If you pick up a copy of Pope Francis encyclical I invite you as a family or in small groups to  look at Chapter 1. where he presents the scientific consensus on climate change along with a description of other threats to the environment, including threats to water supplies and biodiversity. He also looks at how environmental degradation has affected human life and society.

In Chapter 2, he reflects on The Gospel of Creation..Faith confictions can motivate Christians to care for nature and for the most vulnerable  of their brothers and sisters. He begins  with the biblical account of creation and then meditates on the mystery of the universe, which he sees as a continuing revelation of the divine. “Everything is related and we human beings are united as brothers and sisters on a wonderful pilgrimage, woven together by the love God has for each of his creatures and which also unites us in fond affection with brother sun, sister moon, brother river and mother earth.” He concludes the chapter: “Theearth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone.”