are able to take an honest look at ourselves, to acknowledge our deep dissatisfaction, and to embark on new paths to authentic freedom. No system can completely suppress our openness to what is good, true and beautiful, or our God-given ability to respond to his grace at work deep in our hearts. I appeal to everyone throughout the world not to forget this dignity which is ours. No one has the right to take it from us,” writes Pope Francis in his 2015 encyclical entitled “Laudato Si’ of the Holy Father Francis on Care for Our Common Home.” In it, the supreme pontiff details his grave concerns for our environment. But he also expresses his hopes for a brighter future. In addition to hoping for an immediate reduction of our reliance on harmful fossil fuels, he also has other hopes that are of a spiritual nature. Here are seven prominent ones from the encyclical.

That We Will Understand

Pope Francis wants us to understand that the problems with our society and the problems with our environment are intertwined. Trying to solve one without working on the others will only create short-term solutions. He writes “Given the scale of change, it is no longer possible to find a specific, discrete answer for each part of the problem. It is essential to seek comprehensive solutions which consider the interactions within natural systems themselves and with social systems. We are faced not with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis which is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.”

That We Will Get Rid of Our “Disposable” Mentality

In the encyclical, the pope writes about a culture that views morals and truths as subjective. This perception, he said, causes people to use and mistreat others to serve their own self-interests. The vulnerable are then seen as disposable. Pope Francis cautions “In the absence of objective truths or sound principles other than the satisfaction of our own desires and immediate needs, what limits can be placed on human trafficking, organized crime, the drug trade, commerce in blood diamonds and the fur of endangered species? Is it not the same relativistic logic which justifies buying the organs of the poor for resale or use in experimentation, or eliminating children because they are not what their parents wanted? This same “use and throw away” logic generates so much waste, because of the disordered desire to consume more than what is really necessary.”

That We’ll Stop Pollution Sooner

Pope Francis also indicates that the waste we create is harming us in more ways than one. “Each year hundreds of millions of tons of waste are generated, much of it non-biodegradable, highly toxic and radioactive, from homes and businesses, from construction and demolition sites, from clinical, electronic and industrial sources. The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth,” writes the pope. He warns “Industrial waste and chemical products utilized in cities and agricultural areas can lead to bioaccumulation in the organisms of the local population, even when levels of toxins in those places are low. Frequently no measures are taken until after people’s health has been irreversibly affected.”

That We’ll Be Compassionate to the Poor

The beloved pope also notes that access to clean water is an issue of the utmost importance. He says that every day, unsafe water causes suffering, infant mortality and many deaths of adults and children. He writes that “access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights. Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity. This debt can be paid partly by an increase in funding to provide clean water and sanitary services among the poor.”

That We’ll Appreciate Biodiversity

Additionally, Pope Francis hopes we appreciate the value of all life. He says plundering flora and fauna for profit is endangering our world. “The loss of forests and woodlands entails the loss of species which may constitute extremely important resources in the future, not only for food but also for curing disease…” he writes. He also notes “It is not enough, however, to think of different species merely as potential “resources” to be exploited, while overlooking the fact that they have value in themselves. Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which we will never know, which our children will never see, because they have been lost for ever. The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us.”

That We’ll All Work Together

The supreme pontiff also wants us to have “a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet.” He says that while progress has been made in many areas of our world, some people are still in denial or take a passive approach to environmental problems. He wants us all to work together. He writes “We require a new and universal solidarity. As the bishops of Southern Africa have stated: ‘Everyone’s talents and involvement are needed to redress the damage caused by human abuse of God’s creation.’ All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents.”

That We’ll Humble Ourselves Like Jesus Taught Us

Finally, Pope Francis cautions that living by our desires – apart from God’s will – we “inevitably end up harming society and the environment.” He wants us to heed what Jesus taught us about being humble. “Even living on little, they can live a lot, above all when they cultivate other pleasures and find satisfaction in fraternal encounters, in service, in developing their gifts, in music and art, in contact with nature, in prayer,” writes the pope. He also notes “Nature is filled with words of love, but how can we listen to them amid constant noise, interminable and nerve-wracking distractions, or the cult of appearances? We are speaking of an attitude of the heart, one which approaches life with serene attentiveness, which is capable of being fully present to someone without thinking of what comes next, which accepts each moment as a gift from God to be lived to the full.”