Pope Francis, Human Rights, and COVID-19

In this paper I will explore the contributions that Pope Francis has made to discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic, its causes, its consequences, and constructive responses. Repeatedly, Pope Francis has expressed his hope that the pandemic will serve as a wake-up call to humanity, highlighting the need to fundamentally rethink humans\u27 relationship with nature and the importance of working to overcome economic injustice, racial injustice, and other structural problems that the pandemic has more clearly revealed and exacerbated. I will also discuss more broadly the understanding of human rights that is contained in Catholic social teaching and the central role that Pope Francis sees for grassroots social movements in bringing about needed structural changes