VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV said those who believe God created the world are called to take on a greater responsibility for caring for creation, describing it as a requirement of faith.
In a video message to participants in the 10th Austrian World Summit — an annual international event on climate, sustainability, and the environment taking place Tuesday at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna — the Holy Father recalled that “the Church has always been aware that the ecological question has a moral dimension.”
Reflecting on climate change and environmental protection in light of the theological virtues, the pope said the religious dimension “is in fact essential to address these issues adequately.”
“Those who believe that our world was created by God and is inherently good are compelled to assume an even greater responsibility to care for creation, since this is the requirement of their faith,” Pope Leo XIV said.
He also quoted Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’, saying: “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.”
The pope stressed that “religious faith reinforces the overall desire to protect life and care for nature.” He said the climate crisis is “one manifestation — and a critical one — of the wider socioeconomic crisis,” adding that special attention must be given to “the poorest and those most vulnerable to environmental degradation.”
Pope Leo XIV acknowledged widespread concern over the challenges caused by “a lack of respect for creation, the plundering of natural resources, and a progressive decline in the quality of life due to climate change.”
“These challenges require international cooperation, together with cohesive and forward-looking multilateralism in order to find effective solutions,” he said.
At the same time, the pope sought to offer a message of hope, urging participants to overcome fear and work together toward appropriate solutions.
“Despite the naysayers or cynics, hope can be a powerful driving force,” he said.
The Holy Father also emphasized the contribution religious leaders and communities can make to ambitious social and environmental efforts, noting that the Bible offers many examples of how fear can be overcome by hope, “which ultimately is a gift from God himself.”
Pope Leo XIV called on wealthier countries to “meet their obligations to support poorer countries financially.” He also said the world needs “the development of a new person-centered international financial framework” so that all countries, “especially the poorest and those most vulnerable to climate disasters, can reach their full potential, with the dignity of their citizens respected.”
Turning to the virtue of love, the pope invited participants to cultivate “a genuine culture of care for our environment,” including what Pope Francis described as “civic and political love.”
“Such love is the key to authentic development,” Pope Leo XIV said, adding that “social love moves us to devise larger strategies to halt environmental degradation and to encourage a ‘culture of care’ which permeates all of society.”
The pope concluded by expressing his hope that the summit’s deliberations would promote this culture of care and “thus contribute to the civilization of love.”
He also prayed that the summit would help promote “the much-needed dialogue for seeking effective solutions to protect the wonderful gift of creation.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
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