"A leader on climate action, Francis will be remembered as an ally to Indigenous, poor and working people."
"Pope Francis’ care for the environment was telegraphed early in his papacy. His chosen name honored St. Francis, the Italian friar who proclaimed “Praise God for all his creatures.”
As pope, Francis called for immediate action on climate change and exhorted the world’s Catholics to “better recognize the ecological commitments which stem from our convictions.”
With his death on Monday at the age of 88, environmental leaders, advocates and academics celebrated his legacy and mourned his passing.
In a statement, the climate activist and author Bill McKibben called Francis “perhaps our greatest environmental leader.”
“He understood that climate was a question of poverty, power and human dignity,” he said."
Kiley Bense reports for Inside Climate News April 21, 2025.
SEE ALSO:
"Three Ways Pope Francis Influenced The Global Climate Movement" (The Conversation)
"Pope Francis Focused On Climate Change As The Planet Continued To Get Hotter" (NPR)
"The Climate Pope: Francis and His Environmental Legacy" (TIME)
"How Pope Francis Helped Inspire the Global Movement Against Climate Change" (New York Times)
Advertisement 
