“It means rising above the preoccupation with material gain.” In 1991, the USCCB issued a pastoral statement that called the environmental crisis a "moral challenge" and affirmed that environmental ethics were an integral part of Catholic teaching – a move that gave environmental concerns additional legitimacy within of the Church. “What I've heard over and over again from local groups is that if the bishops say something, it will be a lot easier for us,” Kearns said. “Going even further and including it among Catholic social teachings was even more significant. » The fourth environmentalist is Pope John Paul II: environmentalism “is linked to a mastery of