On 18 June 2015 Pope Francis released an Encyclical Letter on climate change. In the first chapter, ‘What is happening to our common home?’ the Pope writes:
‘It is my hope that this Encyclical Letter, which is now added to the body of the Church’s social teaching, can help us to acknowledge the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face. I will begin by briefly reviewing several aspects of the present ecological crisis, with the aim of drawing on the results of the best scientific research available today, letting them touch us deeply and provide a concrete foundation for the ethical and spiritual itinerary that follows.’