Full article from Huffington Post, July 5, 2014
Pope Francis called for more respect for nature on Saturday, branding the destruction of South America's rain forests and other forms of environmental exploitation a sin of modern times.
In an address at the university of Molise, an agricultural and industrial region in southern Italy, Francis said the Earth should be allowed to give her fruits without being exploited.
"This is one of the greatest challenges of our time: to convert ourselves to a type of development that knows how to respect creation," he told students, struggling farmers, and laid-off workers in a university hall.
"When I look at America, also my own homeland (South America), so many forests, all cut, that have become land ... that can longer give life. This is our sin, exploiting the Earth and not allowing her to her give us what she has within her," the Argentine pope said in unprepared remarks.
Francis, who took his name from Francis of Assisi, the 13th century saint seen as the patron of animals and the environment, is writing an encyclical on man's relationship with nature.
Since his election in March, 2013, the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics has made many appeals in defense of the environment.
After the university meeting, Francis said mass for tens of thousands of people in a stadium. (Reporting by Philip Pullella; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
Replies
Back to the Pope: His institution was involved in wars and trials of all kinds of heretics. Priests throughout history have been known to live in luxury and on the other hand Christianity at its core was against luxury and misuse of privileges. While the global economy and environment are falling apart, the people are distracted by scandals in Vatican. Or by choosing sides in conflicts (Those Al Qaeda (ISIS or however they are called) folks are (were) considered good in Bosnia, bad in Afghanistan, good in Libya, bad in Iraq, and good in Syria. Why?). It's difficult to look for a solution if you don't even recognize the problem.
At first glance, this sounds like eco-babble from the pope. What kind of agriculture is he referring to?
"allowing her to her give us what she has within her." Is he alluding to permaculture? Monsanto?!
-- WOX