Castel Gandolfo, Italy. Pope Leo XIV has called on governments to adopt stronger measures to address climate change, stressing that harming the natural world is incompatible with Christian values.
Speaking at a conference on October 01, 2025 marking the 10th anniversary of Laudato Si’, the landmark encyclical of his predecessor Pope Francis, the pontiff urged citizens and civil society groups to hold political leaders accountable.
“We cannot love God, whom we cannot see, while despising his creatures,” Pope Leo said. “Everyone in society, through non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups, must put pressure on governments to develop and implement more rigorous regulations and controls.”
It was the Pope’s first major statement on climate since his election in May. He has pledged to continue Francis’ ecological agenda, establishing a new ecological center at Castel Gandolfo and calling for what he described as “true ecological conversion” to change both individual behavior and collective policies.
The Pope linked today’s climate crisis with the teachings of Laudato Si’, which emphasized environmental stewardship as a moral duty and tied ecological destruction to poverty. He also cited Francis’ later document, Laudate Deum, which criticized those who “ridicule those who speak of global warming.”
His comments come shortly after former US President Donald Trump described climate change as “the greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” in a speech at the United Nations. While not mentioning Trump directly, Pope Leo’s remarks were widely seen as a rebuttal to climate skepticism.
“We must shift from collecting data to caring,” the Pope said. “God will ask us if we have cared for the world he created for the benefit of all and for future generations. What will be our answer?”
The event, hosted by the Laudato Si’ Movement, drew activists, clergy, and political figures. Former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger praised the Pope’s leadership, calling him a “real-world action hero” for his commitment to renewable energy in the Vatican.
Looking ahead, Pope Leo said he hoped next month’s COP30 summit in Belém, Brazil would respond to “the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, families, indigenous peoples, involuntary migrants, and believers throughout the world.”
Brazil’s Environment Minister Marina Silva has invited the Pope to attend COP30, saying his participation would make “an indispensable contribution so that the summit may go down in history as the moment of real implementation.”
For Pope Leo, tackling climate change is not just a political or scientific challenge but also a spiritual one. His message: ecological responsibility is a test of faith, and indifference is no longer an option.