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November 2, 2015

Pope Francis’ Environmental Encyclical: Protecting the Planet and the Poor

A Conversation with Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez

Pope Francis' environmental encyclical Laudato Si' makes a powerful moral case for the dual obligation to care for creation and care for the poor. As the first cardinal from Honduras, Cardinal Rodríguez knows firsthand the damaging human impact from environmental degradation and leads the church’s efforts to defend the life and dignity of the poor.

Cardinal Rodríguez is uniquely qualified to explain and advance Pope Francis’ recent appeals at the White House, the United States Capitol, and the United Nations, for action on climate change to protect the planet and the poor. Following the conversation with Cardinal Rodríguez, which was moderated by John Carr, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, members of Georgetown Law Center reflected on the presentation.

This event was co-sponsored by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Georgetown Law Center’s Environmental Law Program and Climate Change Center, and the Global Futures Initiative.

Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez is a key advisor to Pope Francis and the chair of his Council of Cardinals. He is the first cardinal from Honduras.

Edith Brown Weiss is the Francis Cabell Brown Professor of International Law and a member of United Nations Environment Programme's International Advisory Council on Environmental Justice.

John Podesta
is a Distinguished Visitor from Practice and a former counselor to President Barack Obama on climate change and energy policy.