Pope wades in on charged climate debate

VATICAN CITY – You are your brother’s keeper, and the Earth’s too.

This, in a nutshell, was Pope Francis’ message to the rich and powerful whom he admonished not only to feed the poor and to share the Earth’s bounty, but also to take care of Earth itself in the face of climate change.

"We must do what we can so that everyone has something to eat. But we must also remind the powerful of the Earth that God will call them to judgment one day," said the pontiff.

"And there it will be revealed if they really tried to provide for him in every person, and if they did what they could to preserve the environment so that it could produce this food."

Pope Francis’ encyclical next month is widely and anxiously anticipated because it is expected that he would lend his moral authority to provide an ethical action to stem climate change.

However, many Christians have openly criticized Francis for wading into the politically charged debate on climate change.

Cardinal Oscar Maradiaga, a key adviser to the Pope, expressed dismay over the complaints he had heard during a trip to the United States over the yet-to- be-published encyclical.

"That is very strongly linked to a vision of capitalism that doesn't want to renounce damaging the environment for the sake of profits,” said the cardinal. -end-

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