Pope Francis challenges world leaders at COP28
Fr. Shay Cullen
The most import world leader Pope Francis, representing 1,378 billion Catholics in the world made a speech to the. World leaders gathered at UN climate summate COP28 in Dubai that opened last Thursday 30 November 2023. In a powerful speech read for him by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis said about the growing crises facing the world by climate change and global warming due to toxic gases emitted by rich nations.: He told the audience of world leaders that. “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.”
The warming of the plant, the damage to creation by climate change is “a global social issue and one intimately related to the dignity of human life” The Pope challenged the world leaders by asking “Are we working for a culture of life or a culture of death?” “To all of you,” He said “I make this heartfelt appeal: Let us choose life! Let us choose the future! May we be attentive to the cry of the earth, may we hear the plea of the poor, may we be sensitive to the hopes of the young and the dreams of children! We have a grave responsibility: to ensure that they not be denied their future.”
He went on remind delegates to get their priorities correct and to see where the blame for the destruction of the earth lies, “It is not with the poor but with the rich. “Do not blame the poor, he said “It is not the fault of the poor, since the almost half of our world that is more needy is responsible for scarcely 10% of toxic emissions, while the gap between the opulent few and the masses of the poor has never been so abysmal,” the Pope said. The high birth rates among the poor is not the cause of world poverty and the abuse of resources but the industrial nations. “Births are not a problem but as a resource,” he said, the cause of global warming is rooted in the excessive consumption of resources like the burning of fossil fuel by the greed and selfishness of the rich nations.
The poor suffer the most from the dramatic effects of climate change like the indigenous peoples, deforestation, hunger, water and food insecurity, and forced migration are the outcome of such global inequality. Wealth that should be spent in human development and making peace should not be wasted on wars he said in his speech: … “such as those in Israel and Palestine, in Ukraine and in many parts of the world” he said these conflicts exacerbate problems rather than by solving them. “How many resources are being squandered on weaponry that destroys lives and devastates our common home!” he told the world leaders.
He appealed for a culture of life not death. “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. “Climate change, the Pope continued, is “a global social issue and one intimately related to the dignity of human life”.
It raises an urgent question; he said, “Are we working for a culture of life or a culture of death?” To all of you,” he added, “I make this heartfelt appeal: Let us choose life! Let us choose the future! May we be attentive to the cry of the earth, may we hear the plea of the poor, may we may we be sensitive to the hopes of the young and the dreams of children! We have a grave responsibility: to ensure that they not be denied their future.”
The COP28 conference continues for several more days and nations will be encouraged to take measure like to pass laws to promote a change from fossil fuel to renewable energy generation such as wind, solar, geo-terminal, biomass, and hydro which do not give off CO2 emissions or other toxics pass That block the escape of heat into space but trap it and is like a blanket around the planet. As Pope Francis said this is what is causing global warming and destroying the environment.
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