CCUSA welcomes the release of Laudate Deum

Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) and the Catholic Charities network welcome the release of Laudate Deum, Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation that recommends immediate actions in response to the ongoing climate crisis.

Eight years ago, Pope Francis published Laudato Si’ to encourage conversations among all people regarding the care for creation, including the climate. The pope offers Laudate Deum as an update and reports that the climate crisis has gotten worse, with an increase in global temperature and more frequent extreme weather reactions. Moreover, the most vulnerable populations, who do not have the resources to respond, have borne disproportionately the effects of climate change.

In Laudate Deum, Pope Francis urges the global community to adopt a mindset that places the primacy of the human person and the defense of human dignity at the center of all responses to climate change. Nothing in creation should be used merely as a resource for material gain, but treated as a gift from God. The global community at every level should cooperate in forming behaviors that reduce harm to the earth and by advocating for policies that care for creation.

“Catholic Charities USA and its member agencies are uniquely suited to take up the call of Laudate Deum,” CCUSA President and CEO Kerry Alys Robinson said. “Grounded in our Catholic faith, we work together at the national and local levels to protect our common home, with special concern for people in poverty and those exposed to the effects of climate change.”

The Catholic Charities ministry across the United States, through activities such as disaster mitigation and the use of renewable energy sources, as well as its robust advocacy network, is committed to stemming the degradation of the earth and contributing to its enrichment. As Pope Francis states, everyone must act now to bring this transformation. Only then can we hope to care for the gifts God has given us, including the world that sings of God’s infinite love.