As Pope Francis says, “We are in the midst of an emergency.” The climate crisis continues to threaten people's fundamental rights and displacement caused by climate change is on the rise. The climate crisis has a very human face. It is already a reality for many vulnerable people around the world. The Catholic Church shows attentive pastoral care for those who have been displaced from their homes due to the effects of this climate crisis.

The climate crisis is already causing and aggravating the displacement of people due to short- and long-term natural disasters. In 2020 alone, nearly 31 million people were displaced due to natural disasters, the highest number ever recorded. It is estimated that from 2008 to 2018 more than 253.7 million people were displaced due to natural disasters, with the number of displaced persons three to ten times higher than that of armed conflicts worldwide, depending on the region in question. By 2050, an estimated 250 million people will be affected by forced displacement and the most vulnerable groups in society will continue to suffer the most.

The Catholic Church is concerned about these challenges and the impact of the climate crisis on the dignity of human beings. Together with governments, other Christian denominations, other faith traditions and people of good will, the Church intends to respond to these challenges. The magisterium of the Catholic Church has already taken into consideration the condition of internally displaced persons, together with other categories of migrants, and has produced reflections and instructions regarding their pastoral care, reflected in particular in the Encyclical Laudato Si '.

The full article is available in the GMS 2023 booklet, in Italian, English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

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