Overview

• Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, 2025, was celebrated for framing climate change as a moral crisis and a 'structural sin.'
• His 2015 encyclical 'Laudato Si’' connected environmental degradation to social justice, influencing the landmark Paris Agreement at COP21.
• He convened oil executives and global leaders to press for climate commitments and issued a 2023 exhortation, 'Laudate Deum,' advocating for fossil fuel divestment and carbon neutrality.
• Francis amplified Indigenous voices through his 2020 apostolic exhortation 'Querida Amazonia,' emphasizing their role in addressing ecological challenges.
• The Laudato Si’ Movement, inspired by his teachings, now coordinates 900 organizations and 10,000 climate activists worldwide, continuing his mission of faith-based environmental advocacy.