56 °f
Detroit
EL CENTRAL Hispanic News
  • Home
  • About
    • Introducing the partnership with the Race and Justice reporting Initiative
    • Resources
  • Español
    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    Trump’s downfall: Fascist capitalism will do him in

    Trump’s downfall: Fascist capitalism will do him in

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Why Trump will fail

    Why Trump will fail

    Pueblo Yumano

    Pueblo Yumano

    A Forever Home for Detroit City FC

    A Forever Home for Detroit City FC

    Centros de ayuda parroquiales enfrentan mayores costos por recortes federales a bancos de alimentos

    Centros de ayuda parroquiales enfrentan mayores costos por recortes federales a bancos de alimentos

  • Community
    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

    Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

    UNI Launches Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship

    UNI Launches Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship

    Ballot drive to end utility political contributions clears state canvassers

    Ballot drive to end utility political contributions clears state canvassers

    Detroit’s EasyPay Payment Plan Enrolls More than 30,000 residents protected from service interruption

    Detroit’s EasyPay Payment Plan Enrolls More than 30,000 residents protected from service interruption

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Movies Under the Stars Season Concludes Friday in Detroit at Historic Fort Wayne

    Movies Under the Stars Season Concludes Friday in Detroit at Historic Fort Wayne

    LIBRE–Michigan Hosted A Back-to-School Giveaway to Empower Latino Families

    LIBRE–Michigan Hosted A Back-to-School Giveaway to Empower Latino Families

  • Featured
    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    A Forever Home for Detroit City FC

    A Forever Home for Detroit City FC

    CHASS Center Honored with Spirit of Detroit Award in Honor of 55 Years of Community Health, Dignity, and Hope

    CHASS Center Honored with Spirit of Detroit Award in Honor of 55 Years of Community Health, Dignity, and Hope

    Gutierrez and cousin Jacob Lozano

    Donut Villa Expands to Second Location Near Ford Rouge Plant

    Candidates Face the People: Southwest Detroit Hosts Powerful Mayoral Forum on Community Priorities

    Candidates Face the People: Southwest Detroit Hosts Powerful Mayoral Forum on Community Priorities

    Fr. David Buersmeyer y Mrs. Judith Brooks de Strangers No Longer / hablan a los participantes de la procesión frente a la oficina de campo de ICE en Detroit / address procession participants in front of the field office of ICE in Detroit. Foto de/Photo by Valaurian Waller | Detroit Catholic

    Detroit Catholics Walk in Solidarity with Immigrants, Demand Humane Treatment

    Linzie and Jesse Venegas of Ideal Group Recognized as Entrepreneurs Of The Year 2025

    Linzie and Jesse Venegas of Ideal Group Recognized as Entrepreneurs Of The Year 2025

  • Opinion
  • Culture & Arts
    • All
    • World Cultures
    Festivalgoers enjoying the photobooth.

    SWFest: Celebrating Five Years of Creativity and Community

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Pages Bookshop to Host Book Launch and Community Roundtable

    Pages Bookshop to Host Book Launch and Community Roundtable

    Pueblo Yumano

    Pueblo Yumano

    Learning about Art from a Master

    Learning about Art from a Master

    Huastecos Téenek

    Huastecos Téenek

    2025 Kresge Fellows from left-right: Elise Marie Martin, Taurus Burns, Louis Aguilar, Maya Davis, Kimberly LaVonne, Slumdog Visionaire, Marwa Helal, Donald Calloway, Brittany Rogers, Beenish Ahmed, Ivan Montoya, April Anue Shipp, Allana Clarke, Malak Cherri, Anetria Cole. Photo credit: JennyRisher

    Latino Creatives Shine as 2025 Kresge Fellows, Honoring Heritage and Artistic Power

    Tzotziles / BatsiI Winik’Otik

    Tzotziles / BatsiI Winik’Otik

    • World Cultures
  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues
    • Throwbacks
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • en English
    • en English
    • es Spanish
No Result
View All Result
EL CENTRAL Hispanic News
  • Home
  • About
    • Introducing the partnership with the Race and Justice reporting Initiative
    • Resources
  • Español
    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    Trump’s downfall: Fascist capitalism will do him in

    Trump’s downfall: Fascist capitalism will do him in

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Why Trump will fail

    Why Trump will fail

    Pueblo Yumano

    Pueblo Yumano

    A Forever Home for Detroit City FC

    A Forever Home for Detroit City FC

    Centros de ayuda parroquiales enfrentan mayores costos por recortes federales a bancos de alimentos

    Centros de ayuda parroquiales enfrentan mayores costos por recortes federales a bancos de alimentos

  • Community
    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

    Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

    UNI Launches Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship

    UNI Launches Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship

    Ballot drive to end utility political contributions clears state canvassers

    Ballot drive to end utility political contributions clears state canvassers

    Detroit’s EasyPay Payment Plan Enrolls More than 30,000 residents protected from service interruption

    Detroit’s EasyPay Payment Plan Enrolls More than 30,000 residents protected from service interruption

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Movies Under the Stars Season Concludes Friday in Detroit at Historic Fort Wayne

    Movies Under the Stars Season Concludes Friday in Detroit at Historic Fort Wayne

    LIBRE–Michigan Hosted A Back-to-School Giveaway to Empower Latino Families

    LIBRE–Michigan Hosted A Back-to-School Giveaway to Empower Latino Families

  • Featured
    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    Senator Slotkin Delivers Federal Honor to CHASS as Funding Fights Loom

    A Forever Home for Detroit City FC

    A Forever Home for Detroit City FC

    CHASS Center Honored with Spirit of Detroit Award in Honor of 55 Years of Community Health, Dignity, and Hope

    CHASS Center Honored with Spirit of Detroit Award in Honor of 55 Years of Community Health, Dignity, and Hope

    Gutierrez and cousin Jacob Lozano

    Donut Villa Expands to Second Location Near Ford Rouge Plant

    Candidates Face the People: Southwest Detroit Hosts Powerful Mayoral Forum on Community Priorities

    Candidates Face the People: Southwest Detroit Hosts Powerful Mayoral Forum on Community Priorities

    Fr. David Buersmeyer y Mrs. Judith Brooks de Strangers No Longer / hablan a los participantes de la procesión frente a la oficina de campo de ICE en Detroit / address procession participants in front of the field office of ICE in Detroit. Foto de/Photo by Valaurian Waller | Detroit Catholic

    Detroit Catholics Walk in Solidarity with Immigrants, Demand Humane Treatment

    Linzie and Jesse Venegas of Ideal Group Recognized as Entrepreneurs Of The Year 2025

    Linzie and Jesse Venegas of Ideal Group Recognized as Entrepreneurs Of The Year 2025

  • Opinion
  • Culture & Arts
    • All
    • World Cultures
    Festivalgoers enjoying the photobooth.

    SWFest: Celebrating Five Years of Creativity and Community

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    Mayan Kaqchikel

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    “SWFest” to Showcase Local Sound for Fifth Year at Senate Theater

    Pages Bookshop to Host Book Launch and Community Roundtable

    Pages Bookshop to Host Book Launch and Community Roundtable

    Pueblo Yumano

    Pueblo Yumano

    Learning about Art from a Master

    Learning about Art from a Master

    Huastecos Téenek

    Huastecos Téenek

    2025 Kresge Fellows from left-right: Elise Marie Martin, Taurus Burns, Louis Aguilar, Maya Davis, Kimberly LaVonne, Slumdog Visionaire, Marwa Helal, Donald Calloway, Brittany Rogers, Beenish Ahmed, Ivan Montoya, April Anue Shipp, Allana Clarke, Malak Cherri, Anetria Cole. Photo credit: JennyRisher

    Latino Creatives Shine as 2025 Kresge Fellows, Honoring Heritage and Artistic Power

    Tzotziles / BatsiI Winik’Otik

    Tzotziles / BatsiI Winik’Otik

    • World Cultures
  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues
    • Throwbacks
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • en English
    • en English
    • es Spanish
No Result
View All Result
EL CENTRAL Hispanic News
No Result
View All Result

VOICES: Pope Francis’ climate legacy: Can Pope Leo XIV carry the torch?

Guest Opinion:

EL CENTRAL by EL CENTRAL
May 29, 2025
in Opinion
Reading Time: 4 mins read
Home Opinion
ShareShareTweetEmail to a friend
  • Rev Gary R Wright – Reprinted from Planet Detroit with permission
  • May 29, 2025

As Pope Leo XIV steps into his role, young people are eager to see if he will continue Pope Francis’ legacy on climate action, writes the Rev. Gary R. Wright, parish priest at Saints Peter and Paul Jesuit Church in Detroit.

Those on both sides of the political and cultural divide are wondering about the new Pope Leo XIV’s perspective on various important issues. Will he uphold the legacy of the late Pope Francis or will he move in a different direction?  One critical concern for many of us, including the Generation Z and millennial people in my parish, is climate disruption. 

Despite the efforts by some to label Pope Francis a tradition-breaking progressive, when it came to environmental issues, Francis was actually following strong statements by his predecessors, Pope Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II. For example, back in 1990 John Paul II declared that the “greenhouse effect has now reached crisis proportions as a consequence of industrial growth.”

What made Francis’ teaching document on care for God’s creation, “Laudato Si,” groundbreaking was that it began with the science. This was a sea change for a papal document. He started with reality and with respect for human knowledge and then brought in the timeless teachings of the Church.

Also, the release of “Laudato Si” was intentionally timed six months ahead of the United Nations climate negotiations in Paris. “The impact was tremendous,” according to Ottmar Edenhofer from Germany, who served as co-chair of the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. “The Vatican played a significant role in the negotiations for the Paris Agreement,” Edenhofer said.

Francis didn’t simply add a faith voice to the scientific debate; he reframed the debate. Science can tell us what is happening, but it is our moral compass that tells us what to do about it. Ecologist Gus Speth said it beautifully: “I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and climate change. I thought 30 years of good science could address these problems. I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy, and to deal with these we need a cultural and spiritual transformation. We scientists don’t know how to do that.”

Faith leaders should be engaged in such a spiritual transformation, but we’ve often been absent from that mission.

Francis entered the environmental discussion and went both broad and deep in communicating our relationship to the environment. His fundamental message was that everything is connected, not only all of God’s creation, but all of our challenges, too. Our social problems intertwine with our environmental problems. Both are symptoms of a “throw-away economy” where people and resources are used and abused.

Francis dove deeper still, articulating the Christian values we need to recover: “We must regain the conviction that we need one another, that we have a shared responsibility for others and the world, and that being good and decent are worth it.”

Especially now, we need these moral convictions for a healthier world. We are facing worsening wildfires and hurricanes. A vast array of chemicals poison our land, water, and air. The Environmental Protection Agency was making progress on these issues, but is now reversing course. As one example, the EPA is threatening to eliminate a rule it just enacted one year ago that would save at least 4,500 lives a year from deadly soot pollution from power plants.

We must not lose hope. We must do what we can to speak up and live according to our values. I am proud of our parish’s Green Team — one of at least 400 Catholic “creation care teams” across the country that have formed in recent years. We changed our parish’s lighting to LED, got rid of Styrofoam and most plastic, and continue to pray and study to challenge ourselves to do more at the parish and in our homes.

One of the best insights we can carry forward from Francis is that taking action is crucial for our spiritual lives as well as for the practical accomplishments.

Our new pope seems aligned with this, too. In 2024, he declared it time to move “from words to action” on the environmental crisis at a climate change conference in Rome.

This may be a relief to the 40% of my parish under age 40 who face great anxiety about our march toward climate disaster. However, hope comes not only from taking action, but also from spiritual depth. We can draw encouragement from Francis’ conviction that God cares about us and is drawing us toward a better future. That transcends party lines and popes. May we work together for this better future, in love and solidarity with all.

Planet Detroit’s Voices column includes opinion pieces from our community of partners and readers. These pieces express the voices of the authors and not necessarily those of the publication.

Previous Post

El Salvador

Next Post

Rich History of Latino Players on the Detroit Tigers Continues

EL CENTRAL

EL CENTRAL

Related Posts

The “Woke” Myth: Who should decide what we see, read, and learn?
Community

The “Woke” Myth: Who should decide what we see, read, and learn?

by EL CENTRAL
September 4, 2025
0

Español Abajo “The Museums throughout Washington, but all over the Country are, essentially, the last remaining segment of ‘WOKE,’” Trump...

Read moreDetails
Candidates Face the People: Southwest Detroit Hosts Powerful Mayoral Forum on Community Priorities
Local News

Detroit’s Mayoral Election; Ground Zero for Democracy

by Rogelio Landin
August 28, 2025
0

Detroit mayoral write-in candidate Rogelio Landin urges voter turnout, pledges to protect democracy, expand growth, and give residents real choices.

Read moreDetails
Trump’s downfall: Fascist capitalism will do him in
Español

Trump’s downfall: Fascist capitalism will do him in

by EL CENTRAL
August 28, 2025
0

Trump’s grip on government, economy, and private sector signals a dangerous shift in U.S. politics—learn how it could impact democracy...

Read moreDetails
Why Trump will fail
Español

Why Trump will fail

by EL CENTRAL
August 21, 2025
0

Trump’s latest appointments reveal a pattern: loyalty over competence. Explore how sycophancy, inept picks, and blind ambition threaten U.S. governance.

Read moreDetails
WDET Public Radio Needs You!
Opinion

WDET Public Radio Needs You!

by EL CENTRAL
August 14, 2025
0

Federal cuts slash WDET’s largest funding source, threatening Detroit’s trusted public radio. Learn why local support is now more vital...

Read moreDetails
Trump destroys our source of information about jobs by Robert Reich
Español

Trump destroys our source of information about jobs by Robert Reich

by EL CENTRAL
August 7, 2025
0

Trump’s attack on the Bureau of Labor Statistics threatens data integrity and trust in U.S. institutions like the Fed, EPA,...

Read moreDetails
Next Post
Rich History of Latino Players on the Detroit Tigers Continues

Rich History of Latino Players on the Detroit Tigers Continues

Leave Comment
ADVERTISEMENT
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Volunteers Needed for Refugee Resettlement in Michigan

Volunteers Needed for Refugee Resettlement in Michigan

February 14, 2024
Southwest Celebrates Cinco de Mayo

Why We Celebrate “CINCO DE MAYO, THE 5TH OF MAY”

May 2, 2024
MSHDA Opens $60 Million MI Neighborhood Applications

MSHDA Opens $60 Million MI Neighborhood Applications

April 4, 2024
Infamous Highwaymen Motorcycle Club Leader Pursues a Second Chance at Life

Infamous Highwaymen Motorcycle Club Leader Pursues a Second Chance at Life

February 1, 2024
Community and RuboFest 2022 

Community and RuboFest 2022 

0
“Vemos a México como un socio igualitario”

“Vemos a México como un socio igualitario”

0
Ford Hispanic and Latino Network Beautifies Clark Park

Ford Hispanic and Latino Network Beautifies Clark Park

0
Editorial Opinion “The Fifth, I take the Fifth”

Editorial Opinion “The Fifth, I take the Fifth”

0
DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

August 28, 2025
Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

August 28, 2025
Festivalgoers enjoying the photobooth.

SWFest: Celebrating Five Years of Creativity and Community

August 28, 2025
UNI Launches Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship

UNI Launches Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship

August 28, 2025

Recent News

DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

August 28, 2025
Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

August 28, 2025
Festivalgoers enjoying the photobooth.

SWFest: Celebrating Five Years of Creativity and Community

August 28, 2025
UNI Launches Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship

UNI Launches Youth Development Practitioner Apprenticeship

August 28, 2025
EL CENTRAL Hispanic News

Michigans #1. Oldest. Largest & Only
Bilingual Hispanic News for 33 Years.

Follow Us

Browse by Category

  • Business
  • Classifieds
  • Community
  • Culture & Arts
  • Education
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Español
  • Events
  • Featured
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Latest News
  • Local News
  • Local Small Business
  • Music
  • National News
  • Opinion
  • Others
  • People
  • Politics
  • Resources
  • Restaurants
  • Sports
  • Throwbacks
  • World
  • World Cultures

Recent News

DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

DCFC Community Benefits Process Kicks Off in Mexicantown

August 28, 2025
Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

Metro Detroit Youth Find Their Voice in Summer Writing and Photography Camp

August 28, 2025
  • Latest Issue
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Menu Item
  • Created with EyeBreatheDesign

© 2022 EL CENTRAL HISPANIC NEWS

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Catagories
    • Featured
    • Local News
    • Community
    • Culture & Arts
    • Español
    • Music
    • Sports
  • Events
  • Latest Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Contact
  • Advertise

© 2022 EL CENTRAL HISPANIC NEWS