Pope Francis Gives a Nod of Support to Rights of Nature

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN – AUGUST 09: (EDITOR NOTE: STRICTLY EDITORIAL USE ONLY – NO MERCHANDISING). Pope Francis attends his weekly General Audience at the Paul VI Hall on August 09, 2023 in Vatican City, Vatican. Following his traditional July break, Pope Francis resumed his weekly General Audiences, and reflected on his recently-concluded Apostolic Journey to Portugal for World Youth Day in Lisbon. (Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

In the article, “Pope Francis: ‘Irresponsible’ Western Lifestyles Push the World to ‘the Breaking Point’ on Climate,” Pope Francis urges for stronger action on climate change. He discusses the latest climate science and his disappointment with the lack of progress on the Paris Agreement. He also criticizes the denial of climate science. The pope calls for binding commitments to reduce emissions and to help those who are already being affected by climate change.

In addition, Pope Francis nods to the rights of nature movement, affirming that humans are part of nature and that nature has inherent rights. This is a significant development, as it shows that the pope is open to new ideas about how to address climate change.

The rights of nature movement is a growing movement that seeks to recognize and protect the rights of the natural world. This includes the right to exist, the right to thrive, and the right to be free from harm. The movement is based on the belief that nature has intrinsic value and that we have a moral obligation to protect it.