Page 7 - IAV Digital Magazine #628

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World Must Come Together to Fight Climate Change, Pope Leo XIV Says
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5zmYKI3oV50
CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy – In a stirring call echoing across faiths and borders, Pope Leo XIV urged global unity against the escalating climate crisis during the opening of the "Raising Hope for Climate Justice" conference on October 1, 2025. Marking the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis' groundbreaking encyclical Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home, the pontiff empha- sized that "the world must come together" to foster ecological conversion and decisive action.
Held at the Focolare Movement's Mariapolis Center, the three-day gath- ering drew over 1,000 par- ticipants, including religious leaders, climate experts, indigenous voices, and pol- icymakers from around the globe. Notable attendees included Brazil's Minister of Environment Marina Silva, former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Tuvalu's Minister Maina Talia, who shared harrowing testimonies of rising seas and vanishing glaciers.
Pope Leo XIV, blessing a 20,000-year-old chunk of Greenland ice—symboliz- ing the Earth's wounded cry—invoked his predeces- sor's vision of St. Francis of Assisi as a model of har- mony with creation. "The challenges in Laudato Si' are even more urgent today," he declared. "They demand not just social and political responses, but a profound spiritual conver- sion—rebuilding our bonds with God, others, nature, and ourselves."
Highlighting the encyclical's enduring impact, the pope praised the Laudato Si' Movement and Action Platform for sparking grassroots initiatives in parishes, schools, and businesses worldwide. From sustainable farming in Vatican gardens to inter- faith dialogues at UN sum- mits, Laudato Si' has ignit- ed a "global spiritual response," transforming cli- mate advocacy from niche concern to ecclesial imper- ative. Yet, he warned, "There is no room for indif- ference or resignation." Effective solutions require "major political decisions on national and internation- al levels," prioritizing the poor most vulnerable to environmental devastation.
As musical interludes by Pacific Artists for Climate Justice filled the air, Pope Leo's message resonated: Integral ecology demands interdisciplinary hope. In an era of record heatwaves and biodiversity loss, his words challenge humanity to act—uniting faith, sci- ence, and justice for our shared home.
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