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In his recent encyclical &#8211; teaching document &#8211; on ecology, Pope Francis invited real dialogue on the many pressing ecological issues facing humanity, particularly the poorest people of the world. Calling climate change &#8220;one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day,&#8221; he maintained that humankind is responsible for care of the natural world.He is right.His five key points in this new foundation of Roman Catholic teaching on the environment are:1. Climate change and environmental justice are moral issues.2. Protecting creation and protecting people who are poor are interconnected virtues.3. We &#8211; humans &#8211; are part of creation and kin to it.4. Greed is the greatest threat &#8211; to the poor and to the Earth itself.5. The time to act on climate change is now.Pope Francis&#8217; call for an integral ecology is a significant event in moving the climate conversation forward, not only for Roman Catholics but for all people of faith and all people in general.I applaud his initiative and encourage everyone to read his words and &#8211; most importantly &#8211; act on them. We are all called to live out our responsibilities as stewards and caretakers of creation.Pastor Paul MetzloffGreenFaith FellowHoly Trinity Lutheran ChurchKingston

Letter to the Editor: Pope’s points on climate change ring true for all people; act now