Vatican Announces Major Summit On Climate Change

While I continue to doubt that Pope Francis is going to do anything to bring the Roman Catholic Church out of the 13th century when it comes to the issue of gays, the rights of women, and sexual repression, on the climate change front, Francis may cause the climate change deniers in the Republican Party continued headaches.   The Vatican has announced a major climate change summit later this month that may undermine GOP efforts to convince conservative Catholics to drink the GOP Kool-Aid.  Vatican support for the belief that climate change exists could prove a sticking point for religious extremist, Marco Rubio, who is trying to wear Catholicism on his sleeve even as he attends a batship crazy non-Catholic church. Don't expect Francis to make the Koch brothers' favorite persons list!  Think Progress looks at the coming summit.  Here are highlights:

Catholic officials announced on Tuesday plans for a landmark climate change-themed conference to be hosted at Vatican later this month, the latest in Pope Francis’ faith-rooted campaign to raise awareness about global warming.

The summit, which is scheduled for April 28 and entitled “Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity. The Moral Dimensions of Climate Change and Sustainable Development,” will draw together a combination of scientists, global faith leaders, and influential conservation advocates such as Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is slotted to offer the opening address, and organizers say the goal of the conference is to “build a consensus that the values of sustainable development cohere with values of the leading religious traditions, with a special focus on the most vulnerable.”

[A]ttendees hope to offer a joint statement highlighting the “intrinsic connection” between caring for the earth and caring for fellow human beings, “especially the poor, the excluded, victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, children, and future generations.” The gathering will undoubtedly build momentum for the pope’s forthcoming encyclical on the environment, an influential papal document expected to be released in June or July. The Catholic Church has a long history of championing conservation and green initiatives. . . 

The upcoming conference and the release of the encyclical could also have political implications here in the United States. The pope is scheduled to stop by Washington, D.C. during his trip to America in September, where he plans to address a joint session of Congress. Some conservatives have been critical or dismissive of the pontiff’s support for green policies, but if Francis, who is wildly popular among both Catholic and non-Catholic Americans, brings up climate change during his remarks, it could be an uncomfortable moment for many lawmakers.

The poor and the vulnerable are nowhere on the GOP priority list  unless it is to transfer more of their meager assets to the already wealthy.