The Pope's Call: Earth Day and Our Common Home

On this Earth Day 2025, we reflect on the profound guidance of Pope Francis who, sadly, left this earth only yesterday.

In his groundbreaking encyclical Laudato Si’, the Pope called on humanity to care for the Earth as our “common home.” This call is not merely environmental – it is deeply moral, rooted in the principles of justice, equity, and the dignity of all creation.

His influence is felt worldwide and crosses generations. Newground had the honor of working with a cohort of young leaders from the Economy of Francesco – a network of changemakers chartered by Pope Francis in 2019 to help transform the global economy – several of whom presented Newground’s shareholder proposal at the 2021 Chevron stockholders meeting.

Pope Francis reminds us that the climate crisis is inseparable from economic justice. “Today’s problems,” he wrote, “call for a vision capable of taking into account every aspect of the global crisis” – a vision where economic decisions are guided by the common good, and where those most affected by environmental harm (typically the poorest among us) are placed at the center of our concern.

This Earth Day, we are called to align our economies with the rhythms of nature and the needs of the vulnerable, and to resist the logic of limitless consumption.

As Pope Francis said, “To be protectors of God’s handiwork… is not an option.”

Note: This material is intended for educational purposes only. As with all our public writing, blog posts do not constitute tax or financial planning advice; likewise, they are neither an offer to sell nor solicitation to buy any investment or security.