Mastodon
RNS logo

Pope asks world leaders to listen to 'cry of the Earth'

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Francis made the appeal Wednesday (Aug. 30)  in announcing that he and the spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew I, would be releasing a joint statement on care for God's creation on Friday.
Pope asks world leaders to listen to ‘cry of the Earth’
Pope Francis elevates the host as he leads the Corpus Domini procession at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome on June 18, 2017. Photo courtesy of Reuters/Tony Gentile
Yonat Shimron

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is urging world leaders to “listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor” and take measures to protect the environment.

Francis made the appeal Wednesday (Aug. 30)  in announcing that he and the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, Patriarch Bartholomew I, would be releasing a joint statement on care for God’s creation on Friday.

In 2015, Francis designated Sept. 1 as the church’s day for prayer for the environment, framing care for the planet as a moral issue.


In his announcement Wednesday, Francis urged everyone to be respectful and responsible toward the environment: “We also appeal to those who have influential roles to listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, who suffer the most from ecological imbalance.”

Explore More in:
No paywalls here. Thanks to you.
As an independent nonprofit, RNS believes everyone should have access to coverage of religion that is fair, thoughtful and inclusive. That's why you will never hit a paywall on our site; you can read all the stories and columns you want, free of charge (and we hope you read a lot of them!)

But, of course, producing this journalism carries a high cost, to support the reporters, editors, columnists, and the behind-the-scenes staff that keep this site up and running. That's why we ask that if you can, you consider becoming one of our donors. Any amount helps, and because we're a nonprofit, all of it goes to support our mission: To produce thoughtful, factual coverage of religion that helps you better understand the world. Thank you for reading and supporting RNS.
Deborah Caldwell, CEO and Publisher
Donate today