Pope Leo XIV, the first U.S.-born pontiff, steps into a role shaped by Pope Francis’ outspoken defense of climate action and Indigenous rights, raising questions about whether he will maintain that trajectory.

Anita Hofschneider and Ayurella Horn-Muller report for Grist.

In short:

Pope Francis reshaped the Catholic Church’s position on climate change, tying environmental degradation to social and moral failure, especially in his 2015 encyclical Laudato si’, which emphasized the protection of the poor and the planet.

He acknowledged the Church’s role in colonization, endorsed Indigenous languages in worship, rejected the Doctrine of Discovery, and promoted Indigenous rights as integral to climate justice.

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, has a background in Latin America and has voiced support for environmental protection, but has not yet shown a strong climate record, leaving observers watching closely for signs of continuity or divergence.

Key quote:

“Ignoring the original communities in the safeguarding of the Earth is a serious mistake, not to say a great injustice.”

— Pope Francis

Why this matters:

The Catholic Church, with its 1.4 billion members, holds extraordinary moral and institutional influence across continents, especially in the Global South where environmental degradation often collides with systemic poverty and historical colonization. Pope Francis made the unprecedented move to frame climate change not as a distant ecological problem but as a human and spiritual crisis, linking fossil fuel-driven destruction with injustice toward the world’s poorest and Indigenous peoples. His efforts inspired global movements for faith-based climate justice, even as they stirred resistance from conservative factions within the church, particularly in the U.S. Now, with Pope Leo XIV stepping in amid the Trump administration’s rollback of climate and Indigenous protections, many are watching to see if he will push past polite rhetoric into action.

Related: Pope Francis, who used faith and science to call out the climate crisis, dies at 88

A malaria-like illness spread by black-legged ticks has taken hold in parts of the mid-Atlantic, raising concern among researchers who warn local doctors may not be prepared to recognize or treat it.

Zoya Teirstein reports for Grist.

In short:

A new study shows that babesiosis, a tick-borne disease once mostly confined to the Northeast and Upper Midwest, has been found in ticks in Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware for the first time.

Climate change — through warmer winters, increased rainfall, and expanded tick habitat — is contributing to the spread of the Babesia parasite and the rodents that carry it.

The disease is often misdiagnosed or missed entirely due to low physician awareness, which researchers say could lead to more severe cases and unnecessary complications.

Key quote:

“Tick range expansion is occurring at such a precipitous rate that public health guidance regarding tick-borne disease prevention and treatment can be rapidly rendered obsolete.”

— Study authors

Why this matters:

As winters grow milder and rainfall increases, ticks once confined to northern forests are making themselves at home in southern states, bringing with them diseases that many doctors outside of tick hotspots don’t know to look for. Babesiosis, which destroys red blood cells and can lead to organ failure, is especially dangerous for older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Many cases go undetected because symptoms can mimic other illnesses or appear mild, allowing the infection to progress untreated. When doctors miss diagnoses, the consequences can be deadly.

Learn more: Ticks on the rise: a family’s encounter reveals growing concerns

For nearly 20 years, federal tax credits have helped homeowners afford rooftop solar panels, but a new House proposal would end those incentives at the close of 2025, potentially stalling solar growth and driving up energy costs for families.

Tik Root reports for Grist.

In short:

House Republicans proposed ending the 25D solar tax credit — a key incentive that offers homeowners a 30% break on solar installation costs — by the end of this year, instead of the planned 2034 timeline.

The move would also limit the 48E credit used by businesses for third-party solar installations by tightening sourcing requirements on solar components, many of which currently come from China.

Industry analysts expect a short-term rush to install systems before the credit expires, followed by a steep decline in installations and job losses across the sector.

Key quote:

“It’s going to be devastating for companies, their employees, and their customers. It’ll kill an industry that supports hundreds of thousands of workers and tens of billions of dollars in investment every year.”

— Sean Gallagher, senior vice president of policy at the Solar Energy Industries Association

Why this matters:

Federal tax incentives have helped scale residential solar across the U.S., cutting household energy bills, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, and reducing carbon emissions from fossil fuels. Removing these credits could reverse years of clean energy gains, especially in lower-income communities that rely on subsidies to afford solar installations. The uncertainty is already cooling investor confidence and forcing solar companies to lay off workers.

Learn more: Republicans push to end EV and green energy tax breaks in new budget bill

El Paso is experiencing its dustiest year in decades, as drought, vanishing vegetation, and rising temperatures send choking clouds of dirt across the Texas border region.

Martha Pskowski reports for Inside Climate News.

In short:

El Paso has seen 10 dust storms and 34 dusty days this year — levels not recorded since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s — due to a prolonged drought and stronger-than-average winds across West Texas, New Mexico, and northern Mexico.

Air quality has plummeted, with particulate matter reaching hazardous levels; one storm in March saw PM2.5 levels 28 times the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s daily limit, raising serious concerns for respiratory health.

Restoration efforts at hotspots like the Lordsburg Playa aim to stabilize soils and reduce dust, but scientists warn that with continued warming and aridification, storms will likely grow more frequent and intense.

Key quote:

“We still don’t have models developed as a society to address this. Maybe we should add this to the list of extreme meteorological events.”

— Felipe Adrian Vázquez-Gálvez, Center for Atmospheric Sciences at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez

Why this matters:

Dust storms are a growing public health crisis and a visible consequence of climate instability. When dry soil gets kicked up into the air, it carries fine particulate matter deep into human lungs, aggravating asthma, heart disease, and in some cases triggering Valley fever, a fungal infection that thrives in dust-prone regions. What’s unfolding in El Paso mirrors conditions that once led to the Dust Bowl, but now with a new twist: Higher temperatures caused by climate change dry out soils faster and reduce the resilience of native vegetation. Add chronic overgrazing, poor land management, and urban sprawl, and the result is a cycle that threatens both human health and the stability of arid ecosystems. These storms also disproportionately affect low-income communities where residents may lack access to air conditioning, sealed housing, or health care.Related:

A once-vital NASA climate lab perched above Manhattan’s Tom’s Restaurant will shut down at the end of May, displacing scientists and reflecting the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle federal climate research.

Oliver Milman reports for The Guardian.

In short:

The Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), NASA’s top climate monitoring lab located above the diner made famous by Seinfeld, will close after nearly 60 years due to an executive order reviewing federal leases.

About 130 scientists are being forced to work remotely without a clear plan for relocation, as the administration seeks to slash NASA’s Earth science funding by 50%.

Despite the building’s modest lease and recent multimillion-dollar renovations, the shutdown appears driven more by ideology than cost-saving, sparking concern among former and current GISS scientists.

Key quote:

“They are trying to kill the messenger with the bad news, it’s crazy.”

— Dr. James Hansen, former director of GISS

Why this matters:

Climate science doesn’t happen in a vacuum — it needs infrastructure, continuity, and institutional support. GISS has played a critical role in shaping our understanding of global warming, from building the first climate models to documenting the accelerating pace of planetary heating. Its closure threatens not just a symbolic center of climate research, but the very mechanisms by which we monitor and respond to environmental change. Shuttering this lab sends a message that scientific expertise, especially in politically sensitive areas like climate, can be sidelined. The lab’s closure isn’t happening in isolation — it echoes a broader pattern of devaluing federal science, from vaccine research to weather forecasting.

Related: Push to privatize NASA and NOAA climate research sparks backlash from Maryland lawmakers

The Biden-era gains in climate spending and public land protections are under threat as U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum tells Congress the administration sees artificial intelligence and Iran as more urgent.

Dharna Noor reports for The Guardian.

In short:

Burgum defended steep budget cuts to environmental programs during his congressional testimony, arguing that national security concerns take precedence over climate action.

The proposed budget slashes $5 billion from the Interior Department, including funding for national parks, renewable energy programs, and Biden-era clean energy tax credits, while prioritizing defense and AI investments.

Critics, including Representative Chellie Pingree and the advocacy group Public Citizen, condemned the move, warning it would gut the department’s capacity and favor oil, gas, and mining industries over public lands and environmental protection.

Key quote:

“In just four months, the department has been destabilized, and there’s been a stunning decline in its ability to meet its mission.”

— U.S. Rep. Chellie Marie Pingree of Maine, the ranking member of the House appropriations committee

Why this matters:

The Trump administration’s pivot away from climate action comes at a time when scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows the Earth is warming faster than anticipated. A rollback in federal environmental funding risks worsening the impacts of extreme weather that are already disrupting communities and economies. With the Interior Department overseeing vast stretches of public lands its diminished focus on climate and prioritization of fossil fuel production is likely to mean more drilling, mining, and habitat destruction. Burgum’s comments reflect a broader shift in federal priorities that sidelines the climate crisis, with consequences for public health and safety. These moves leave states and local governments with the burden of responding to the climate emergency without sufficient federal support.

Learn more: Trump administration seeks to open more public lands to oil, gas and mining under new Interior plan

Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, was elected on May 8 as the first American pontiff and immediately drew praise for his deep commitment to climate justice, environmental protection, and social equity.

His election comes at a critical time for global climate action, with church leaders, activists, and policymakers lauding his alignment with Pope Francis’ ecological legacy and his strong record on environmental and human rights issues.

At a 2024 seminar in Rome, the then-Cardinal warned that the world must move “from words to action” on the climate crisis, rooted in the Social Doctrine of the Church.

He highlighted Vatican efforts such as installing solar panels and shifting to electric vehicles and urged that humanity’s “dominion over nature” must never become “tyrannical” but should reflect a “relationship of reciprocity” with the environment.

Pope Leo XIV, 69, brings decades of pastoral and administrative experience, including years serving in Peru and leading the Dicastery for Bishops and the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

Many observers see him as continuing the path set by Pope Francis, especially through Laudato Si’, the 2015 encyclical on environmental stewardship and “care for our common home.”

“This is a kairos moment—a time of unity and bold action,” said Lorna Gold, executive director of the Laudato Si’ Movement in the U.S.

“Pope XIV is the pope needed at this moment: a man who stands for unity, peace, and action for our planet,” she added.

Ana Toni, CEO of COP30 and Brazil’s lead for the 2025 UN Climate Summit, said the new pope’s focus aligns closely with their mission.

“Cardinal Robert Prevost has urged us to ‘move from words to action,’ which is also the motto for COP30,” Toni said.

She invited Pope Leo XIV to attend COP30 in Belem this November to help catalyze a global climate agreement rooted in equity and sustainability.

In the Philippines, climate and faith leaders also welcomed his election.

“Leo XIV can potentially usher in a papacy that takes on a courageous stance against corporate power, especially those responsible for the climate crisis,” said Jefferson Chua, campaigner at Greenpeace Philippines.

Chua cited the pope’s connection to social justice traditions, particularly Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, and urged him to “relentlessly call for justice and accountability on behalf of climate-vulnerable communities.”

Bishop Gerry Alminaza of Caritas Philippines also tied the new papacy to rising calls for fossil fuel divestment.

Speaking at the May 8 Standard Chartered AGM, Alminaza warned about the impacts of LNG projects on Philippine power prices and the Church’s commitment to divest from fossil fuel-linked banks by year’s end.

“This commitment reflects the vision of Laudato Si’, where Pope Francis calls on all of us to take shared responsibility and ensure genuine action,” Alminaza said.

Francisco Mena, director at the Ecumenical School of Religious Sciences in Costa Rica, said Pope Leo XIV’s choice of name reflects his mission.

“Leo XIV honors Leo XIII, the pope of labor dignity,” Mena said. “This signals a continued push for economic reform and environmental sustainability.”

He added that energy reform cannot succeed without a shift away from oil-dependent growth models, calling for an economy that protects both the environment and human dignity.

Faith-based campaigners expect Pope Leo XIV to advance the Church’s leadership role in climate negotiations, human rights advocacy, and just energy transitions, particularly in the Global South.

Observers also noted the pope’s previous criticism of climate inaction, such as his 2017 repost of a Catholic News Service article denouncing the Trump administration’s rollback of climate policies.

In a world dominated by loud, divisive politics, the cardinals found an antidote in Pope Leo XIV

Posted on: 12 May 2025

Leo XIV was a choice few saw coming, and is a figure of humility, steadiness and introspective strength, writes Bronagh Ann McShane in an opinion article first published by The Irish Times.

With the election of Pope Leo XIV born Robert Francis Prevost, the Catholic Church has chosen a leader whose background blends American origins, Latin American pastoral experience, and Augustinian spirituality. His appointment is historic: the first American-born pope, the first from the Augustinian order, and a figure who reflects both continuity with Pope Francis and subtle divergence. His election presents an invitation to re-engage with questions about belief, community, and the church‘s role in a changing world.

Leo XIV was a choice few saw coming. Quiet, thoughtful and not among the most frequently touted contenders, his elevation surprised Vatican watchers. But in many ways, it makes sense. In a world dominated by brash, performative politics, the cardinals may have been seeking an antidote: a figure of humility, steadiness and introspective strength. If Donald Trump epitomises a certain kind of modern power (loud, transactional and divisive), Pope Leo XIV stands as a striking counterpoint: a man shaped by monastic discipline, communal values and the quiet resilience of missionary work.

Born in Chicago and ordained as an Augustinian priest in 1982, Leo XIV spent much of his ministry in Peru, where he developed a deep understanding of pastoral work in the Global South. A canon lawyer by training, his rise through the church hierarchy was swift: he was appointed Archbishop of Chiclayo in 2023 and, within months, was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis.* Appointed to key roles in Rome, including as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, he became a trusted figure in shaping the global episcopacy. His election suggests the cardinals valued international experience, humility and theological steadiness.

The Augustinian element of his identity is striking. Unlike the Jesuits, whose missionary and intellectual dynamism shaped Francis’s outward-facing papacy, the Augustinians draw inspiration from St Augustine of Hippo’s emphasis on the interior life, the search for truth and the primacy of community. This may signal a papacy less defined by dramatic gestures and more by a contemplative, doctrinally grounded tone.

In many respects, Pope Leo XIV signals continuity with the vision of his predecessor. He is pastorally focused, shaped by years of ministry in Latin America and attuned to the realities of a global church. His administrative work under Francis, particularly his role in episcopal appointments, shows clear alignment with the late pope’s commitment to a more inclusive and collegial model of governance.

His first papal homily echoed this orientation. “Peace be with you all,” he greeted the crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square, before calling for “a church that builds bridges, establishes dialogue and is open to receiving everybody.” The tone was unmistakably Franciscan: gentle, deliberate and grounded in a vision of the church as reconciler in a divided world.

Reflecting Francis’s priorities, Leo has also voiced strong support for ecological responsibility. In 2024, he declared it was time to move “from words to action” on climate change, advocating for a “relationship of reciprocity” with the environment. He backed Vatican initiatives (from solar panels to electric vehicles) and his years in Peru, a country severely affected by environmental degradation, give his advocacy moral weight. This is not just rhetorical alignment, but lived conviction.

On economic justice and immigration, he has struck similarly forthright tones. He condemned clerical elitism, stating that “the bishop is not supposed to be a little prince”, and spoke empathetically of his immigrant roots. He even criticised right-wing US politicians like JD Vance, drawing a sharp contrast with nationalist Catholicism.

But in other areas, his outlook is more cautious. As head of the Dicastery for Bishops, he oversaw the historic inclusion of women in the voting bloc that selects bishops, an important and widely praised reform. He asserted that their presence “contributes significantly to the process of discernment”. Yet he has opposed the ordination of women as deacons, aligning with current church teaching. Whether he will respond to calls for fuller inclusion remains unclear and his leadership on this issue is already being closely watched.

The same complexity applies to LGBTQ+ Catholics. Leo supported Francis’s declaration allowing blessings for same-sex couples, but emphasised local pastoral discretion. Earlier, in 2012, he criticised Western “sympathy” for the “homosexual lifestyle”. Whether those views persist or soften under papal responsibility remains to be seen. It seems that his papacy is likely to take a more cautious tone than Francis’s on questions of sexuality.

Leo XIV inherits a church facing internal division and external credibility crises. The Catholic world is polarised between those pushing for reform and those urging a return to tradition. The clergy abuse scandals have deeply scarred the church‘s authority. Survivors and advocates continue to demand transparency and justice. Whether Leo will confront this legacy decisively, or defer to institutional caution, remains uncertain.

He must also reckon with unresolved allegations from his time in Chiclayo, where survivors accused him of mishandling abuse investigations. Supporters dismiss the claims as politically motivated, but scrutiny at the papal level is another matter. His credibility on accountability will depend on how he addresses the church‘s darkest chapter.

Beyond the Vatican, the world he enters as Pope is in crisis: war, displacement, climate breakdown, democratic erosion. Francis positioned the church as a voice of conscience on these issues. Time will tell whether Leo XIV will sustain that outward moral witness or turn the church’s gaze more inward.

The challenge of secularisation is no less pressing. In much of the West, the church must now persuade rather than presume authority. Here, Leo’s Augustinian roots may be an unexpected asset. St Augustine’s insight – that the human heart is restless until it rests in God – offers a powerful way to reach those disenchanted with both faith and modernity. If Leo XIV can tap into that language of longing and humility, he may yet reach audiences the church has long lost.

Then there is the matter of the Vatican’s finances, still recovering from scandal and dysfunction. Francis advanced transparency, but corruption persists. Leo XIV’s lack of financial experience could prove a vulnerability unless he relies on independent, reform-minded advisers. In this realm, accountability isn’t just about numbers, it’s about restoring trust.

Pope Leo XIV’s election marks a pivotal moment for a church at a crossroads. He brings a measured calm, but calm alone won’t meet the urgency of this age.

Bronagh Ann McShane is Research Fellow in History on the VOICES project at Trinity College Dublin. She is author of Irish Women in Religious Orders, 1530-1700: Suppression, Migration and Reintegration (2022).

This article was published in The Irish Times.