Pope Francis passed away yesterday morning. We want to remember him also for the messages he delivered on the climate and environmental crises, which were forceful and direct. He called the leaders of fossil fuel companies into the Vatican to hold them to account; declared a global climate emergency, in 2019; and in his final months, held a conference on “the economics of the common good”. He was a prowerful pope, alongside the poor and migrants, against wars. For these reasons Pope Francis was loved even by non-Catholic and non-religious people.

Here you find the Encyclal letter “Laudato Si’” on care for our Common Home. It recognized climate change as a global problem with significant consequences, especially for the poor, and criticized developed countries, which have contributed the most planet-heating pollution.

We know that Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s first big environmental move after being elected leader of the Catholic Church was his choice of the papal name Francis after Saint Francis of Assisi, known among other things for his appreciation of the natural world.