NEWS/COMMENT: Destroying our planet is a sin says the Pope before Cop28. And in terms of our relationship with animals, it is obviously devastating. I don’t need to elaborate on that. Climate change is already destroying millions of animals because it’s destroying nature.
The Pope made an unprecedented intervention at Cop28 reports The Sunday Times today December 3, 2023. He describes the destruction of the planet as an offence against God and therefore a sin.
He’s blamed wealthy countries for pursuing national interests at the expense of poorer countries and the poor people of those countries. He says that the governments of these wealthy countries have placed “national interests above the global common good”.
And he reiterated that “the gap between the opulent few and the masses of the poor have never been so abysmal”. Further, he called for the “elimination of fossil fuels”.
His statement was read out at Cop28 by Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The Pope had intended to attend the conference but he contracted a lung infection. The Pope is the leader of the world’s 1.3 billion Roman Catholics.
He has the power to make an impact because he can influence those 1.3 billion people. In past years, Pope Francis has marshalled catholic countries and encourage them to agree on climate goals.
For instance, he is acknowledged with playing a key part in securing the 2015 Paris Accord.
And he’s published a document called Laudato 21 described as an encyclical which warned the world was at breaking point.
His comments reflect those of many other prominent people. King Charles III, recently made a very similar point at Cop28.
His statement went further than normal in saying the following:
“The destruction of the environment is an offence against God, a sin that is not only personal but also structural, one that greatly endangers all human beings, especially the most vulnerable in our midst and threatens to unleash a conflict between generations. Are we working for a culture of life or a culture of death? To all of you I make this heartfelt appeal: let us choose life, let us choose the future. The poor are the real victims of what is happening: we need think only of the plight of indigenous peoples, deforestation, the tragedies of hunger, water and food insecurity, and forced migration.”
Pope Francis
