This Lent protect creation, says Pope Francis

Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change

March 7, 2025

Pope Francis is pictured with Cardinal Pedro Barreto Jimeno of Huancayo, Peru, during a procession at the start of the first session of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon at the Vatican Oct. 7, 2019. (CNS/Vatican Media)

Pope Francis observed Ash Wednesday this week from his hospital room in Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he has remained for the past three weeks recovering from double pneumonia. But in a message from the pope released March 5 for the start of the Lenten season (though signed Feb. 11, before he entered the hospital), he encouraged Christians to protect nature from human greed and exploitation.

He addressed Catholics in Brazil specifically, praising the country's bishops for their efforts to promote a path of personal conversion during Lent that is based on the pope's encyclical "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home."

"May we all, with the special help of God's grace during this Jubilee season, change our convictions and practices to give nature a rest from our greedy exploitations," Francis said in his message.

He also expressed hope that the church in the South American country will contribute to the United Nations' climate change conference, COP30, scheduled to be held Nov. 10–21 in Belém, Brazil.

No matter where you live, increasing your care for the Earth this Lent could be as simple as extending your abstinence from eating meat beyond the obligatory Fridays.

Animal agriculture is one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions that trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the planet, so creating less demand for animal products can have a significant impact on your carbon footprint.

Eight years ago, I committed to eating meat-free for the full 40 days of Lent as a personal effort to better live the teachings of Laudato Si'. It was easy enough that I never looked back and have maintained a primarily plant-based diet ever since!

Whether you plan to observe just the Friday fast or meatless Mondays or anything in between, the NCR staff are sharing some recommended recipes with our readers during this Lenten season. The first two come from managing editor Stephanie Yeagle and senior correspondent Heidi Schlumpf, respectively.

What else is new on EarthBeat:

'Flood injustice' calls us to declare the dignity of vulnerable communities

by David E. DeCosse

In this dispiriting moment when the Trump administration has rejected environmental justice and climate change, what can the 2023 Pajaro flood teach us about how Catholic moral thought responds to such realities?

Why religion is fundamental to addressing climate change

by Hanane Benadi, The Conversation

Building a global response to the climate crisis requires us to learn about the many ways people make sense of climate change and learn to live with its consequences. And for most of the world's population, a purely scientific framing is unhelpful.

Agrospiritual ponderings: Cultivating spiritual richness within ourselves

by Quincy Howard

The foundation of good fruit lies in healthy soil. But in these times, when not-so-good fruit has become the norm, how do we cultivate the richness of our spiritual soil?

What LA's ashes teach me about Lent

by Ellen Dauwer

"Ash Wednesday reminds us of our own fragility and our limitations," writes Sr. Ellen Dauwer.

What's happening in other climate news:

'Full on Fight Club': How Trump is crushing U.S. climate policy —David Gelles, Lisa Friedman and Brad Plumer for The New York Times

Organic farmers expose RFK Jr.'s delusion —Emily Atkin for HEATED

Trump's 'God Squad' timber logging mandate is legally murky —Bobby Magill for Bloomberg Environment

State Department halts global air pollution monitoring program —Rachel Frazin for The Hill

Green group looks to use its clout with Republicans —Timothy Cama for E&E News

Trump's EPA wants to undo the Roe v. Wade of climate policy —Naveena Sadasivam for Vox

'It's all been scrapped': Women in wildland firefighting bootcamps canceled after DEI cuts —Jessica Kutz for The 19th*

Israel's bombing of Gaza caused untold environmental damage − recovery will take effort and time —Lesley Joseph for The Conversation

UN sets date for extra session to finalize plastics treaty —Valerie Volcovici for Reuters

Final Beat:

If American Catholics returned to meatless Fridays outside of Lent, what would be the resulting climate impact? This ancient tradition could be a key climate action for U.S. Catholics, reported Kimberley Heatherington for EarthBeat last year. And it's an idea at least one bishop has considered.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins' Center for a Livable Future estimate the potential environmental impact of the U.S.'s 73.5 million Catholics abstaining from meat on Fridays throughout the year is sizable — it would save more than 32 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide and more than 20.5 trillion liters of water annually.

Thanks for reading EarthBeat.

Stephanie Clary
Environment Editor
National Catholic Reporter
sclary@ncronline.org