New York (Oct. 4, 2023) – The Wildlife Conservations Society’s President and CEO Monica Medina issued this statement today in regards to Pope Francis’s Laudate Deum:

“Pope Francis, one of the world’s most important leaders and whose voice is heard and respected by billions, has made it undeniably clear that it is everyone’s responsibility to protect nature and that climate deniers are on the wrong side of reality. He writes in his Laudate Deum issued today that “unchecked human intervention on nature,” is leading to global crises and asks all to accompany a pilgrimage of reconciliation with our world.

“Pope Francis’s words ring true for all religions, faiths and cultures. He writes that human beings must remember that we are a part of nature, not apart from it. As the Pope says, ‘Attacks on nature have consequences for people’s lives.’

“His Laudate Deum continues the theme of his powerful Laudato si’ encyclical of 2015 and adds a new very direct message on the climate crisis: ‘Despite all attempts to deny, conceal, gloss over or relativize the issue, the signs of climate change are here and increasingly evident.’

“We welcome the Pope’s letter today as it is clearly no longer debatable that our fractured relationship with nature, including the continuing spewing of greenhouse gases, is responsible for the quickening pace of the warming of our world in the past century. Our outsized reliance on fossil fuels to meet our energy needs must give way to a new paradigm. It will require a new relationship with nature. Indigenous cultures have taught us over centuries, says Pope Francis, that we can reshape our environment without destroying it. Pope Francis’s words should inspire all of us to respect Mother Nature and to confront the climate crisis before it’s too late.”

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