We hear a lot about the environment these days. Is global warming really happening? How serious is our abuse of the natural resources of our planet — the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we cultivate? Have we lost our ability to marvel at the beauty of Earth and the vastness of the cosmos? Do we regard ourselves as “masters of the universe” or as stewards of what truly belongs to God alone?

Pope Benedict XVI is sometimes called “the green pope” because he frequently speaks about our duty to care for God’s creation in respectful and responsible ways. Pope John Paul II and Pope Paul VI also taught the importance of environmental stewardship, but in keeping with growing international concerns, Pope Benedict speaks about this issue with a new urgency.

Read More in the St. Louis Review.