“On Care for Our Common Home”: The Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis

Dear Friends,

This seems to be my season for interfaith exploration, and my horizons are expanding. I just spent an hour perusing Pope Francis’ remarkable and inspiring letter addressing the phenomenon of global climate change. The full text is 180 pages long, and I skimmed some sections, but I intend to return to the document and read it fully.

Pope Francis speaks with clarity, humility, deep spirituality and piercing intelligence. He is not the least bit interested in the faux battle lines some draw between science and religion. His perspective is breathtakingly global and holistic. Honestly, I am awestruck. We all know that organized religion has the proven capacity to be divisive and destructive. I know many folks who have written off organized religion, or at best eye it warily. Don’t let those judgments prevent you from recognizing the capacity that some religious leaders have for profound moral leadership. Pope Francis is truly showing us a way forward, asking us to reach for the very best that is in us.

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