Catholics Taking Action on Climate—Will You Join Them?

Ten years ago, the Vatican published Laudato Si', Pope Francis' landmark encyclical on care for our common home, and I couldn't wait to read it. My personal post to Facebook the morning it was released read: "The eco-encyclical has arrived! It's like Christmas morning!" with a link to the document on the Vatican website. This was followed by at least a dozen posts over the following days that quoted sections of the encyclical I found to be particularly moving. Throughout the past decade, my enthusiasm for Laudato Si' has remained high. And I'm grateful there's a news outlet that matches it — the National Catholic Reporter. Five years ago, NCR recognized just how important the church's ecological teachings had become and would continue to be, so they launched the faith and climate project EarthBeat. Today, EarthBeat remains the only space in Catholic media where you can find comprehensive reporting on how issues like climate change, sustainability, ecology and environmental justice intersect with religion and spirituality. As an NCR Forward member, you can help support important journalism initiatives like EarthBeat. Just one month into 2025, NCR has reported how climate change-fueled wildfires are impacting communities across southern California and how Catholics are responding with relief aid and prayers. And already this year we've reported how energy and climate policy moves by the new Trump administration are out of line with Catholic teaching, and who in the U.S. Catholic Church is speaking out in protest. Last year, the Earthbeat Weekly newsletter was named best national electronic newsletter by the Catholic Media Association. Since receiving that award in June, almost 5,000 new subscribers have joined EarthBeat's weekly email list, solidifying our place as the go-to-source for Catholic climate news. At NCR's EarthBeat, we not only tell important stories about how Catholics are joining in solidarity to care for the most vulnerable in the wake of extreme weather disasters, but also report on how these perilous situations could be prevented by adherence to another part of Catholic teaching — care for creation — and how environment issues intersect with many other issues of justice that Catholics care about. To support informed Catholic climate reporting throughout this already very newsworthy year, become an NCR Forward member today! And if you're already a member, consider increasing your monthly donation as an added show of support for the independent Catholic journalism you know and trust. Ten years after the release of Pope Francis' eco-encyclical, NCR's EarthBeat remains the definitive outlet for news about how the church is — and isn't — living Laudato Si' today. Thank you for your readership. Stephanie Clary Environment Editor National Catholic Reporter

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