Abstract
Throughout his pontificate Pope John Paul II has issued important statements concerning respect for nature and environmental protection. These statements, which stand in contrast to the pontiff's relative conservatism on certain political and moral questions, are remarkably progressive and numerous. Between 1979 and 1992 he authored more than 100 documents in which environmental issues were discussed or mentioned, and this rate of production has subsequently increased. This article examines the main aspects of this new type of Catholic social teaching, which is now ranged alongside the more traditional and better known teachings advanced by the Vatican since the time of Leo XIII just over a century ago. The conclusion briefly explores reasons why such a progressive position has emerged in parallel with the Pope's more conservative moral stances, for example in the area of sexual ethics, and in conjunction with the reaffirmation of the Church's social teachings.