The Pope on Earth Day: “It is time to act, we are at the limit!”

Sofia Lobos – Vatican City

Pope Francis released a video message to join in the commemoration of Earth Day: a date set by the United Nations to solidify a global awareness of the interdependent relationship between human beings, living beings and environment around them.

In his video, the Holy Father underlines that humanity has long been aware that nature “deserves to be protected”, even if it is. “because human interactions with the biodiversity that God has given us must be done with the utmost care and respect.”

Create an environmentally friendly planet

Likewise, the Pontiff insists on the importance of taking care of biodiversity and nature, which we have learned much more in this pandemic:

Likewise, Francisco indicates that the arrival of the Covid-19 “which affects us all although in a multiple and diverse way”, also shows us “that global nature needs our lives on this planet, while teaching us more about what we need to do to create a just, equitable and environmentally responsible planet.”

Two global disasters: the pandemic and the climate crisis

The Holy Father underlines that this new global challenge posed by the current health crisis teaches us the value of interdependence, “this sharing of the planet”.

For the Pope, the two global catastrophes, the pandemic and the climatic one, “They show that we have no more time to wait. This time is short and that, as Covid-19 has taught us, we have the means to rise to the challenge. We have the means. The time is right. to act, we are at the limit. “

Before ending the video, the Pope quotes an old Spanish saying: “God always forgives, human beings forgive from time to time, nature never”.

“When this destruction of nature is unleashed, it is very difficult to stop it”, Explains Francisco, reminding himself with hope that we are always on time and “We will be more resilient if we work together rather than alone.”

World leaders: “Act boldly!”

The Pope concludes by asking everyone (including himself) to unite in appealing to the leaders of the world so that “Act courageously, with justice and so that you always tell people the truth, that people know how to protect themselves from the destruction of the planet and how to protect the planet from the destruction that we cause so often.”

Earth day

Every April 22 is commemorated Earth day. A meeting date, set by the United Nations, to reflect on the impact of human beings on the planet. A pressing fact given the current context of the coronavirus pandemic, which represents a great challenge for public health and the global economy, but also for biological diversity.