EarthBeat Weekly: US champions and a challenge from the pope

US champions and a challenge from the pope Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change August 4, 2023 Pope Francis and Scholas Occurrentes' President Jose Maria del Corral attend a meeting with members of the Scholas Occurrentes community of young people, an International educational movement created by Pope Francis himself, in Cascais, Portugal, Aug. 3, 2023. (AP/Marco Bertorello) Some Catholics are critical of the U.S. Catholic Church's response to climate change, expressing desires for leaders of the church in the United States to more fully and forcefully take up the message of Pope Francis' 2015 encyclical "Laudato Si', On Care for Our Common Home." That requires more individual ecological conversion and collective living of integral ecology — two key pieces to how Francis sees care for creation spreading in today's world.  It's a valid critique, and at the same time, many U.S. Catholics are already embracing Francis' vision. More than a dozen of them were honored July 27 with the first-ever Laudato Si' Champions awards presented by the Catholic Climate Covenant to 13 winners (and 16 honorable mentions) at the conclusion of the 2023 Laudato Si' and the U.S. Catholic Church conference, the third and final in a biennial series co-hosted by the Covenant and Creighton University. Dan DiLeo, a theologian at Creighton and consultant with the Covenant, told NCR environment correspondent Brian Roewe that the diversity of award winners and speakers across the three conferences — a mix of theologians, activists, educators, religious and bishops — reaffirmed the Second Vatican Council's vision of the church not as the magisterial institution, but the people of God. That's part of what integral ecology is about, seeing the whole community — or ecosystem — as participating in mutually beneficial relationships that contribute to the betterment of all.  "We've tried to lift up the voices of the people of God who have consistently been doing this work in ways that is commensurate with the church's own teaching," Dileo said. Read more: Catholic climate conference spotlights 'Laudato Si' Champions' of US church Another part of integral ecology is recognizing how environmental issues intersect with other issues of faith and justice, like the role of young people in the church and how they're creating a future where all creation is more able to flourish. As part of the World Youth Day events happening in Portugal this week, Pope Francis challenged young people on Thursday to make the world a more just and inclusive place. The Associated Press reported that the pope focused the second day of his trip on inspiring students at the Catholic University in Lisbon to use their privilege to combat global warming and economic inequalities. "An academic degree should not be seen merely as a license to pursue personal well-being, but as a mandate to work for a more just and inclusive — that is, truly progressive — society," Francis said. Read more: Pope Francis urges students in Portugal to fight economic injustice, protect environment You can see all of NCR's World Youth Day 2023 coverage here. And be sure to follow @ncronline on Instagram for video reports from NCR staff writer Brian Fraga and NCR Vatican correspondent Christopher White, who both are in Portugal this week. Sr. Kathleen "Kay" Fernholz , a School Sister of Notre Dame, works in the garden with children at Earthrise Farm in Madison, Minnesota. (Courtesy of Kathleen Fernholz) What else is new on EarthBeat: Greek wildfires spark reflection on pope's call to climate action A wave of fires devastated parts of Greece amid the highest summer temperatures in half a century, reports Jonathan Luxmoore for OSV News. "The pope has talked many times about how we all need to collaborate in reversing climate change," said Archbishop Josif Printezis of Naxos, Andros, Tinos and Mykonos, secretary-general of Greece's Catholic bishops' conference. With experience from superstorms and hurricanes, New York Catholic groups provide aid after floods The community of Highland Falls in southeastern New York is still reeling after a July 9 rainstorm caused widespread devastation. Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish has served as an impromptu aid center and shelter for those hit hard by the storm, reports Beth Griffin for OSV News. As record heat scorches the globe, climate advocates urge Catholics to take action More than 80 million Americans recently have been under dangerous heat advisories. Temperatures in California's Death Valley hover around 120 degrees Fahrenheit at midnight. Phoenix as of July 31 had seen 31 straight days of heat over 110 F. Spain, Greece and Italy recorded all-time high temperatures. In several Middle Eastern countries, the heat index mid-July reached 152 F, considered almost at the limit for human survival. Kimberley Heatherington reports for OSV News. Creative ways your church can save energy and reduce emissions If you want to make your church property more sustainable, consider these ideas around energy efficiency, transportation accessibility and building use. Going green might be simpler than you think, Mitchell Atencio reports for Sojourners. This story is part of "Growing a Green Church," an ongoing series focused on churches' efforts to steward their buildings and land effectively in the context of a changing climate. Find more stories in the series here.  How Earthrise in Minnesota grew into regenerative farming The term "organic" was uppermost in all that Earthrise Farm expressed for many years. Yet an even more dynamic term was coming onto the horizon: regenerative! Kathleen Fernholz reports for Global Sisters Report. What's happening in other climate news: Cardinal Czerny urges concrete action to save our common home —Amedeo Lomonaco for Vatican News Why the climate movement doesn’t talk about polar bears anymore —Kate Yoder for Grist Ocean temperatures are off the charts. Here’s where they’re highest. —Tim Meko and Dan Stillman for The Washington Post Offshore wind could supply 'a quarter of US power needs' —Cosmo Sanderson for Recharge U.S. and UAE oil producers strike carbon capture agreement —Corbin Hiar and Sarah Schonhardt for E&E News Protesters occupy forest to stop Turkish coal mine expansion —Birsen Altayli and Burcu Karakas for Reuters Final Beat: One of the critiques of the U.S. Catholic Church's lack of involvement in climate issues that we hear most often at EarthBeat is that U.S. bishops aren't speaking up enough on the issue. This week, I was delighted to come across an op-ed in a local, mainstream newspaper from an Arizona bishop commenting on climate change and EPA power plant regulations.  If you haven't read Bishop Edward Weisenburger's op-ed "Climate Change and Hope" in the Arizona Daily Star, check it out. Thanks for reading EarthBeat! Stephanie Clary Environment Editor National Catholic Reporter sclary@ncronline.org Instagram: @stephanieclaryncr Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? Place an Ad in NCR's Online Classified Section for Only $75 per Month!