Pope calls youth to environmental action
THE head of the Catholic Church yesterday challenged Latin America’s youth to take up the environmental protection call, saying the defence of God’s creation isn’t just a recommendation but a requirement.
Pope Francis’ appeal, delivered at Quito’s Catholic University, is particularly relevant for Ecuador, a Pacific nation that is home to one of the world’s most species-diverse ecosystems but is also an OPEC country heavily dependent on oil.
The pope told students and professors that God gave humanity the Earth to not only cultivate, but to care for — a message he framed earlier this month in his major encyclical on the environment.
Francis also challenged the university to ensure that student education isn’t aimed only at profitable careers but at helping the poor and the environment.
