On March 13, 2013, as fumata bianca billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel, the whole world watched, and almost froze, until the The Vatican announced Jorge Mario Bergoglio had been elected as the new pope. Immediately, as the first act of a newly-elected pope, Bergoglio had chosen a regnal name that would undoubtedly establish his reputation as a defender of the poor and of the environment. "Quo nomine vis vocari?” (By what name do you wish to be called?). “Francis” then became the new pope, inheriting a spiritual responsibility that traces back to Saint Peter. He had chosen the papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi, who is known as the patron saint of animals and the environment. Thus, it was no surprise that Pope Francis would come up with the unprecedented encyclical on the environment. ‘Laudato Si: On the care for our common home’ had been heralded for many months and was eagerly anticipated by people from different creeds and leanings. Now that it has been published, the question is whether the encyclical retains its weight as an important Church document that speaks courageously about the glaring environmental crisis of our world, or does it join the countless exhortations of the religious leaders and political declarations of world leaders gathering cobwebs on some forgotten shelf in some forgotten room? But how important is an encyclical, by the way? An encyclical is a church document – a letter sent to bishops – that has such a high standing that it ranks second only to the highest-ranking document currently published by any sitting pope, which is the Apostolic Constitution. In many senses, it is a very authoritative document and can be seen as the basis of actions that the Church will take regarding the specific issues dealt with by the letter. Meaning “Praise be to You” in English, Laudato Si, the title of