Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost wasted little time after becoming Pope Leo XIV in May in answering the question of whether he would follow his predecessor, Pope Francis, known as the "climate pope" in challenging the world to fight global warming and take better care of the environment.
Breaking into his first vacation in early July at Castel Gandolfo outside of Rome, Pope Leo gave a special mass, which included pushing the world's 1.4 billion Catholics to help convert others into caring about climate change and stopping harmful pollution.
"Today … we live in a world that is burning, both because of global warming and armed conflicts," the Pope said. "We have to pray for the conversion of many people … who still do not see the urgency of caring for our common home."
Pope Leo's early efforts have set the Chicago-born pontiff up as a counter balance to Donald Trump, who has attacked climate regulations and sought to increase oil and coal production despite the impact on the environment. Climate change disproportionately affects the poor, who are unable to move away from the harmful impacts of polluted rivers and factory emissions or cannot afford air conditioners for relief from extreme heat.
The Chicago-born pontiff, who spent most of his career in Peru before becoming Pope, has long been a defender of the poor and outspoken advocate for the environment. He has said the Church needs to move from "words to actions" and his focus on global warming in his early months has matched if not exceeded those of Pope Francis.
Just last year, as Cardinal Prevost, he traveled to Rome to speak at an environmental conference." Dominion over nature — the task which God gave humanity — should not become 'tyrannical.' It must be a 'relationship of reciprocity' withthe environment," Prevost said at the event, according to a VaticanNews report.
Less than a month after his ascension to the Papacy, Pope Leo celebrated the 10th anniversary of his predecessor's famous Laudato si’, a 184-page letter to bishops that tied climate change to the Church's social mission and condemned the destruction of the environment for financial gain, asking for a "relationship of reciprocity" with the environment.
Climate advocates have been searching for a global leader to help stem the tide of denial and short-term energy concerns among politicians such as Trump that have risen since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent reduction in Russian oil output. Pope Leo, still in his early days, has so far shown no trepidation in speaking for the minority.
The Independent will be revealing its Climate100 List on 21 September
