Pope Leo XIV spoke out Wednesday to people who oppose climate change policies, citing previous church doctrine.
"Some have chosen to deride," the Pope offered, "the increasingly evident signs of climate change, to ridicule those who speak of global warming, and even to blame the poor for the very thing that affects them the most."
During his address to the participants in the "Raising Hope" conference, Leo said, "We are one family, with one Father, who makes the sun to rise and sends rain on everyone."
He called for global ecological unity, saying, "We inhabit the same planet, and we must care for it together. I therefore renew my strong appeal for unity around integral ecology and for peace!"
Leo's strong position on climate change should be no surprise. In September, in his message for the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Creation, he said, "Extreme natural phenomena caused by climate changes provoked by human activity are growing in intensity and frequency, to say nothing of the medium and long-term effects of the human and ecological devastation being wrought by armed conflicts."
The Pope's position runs contrary to the direction of the Trump White House.
During his address at the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23, President Donald Trump called out UN-promoted climate alarm as the "greatest con job ever perpetrated," referred to renewable energy policies as "stupid," and characterized carbon footprint complaints as a "hoax."
In response to the federal government shutdown over a budget impasse, Trump's Management and Budget Director Russ Vought posted on Wednesday that "Nearly $8 billion in Green New Scam funding to fuel the Left's climate agenda is being cancelled. More info to come from @ENERGY."
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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