In an eight-paragraph reflection, Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus (OH) welcomed Laudate Deum (CWN analysis), the Pope’s new apostolic exhortation on climate change,
“While many may perceive this exhortation as something political, revolving around the politics and science of climate change, it is much more than that,” said the 51-year-old bishop of America’s 14th-largest city. “This is a moral issue.”
He added, “If we continue to treat creation as something to be used and discarded, why should we be surprised that children in the womb, disabled, and elderly people are also discarded? Why should we be surprised by the violence on our streets?”