One of the foundational Catholic Social Teachings as outlined by the United States Congress of Catholic Bishops is the call to care for our environment, in the context of our home as God’s gift and creation for man to protect.
“We show our respect for the Creator by our stewardship of creation. Care for the earth is not just an Earth Day slogan, it is a requirement of our faith. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental moral and ethical dimensions that cannot be ignored.”
 
Pope Francis, in On Care for Our Common Home, states thatA true ecological approach always becomes a social approach; it must integrate questions of justice in debates on the environment, so as to hear both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor…Everything is connected. Concern for the environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society.”
 
In celebration of the Feast of St. Francis on October 4, the organization Catholic Climate Covenant creates programming designed to focus our thoughts and our actions on the many ways we can live our faith in regard to environmental action.

Note how many connections are made between the care of the environment and its impact on those less fortunate.