Pope Francis on Twitter: The Earth Looks Like 'an Immense Pile of Filth,' and It's Capitalism's Fault
Shortly after releasing an encyclical on Thursday calling for environmental revolution to fix our climate change-plagued planet, Pope Francis followed up with a series of strongly-worded tweets calling destruction of the natural world a "sin," and urging followers to recognize the lopsided effect it has on the poor.
“To commit a crime against the natural world is a sin against ourselves and a sin against God.” (Patriarch Bartholomew)
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
The earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
In short, the pope just schooled the world on environmental justice, a term meant to address the fact that poor people incur the highest toll on their health and quality of life due to the environmental destruction.
There is an intimate relationship between the poor and the fragility of the planet. #LaudatoSi
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
The pope argued that to be just, the world needs to reorient its systems to afford equal protection from environmental hazards to everyone.
The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
As the pope writes, that would mean revolutionizing the systems on which our world is built. Specifically, that means something other than the economic system we have now, which encourages growth at all costs.
There is a need to seek other ways of understanding the economy and progress. #LaudatoSi
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
The pope specifically called out consumerist society, and its dependence on fossil fuels.
These problems are closely linked to a throwaway culture.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
The deterioration of the environment and of society affect the most vulnerable people on the planet.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
A true “ecological debt” exists, particularly between the global north and south.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
Developed countries ought to help pay this debt by limiting their consumption of nonrenewable energy.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
We have to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. #LaudatoSi
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
There is a value proper to each creature.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
The throwaway culture of today calls for a new lifestyle. #LaudatoSi
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
Climate change represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day. #LaudatoSi
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
But in a world oriented towards monetary success, that hope for justice is lost, he wrote.
The alliance between economy and technology ends up sidelining anything unrelated to its immediate interests.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
Society treats market economics like a god, he wrote. When that happens, the markets, not the people, win out.
Whatever is fragile, like the environment, is defenceless before the interests of a deified market.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
Pope Francis particularly singled out water scarcity issues as a pressing concern for environmental justice.
One particularly serious problem is the quality of water available to the poor. #LaudatoSi
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
He focused his critique on market systems and the behavior of consumerist society. Capitalism, he implied, is a much bigger problem than overpopulation. That's not a surprise given the Catholic Church's opposition to contraception, though he did tell Catholics to stop breeding "like rabbits." Plenty of scientists warn that lack of access to contraception is going to make climate change a lot more damaging.
To blame population growth, and not an extreme consumerism on the part of some, is one way of refusing to face the issues.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) June 18, 2015
