Pope to leaders: Take drastic action now on climate change

VATICAN CITY >> Pope Francis is challenging governments to show the “political will” to take drastic steps to deal with climate change during an upcoming U.N. summit while encouraging people to abandon dependence on fossil fuels.

Francis issued the fervent appeal in a message Sunday to mark the start of several weeks of prayer by Christians to raise political awareness about pollution and exploitation of natural resources. The period of prayer and reflection runs until Oct. 4, the feast day of Francis of Assisi, his namesake saint who embraced a back-to-basics lifestyle and praised nature and animals.

He began his appeal by quoting from the Bible about Creation: “And God saw that it was good.”

Tragically, mused Francis, “something good in God’s eyes has become something to be exploited in human hands.”

He denounced a litany of how humans have harmed the environment including pollution and reliance on fossil fuels as well as the impact global warming is having.

“The increase in the intensity and frequency of extreme weather phenomena and the desertification of the soil are causing immense hardship for the most vulnerable among us,” Francis said.

He also cited melting glaciers, neglect of water basins and plastics and microplastics as “equally troubling.”

He advised reviewing if daily decisions about food, transportation, use of water and other material goods are “thoughtless and harmful.”