Care for Our Common Home

Pope Francis' landmark encyclical, On Care for Our Common Home, is addressed to "every living person on this planet." It challenges each one of us to ask ourselves, our corporations, and our governments: "How can anyone claim they are building a better future without thinking of the environment?" The document is all-encompassing, calling for respect and protection not only of the earth, but also of the dignity and lives of the poor. Pope Francis stresses that "human life is itself a gift which must be defended from various forms of debasement." Proposals for dialogue and action in the encyclical are broad, but are meant to affect international policy as well as individual lives.