Today, Por la Creación Faith-based Alliance commended Pope Francis’s encyclical letter on humans, climate and nature, releasing the following statement:

“Por la Creación Faith-based Alliance began in 2013 out of a recognized need for the religious community to shed a spotlight on protecting God’s creation and engaging our communities in order to leave a legacy for the future.  Pope Francis’s focus on climate concerns, as well as the connection between human health and the environment, highlights the importance of these issues in communities throughout the United States and the world.

“Pope Francis points out that the earth ‘is protesting for the wrong that we are doing to her, because of the irresponsible use and abuse of the goods that God has placed on her. We have grown up thinking that we were her owners and dominators, authorized to loot her.’”

“For too long, our society has taken for granted the natural treasures on this earth. We have a moral responsibility to safeguard our land, water and air. It is up to us to protect our special public lands throughout America –- to balance our need for energy development with conservation.

“Hispanics are passionate about the outdoors and the more they learn about the threats posed upon the from energy development or climate change, the more active they become in protecting these natural wonders for future generations. We thank Pope Francis for his attention to these issues as we all work to be part of the solution.”

The Por la Creación Faith-based Alliance's mission is to develop stewards of God’s creation by educating and engaging this generation to leave a legacy for the future. The group seeks to educate Hispanics and to encourage active engagement in supporting the nation’s public lands and protecting our natural resources.