A Warm Welcome for Pope Francis

Lauren Edmunds

So the Pope arrived in the United States on Tuesday. He plans to give a speech to Congress this Thursday, and in light of his stances on particular issues, some members are shaking in their boots. There are many social, catholic issues that some members are hopeful to hear about. What’s really interesting, however, is what Republicans and Evangelical-Republicans are hoping the Pope won’t talk about. Earlier this year, in a letter addressed “to every citizen of the world”, beautifully dubbed “Care for Our Common Home”, Pope Francis officially spoke out in favor of counter-acting man-made climate change. This completely shattered the image that climate change is false to only to the anti-religious folk. As a fellow, catholic/religious, global warming enthusiast, I hope the Pope changes minds as warmly and rapidly as our climate is changing.

The science is clear, and the scientists behind the science are clear – climate change is real, it’s dangerous, and it’s going to be the world’s undoing. It’s no surprise that the current administration is behind the Pope and his ambitions on climate change, especially after the President put this issue on his docket in 2014. President Xi of China and President Obama, the world’s number one and two leaders in carbon emission, formally announced a plan to significantly cut carbon emissions, centering around coal and promoting clean energy. This announcement fundamentally shifted the global politics of climate change, and in some ways, it was really the beginning of a hard battle to legitimacy as well as advancement.

Now, on Tuesday, almost as if to christen the Pope’s arrival, Senate Democrats proposed a climate change bill in line with the administration’s agreement with China. In addition to the proposal of the bill, the United Nations General Assembly is also pushing towards a climate change accord in their fall summit.

These plans and meetings are not met without opposition and climate change deniers. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell has placed a full-on block to combat the proposed bill, as well as to combat the administrations future plans on climate change action. In addition, Senate democrats are well aware of the difficulties or impossibilities surrounding passing the bill in the House.

It makes sense that the bill and the meetings could all be centered on the Pope’s visit. Senate Democrats may be trying to inspire the Pope to take a clear stance during his speech on Thursday, but just as well, I believe the Democrats want to demonstrate the kind of opposition they face on the issue to the Pope. If they can give Pope Francis a clear picture of the real road-block, he may be better equipped for a push back.

I’m hopeful that if there is anyone that can open minds of the climate change deniers, it’s Pope Francis. It is almost as if the fear surrounding the speech is palpable. The thought that this issue might be pushed under the noses of deniers by someone of such respect and authority, is downright terrifying. 

As a fellow citizen of the world, I hope the issue is brought up on Thursday. I also hope it combats any lingering thoughts of doubt on the subject. The Pope himself admits that climate change makes sense and yet there are still politicians fighting the truth. So if the Pope can’t convince you, is our ultimate melting in the fires of the Earth the only thing that will?