Pope Francis’s forthcoming encyclical on climate change and nature looks set to be one of the defining statements of his pontificate. In the two years that he has occupied the throne of St Peter, the Argentine pontiff has charted a radical course, departing from his predecessors on key topics such as sexuality and marriage while pursuing reforms to the administration of the Church itself. Now, he is intervening in one of the most heated political and scientific debates of our age in a way that will delight many environmentalists and alarm conservatives among his flock.
教皇方濟各(Pope Francis)即將發表的關於氣候變化和自然的通諭，看來將成爲其教皇任期內具有代表性的聲明之一。在登上聖彼得寶座的兩年裏，這位阿根廷籍教皇爲自己繪製了一條激進路線，他在性別與婚姻等關鍵議題上採取了與前幾任教皇不同的態度，同時推動教會管理改革。如今，他正在介入我們這個時代最激烈的政治與科學爭論之一。他的介入將使許多環保主義者感到歡欣鼓舞，也會讓其信徒中的保守人士感到驚慌。