In a forthcoming book, Pope Francis argues that the coronavirus pandemic reveals that abortion and climate change are part of the same problem.
The book, Let Us Dream, obtained by the Washington Examiner, presents Francis’s thoughts on how the pandemic changed the dialogue surrounding a number of issues, including faith, race, and politics. Francis writes in it that the heightened moral stakes of life during a pandemic are making it clear “for those with eyes to see” that widespread support for abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty are the product of the same impulse that drives “the contamination of rivers and the destruction of the rainforest.”
“So even while people will argue strenuously that these issues are different in moral terms, as long as they insist that abortion is justified but not desertification, or that euthanasia is wrong but polluted rivers are the price to pay for economic progress, we will remain stuck in the same lack of integrity that put us where we are now,” Francis writes, adding that Christians must resist “the cultural and ethical deterioration that goes hand in hand with our ecological crisis.”
Francis in the book also promotes the protests for racial justice that occurred after the death of George Floyd, arguing that the incident is just a “gross violation of human dignity” that became a flashpoint issue during the pandemic. Francis also decries the increase in child abuse resulting from extended pandemic restrictions, as well as people who attempted to politicize the coronavirus.
“This crisis unmasks our vulnerability, exposes the false securities on which we had based our lives. It is a time for honest reflection, for owning our roots,” Francis writes, encouraging people to refer to their moral failings as “personal Covid” moments.
Throughout Let Us Dream, Francis references Laudato si’, a controversial encyclical that President-elect Joe Biden said will guide his climate change policy. Francis praised Biden for “addressing the crisis of climate change” in a congratulatory call after the latter won the presidency.
Francis, however, cautions that Laudato si’ is not just a “green encyclical” but also a “social encyclical,” arguing that world leaders cannot address climate change issues without also changing policies on abortion and other social issues. United States bishops last week made a similar distinction, praising Biden for opposing policies that could harm the climate but faulting him for supporting abortion.
Francis has stated many times since the coronavirus became a phenomenon that the pandemic is a reminder of society’s weaknesses.
“We were not shaken awake by wars or injustice across the world, nor did we listen to the cry of the poor nor of our gravely ailing planet,” Francis said in March during a ceremony in which he blessed the world. “We carried on regardless, thinking that we would stay healthy in a world that was sick.”
