EarthBeat Weekly: Before the conclave, remembering Pope Francis' ecological legacy

Before the conclave, remembering Pope Francis' ecological legacy EarthBeat Weekly Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change May 2, 2025   A single white rose lies on the tomb of Pope Francis in Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major on April 27, 2025. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) Next week, billions of eyes across the world will turn attention to the small chimney atop the Sistine Chapel, waiting to see what color smoke will bellow after each round of votes cast by the cardinals cloistered within one of the holiest and most historic places in Catholicism. The week that was in the world of Catholic news has been a blend of pre-conclave speculation and continued remembrance of Pope Francis, including his environmental legacy and its reverberations for the church and the world in the months and years ahead. A day before Francis' funeral on April 25, some of those who knew Francis' ecological teachings and contributions most intimately gathered online for a final collective goodbye.  The digital wake, organized by Laudato Si' Movement, assembled heads of state alongside parishioners, scientists next to priests, bishops and Catholic sisters with lay leaders. All shared sentiments of appreciation, sorrow and most of all thanks for Francis and his example to the global environmental movement. "We are gathering as a global family who share one home, our Earth … to remember the unique contribution [Pope Francis] made to global efforts to safeguard our common home in this time of profound ecological crisis," said Lorna Gold, executive director of Laudato Si' Movement. "In this respect, Pope Francis was not only the leader of the Catholic Church, he was a world leader of great stature, perhaps unparalleled in our times." Read more: Digital wake remembers Pope Francis' global impact on the climate movement In an essay exclusive to EarthBeat, Christiana Figueres, the former top climate official at the United Nations who was instrumental in the adoption of the Paris Agreement, remembered Francis for his moral courage and "the kind of leadership we desperately need in this decisive decade" for action on climate change. "Pope Francis stood as a beacon in this critical moment, embodying the urgent need to transform our relationship with the planet we call home," Figueres wrote. During an April 29 memorial for Francis at U.N. headquarters in New York, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remembered Francis as "a clear voice of justice for people and planet." He credited the pope in helping secure the Paris climate accord and highlighting the "clear ties between environmental degradation and the degradation of humanity." "Pope Francis understood that those who contributed the least to the climate crisis suffered the most — and that we have a spiritual and moral duty to act," Guterres said. Read more: Pope Francis had the moral courage to stand up for the Earth and its people United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres speaks during the 67th plenary meeting of the U.N. General Assembly during a tribute to the memory of Pope Francis at the world body's headquarters in New York City April 29, 2025. (OSV News photo/Evan Schneider, United Nations) Dan Misleh, founder of Catholic Climate Covenant, recalled in his own essay a personal encounter with Francis at the Vatican a year before the pope issued "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home." Misleh assessed reception to that landmark encyclical nearly 10 years later, and the impact Francis had through it. "At times it was hard-hitting, but, Francis being Francis, it also expressed optimism that, together, we can shape a different future," he wrote. Read more: On climate, Pope Francis was hard-hitting and hopeful Francis' legacy was felt in other ways, both transformative and personal. For farmers in rural Kenya, Francis' call to communion in Laudato Si' led to the creation of a Consortium for Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Conservation, which aims to regenerate the earth while working in harmony with one another for the healing of our society. "When drought or pests strike, I lean on faith not only for solutions but for the strength to keep going with others beside me. In all of this I see the legacy of Pope Francis and feel the Holy Spirit moving through the rhythms of regeneration," writes St. Joseph Sr. Josephine Kwenga. Read more: Pope Francis inspired regenerative farming and collaboration in Kenya For Matthew Groves, A Baptist from rural Appalachia, receiving a copy of Laudato Si' literally changed his life. It led to his conversion to Catholicism. "Laudato Si' was my first proper introduction [to Catholicism]," he writes in an essay this week. "Over the next few years, when someone invited me to Mass, adoration, a Catholic book club or an adult education session, I said, 'Yes,' and I found a lot to like." Read more: I converted to Catholicism because of Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si' Back at the digital wake, participants acknowledged that carrying forward Francis' ecological legacy now falls upon others. But, they concluded, the fullest extent of the impact of this pope of the people and the planet has yet to be revealed. "Pope Francis [is] a man whose light has touched the world in ways we are only beginning to fully understand," said Iyad Abumoghli, director of U.N. Environment Programme's Faith for Earth Coalition, who predicted the late pope's legacy "will echo through generations."   What else is new on EarthBeat:   Apache, allies again ask courts to block Oak Flat transfer to foreign mining company by Brian Roewe Apache Stronghold and its attorneys have argued the land transfer and subsequent destruction of Oak Flat would violate the Apache people's rights to worship under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Read more here »   Will Cardinal Tagle, an 'Asian Francis,' become pope? by Christopher White They call him the "Asian Francis" because his personal simplicity and emphasis on the poor and marginalized mirror Pope Francis' life. Now, Filipino Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle is again a contender to be pope. Read more here »   Cardinal Parolin's bid has 2 obstacles — China and Vatican finances by Christopher White Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin served as Pope Francis' top aide and by all accounts was a loyal deputy. But in recent years, Parolin's stock has been on the rise among more traditional-leaning prelates. Read more here »   Cardinal Ambongo could be first African pope in over 1,500 years by Christopher White A leading voice among his confreres in Africa, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu of the Democratic Republic of Congo is known for his environmental advocacy, and made news for pushback on blessing homosexual couples. Read more here » What's happening in other climate news:   All authors working on flagship U.S. climate report are dismissed —Brad Plumer and Rebecca Dzombak for The New York Times The EPA is canceling almost 800 environmental justice grants, court filing reveals —Maxine Joselow and Amudalat Ajasa for the Washington Post White House proposal could gut climate modeling the world depends on —Abrahm Lustgarten for ProPublica Justice Department sues Hawaii, Michigan, Vermont and New York over state climate actions —Alexa St. John for the Associated Press FDA moves to phase out petroleum-based food dyes —Brian Bienkowski for The New Lede How a funeral director brought wind power to rural Missouri —Cara Buckley for The New York Times (Photographs and video by David Robert Elliott) 'Exploitative' contracts and hazardous conditions: life for some of the immigrants cleaning up wildfire-stricken LA —Hilary Beaumont for the Guardian From Greenland to Ghana, Indigenous youth work for climate justice —Taylar Dawn Stagner for Grist Final Beat: The conclave to elect the next pope will begin May 7. Pre-conclave meetings, called general congregations, have been happening all this week. But with 80% of the cardinals who are less than 80-years-old — and therefore eligible to vote in the conclave — participating in this process for the first time, it's hard to predict how long it will be before we see white smoke or who will stand on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica as the next global leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Find all of NCR's conclave coverage in the feature series: Who will be the next pope? Conclave 2025 Thanks for reading EarthBeat.   Stephanie Clary Environment Editor National Catholic Reporter sclary@ncronline.org   Brian Roewe Environment correspondent National Catholic Reporter broewe@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? Place an Ad in NCR's Online Classified Section for Only $75 per Month!   Advertisement