In a video-message released on Earth Day, April 22, Pope Francis called on world leaders “to act with courage, to act with justice, and to always tell the truth to people, so that people know how to protect themselves from the destruction of the planet, and how to protect the planet from the destruction that many times we ourselves cause.”
He noted a connection between an increasing awareness of the need to protect the environment and the ongoing coronavirus emergency, saying the pandemic has shown us “what happens when the world stops… even for a few months.” He highlighted the “sadly positive” impact the global slowdown has had “on nature and climate change.”
