All photos courtesy of Jim Dougherty.
As Pope Francis stood before a historic gathering in Congress yesterday, just beyond the hallowed halls of the Capitol building and its grounds hundreds of activists from the labor, environmental justice, faith, and frontline communities among others gathered on the National Mall to support the Pope’s meaningful call for climate action.
The Moral Action for Climate Justice, as the rally was called, hosted an all-star lineup from leaders across the spectrum, including Michael Brune, Executive Director of the Sierra Club; Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., President and CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus; Dolores Huerta, President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation for Grassroots Organizing, Co-founder United Farm Workers; Rev. Sally Bingham, President of Interfaith Power and Light; Dominique Hazzard and Brenda Sanders, Black Lives Matter; Sister Simone Campbell, “Nuns on the Bus'\”; and Donnel "Trip" Van Noppen, President of Earthjustice, just to name a few.
"The Sierra Club is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with faith leaders, environmental justice advocates, working families, civil rights champions and so many others to welcome Pope Francis to the United States. With his guidance as a pastor and teacher, Pope Francis has called for meaningful climate action and environmental stewardship at this crucial point in our world's history,” said Michael Brune. “People are listening and they are excited for his leadership, and this rally will give them a chance to celebrate the Pope’s historic Encyclical and create opportunities for them to engage in acting to tackle the climate crisis in their own communities in the months and years to come.”
The rally also showcased a number of celebrities like Moby, Natasha Bedingfield, Victoria Justice, and Sean Paul who performed their newly released song, “Love Song To The Earth.”
The celebration of the Pope’s words on climate followed a historic papal address at the White House on Wednesday and preceded a poignant speech to the UN on Friday. You can read the full text of the Pope’s address to Congress here. He is expected to travel to Philadelphia to speak at the Festival of Families this weekend.