“The moral dimension of the ecological crisis demands that each of us cultivate an ecological conscience, one that enables us to see clearly, judge rightly, and act ethically when it comes to the care of our common home,” the chairmen of two bishops’ committees wrote in a statement for the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (background).

Cautioning against “sensationalistic headlines,” the bishops suggest reading “at least some sections of the direct text” of the recent Sixth Assessment Report of the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

“The news about the future is hopeful,” said Archbishop Paul Coakley and Bishop David Malloy. “The IPCC AR6 report has now recognized that the most extreme and terrifying climate scenarios, the basis for many newsworthy apocalyptic predictions, are unlikely. Globally we have swiftly transitioned away from coal, and more likely climate scenarios point to a stable, albeit warmer, climate future. Climate change is serious and urgent, but it is not the end of the world.”