The Michigan Catholic Conference marked Earth Day on Friday, reminding people that proper stewardship of God's creation is one of the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching.

“The Catholic Church in recent years has seen a renewed interest in promoting the care of the environment, led by Pope Francis, who published Laudato Si in 2015, which urged all people to ‘acknowledge the appeal, immensity and urgency of the challenge we face’ in better caring for our planet,” the post said. 

Care for God's Creation is one of the seven themes of Catholic Social Teaching, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The Catholic Church calls all of the faithful to be stewards of the earth, caring for the planet and the people on it. The USCCB acknowledges that environmental challenges include both moral and ethical dimensions. 

Discussions of God's creation and humanity's role in caring for the earth are present throughout the Bible, the USCCB says. In Genesis, God creates the Earth and instructs humans to care for it. Leviticus notes that the planet should not be abused. Other books including Daniel, Matthew and Romans discuss the relationship between God and His Creation. 

"We all need to make a contribution to halt the destruction of our common home and to restore nature: governments, businesses and citizens – we must act like brothers and sisters who share the Earth, the common home that God has given us,” Pope Francis tweeted on Earth Day this year. 

In Pope Francis' encyclical Laudato Si, published in 2015, the Pope described the destruction of the earth and reminded the faithful of their duty to protect it, according to the Vatican.

"The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change,” Pope Francis wrote. “The Creator does not abandon us; he never forsakes his loving plan or repents of having created us. Humanity still has the ability to work together in building our common home.” 

The Michigan Catholic Conference supports that approach.

“Care for creation is one of MCC’s core advocacy principles, in recognizing that the natural environment is a gift from God, offering notable beauty and providing necessary resources for Michigan communities,” it wrote. “Enjoying these resources, however, also comes with a responsibility to cultivate and care for the Earth.”