Pope Francis on Friday
demanded a place for the poor at climate talks, reaffirming the
message of his recent landmark encyclical by stressing that
climate change poses one of the most serious threats to
humanity.
Speaking to participants in a climate-change meeting - who
presented him with an electric bike - the pontiff urged them to
"make every effort to make sure that the poorest, among
countries and human beings, can make their voices heard at
forums trying to solve the single, complex social and
environmental crisis.
"This too is a duty of environmental justice", Francis
underscored.
The pope voiced the hope that "really significant and
effective global environmental agreements" can be reached at the
UN at the end of this month and an upcoming Paris conference,
the COP 21, at the start of December.
Francis told the environmental group that "climate is a
common good, gravely threatened today: as shown by phenomena
such as climate change, global warming and the rise in extreme
weather events".
He said it was "a question of justice," because it is "the
poorest who suffer the most from climate change".
"We cannot forget the grave social implications of climate
change," said the pontiff.
The issue of climate change is a question of justice and
solidarity, Francis underlined, affecting the dignity of
individuals, communities and nations.
Science and technology, he said, have placed in our hands
unprecedented power: it is our duty to humanity, and in
particular towards the poor and the future generations, to use
it for the common good.
The pope stressed that every one of us is called to react
personally and responsibly to the challenge of climate change -
not offering unrealistic solutions, but responding to the best
of our abilities in the family and the workplace, in civil
society and within economic or research institutions.
We can only achieve results by working together for the
common good, he said, praising the organisers of the meeting for
bringing together participants from the different sectors of
religion, politics, economics, social and scientific research.
The pontiff said we must step up this dialogue to create an
"authentic alliance" that can bring about effective
environmental agreements.
Francis was speaking at an audience for participants in an
international conference in Rome on Environmental Justice and
Climate Change, promoted by the Foundation for Sustainable
Development.
In other remarks Friday, Francis and Serbian President
Tomislav Nikolic on Friday discussed "the condition of Syrian
and Iraqi refugees and the importance of privileging a shared
solution of the ongoing crisis", the Vatican press office said.
Many of the refugees from the two countries are passing
through Serbia on their way to countries like Germany.
At a mass earlier Friday, Francis said people who never
badmouth others should be made saints "immediately" and that
everyone, including himself, is in danger of being hypocritical.
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