Congressman Boyle Joins Congressional Delegation Welcoming Pope’s Climate Message

Washington, D.C. – Last week, Congressman Brendan Boyle (PA-13) joined his Democratic colleagues in a joint statement welcoming Pope Francis's call for action on climate change in the encyclical "Laudato Si." The statement, organized by Pittsburgh area Congressman Mike Doyle (PA-14), reads:
"We welcome the Pope's encyclical on the need for the world to address climate change. We think it's only appropriate that one of the world's most influential religious leaders is speaking out about what we believe to be one of the most important moral issues of our time.
The Pope accepts the overwhelming international scientific consensus that human production of greenhouse gases is causing global climate change – change characterized by more frequent extreme weather conditions and a rising sea level. Scientists tell us that these changes will hurt poor and vulnerable people around the world disproportionately hard.
We share the Pope's belief that we should all be good stewards of God's creation, preserve it for future generations, and care for our vulnerable brothers and sisters. Climate change is a clear threat to those responsibilities. That's why we believe the federal government should adopt policies to halt climate change and help poor and vulnerable people who are suffering disproportionately from its effects."
In "Laudato Si," the encyclical issued last week, Pope Francis dedicated a large portion of his message to addressing climate change. His message focused on the impacts of climate change, including flooding, extreme storms, devastating heat waves, and failing crops that are impacting the poor around the world. Pope Francis called on elected officials around the world to move quickly to slash the carbon pollution that is fueling climate change.