«Ecological culture cannot be reduced to a series of urgent and partial responses to the problems that arise regarding environmental degradation, the exhaustion of natural reserves and pollution. It should be a different look, a thought, a policy, an educational program, a lifestyle and a spirituality that give shape to a resistance.”
It is the central thought of the catechesis of Pope Leo XIV in the general audience dedicated to the relationship between the Resurrection of Christ and integral ecology and while COP30 is underway in Belém, Brazil, the climate change summit “snubbed” by many world leaders.
The Pontiff borrowed the words of Pope Francis in Laudato si’, to relaunch the urgency of an “ecological conversion” which, he said, “Christians cannot separate from that reversal of direction that following Jesus requires of them». This conversion, for Leone, «begins in the heart and is spiritual, it modifies history, it engages us publicly, it activates solidarity which from now on protects people and creatures from the desires of the wolves, in the name and by virtue of the Shepherd Lamb. Thus, the sons and daughters of the Church can today meet millions of young people and other men and women of good will who have listened to the cry of the poor and of the earth and allowed themselves to be touched by them. There are also many people who desire, through a more direct relationship with creation, a new harmony that takes them beyond many lacerations”, continued the Pontiff, “the Spirit gives us the ability to listen to the voice of the voiceless. We will then see what the eyes do not yet see: that garden, or Paradise, which we encounter only by welcoming and completing each one’s own task».
«If he is not the guardian of the garden, the human being becomes its devastator», said the Pontiff, «cultivating and looking after the garden is the original task that Jesus brought to completionento”, he pointed out, citing Magdalene, who “crying near the empty tomb, did not immediately recognize the risen Jesus, but thought he was the guardian of the garden”. Mary Magdalene, the Pope commented, «was not entirely wrong in believing she was meeting the guardian of the garden! He had, in fact, to hear his name again and understand his task from the new Man, the one who in another Johannine text says: “Behold, I make all things new”. Christian hope responds to the challenges to which all humanity is exposed today by pausing in the garden in which the Crucifix was placed like a seed, to rise again and bear much fruit”, explained the Pontiff: «Paradise is not lost, but found. The death and resurrection of Jesus are the foundation of a spirituality of integral ecology, outside which the words of faith remain without a hold on reality and the words of science remain outside the heart.” A huge crowd welcomed the Pontiff in St. Peter’s Square.
Before the audience he went around in the Popemobile to greet the faithful while preparations for the setting up of the Nativity scene and the Christmas tree continued in the center of the square. At the end of the catechesis, in greetings in various languages, the Pope wanted to remember «the fishermen, on the occasion of World Fishing Day, which will take place next Friday: Mary, Star of the Sea, protect fishermen and their families. My thoughts”, he added, greeting the pilgrims in Italian, “also go to the Children, who I will have the joy of meeting on the Day dedicated to them scheduled for 25 to 27 September 2026”.
The Pontiff also greeted the Portuguese-speaking pilgrims, “especially the groups coming from Brazil”, making an appeal to them: “If we are not custodians of the garden of creation, we end up becoming its devastators. We invoke the Spirit to help us guard, with the same faith, our common home and our heart». Finally, the greeting to the young people: «Next Sunday, the last of ordinary time, we will celebrate the solemnity of Christ, king of the Universe. Place Jesus at the center of your life”, the invitation combined with that to “place Jesus at the center of your marital journey”, addressed to newlyweds.
Tuesday evening, upon leaving Castel Gandolfo to return to the Vatican, the Pope answered questions from some journalists by addressing some of the most urgent issues on the international scene. His first thought went to the war Ukraine, which continues to claim innocent victims. “People are dying every day,” he said, reiterating that “the fire must stop immediately.” For the Pontiff, the way out can only go through a “real, not superficial” dialogue, capable of opening glimmers of concrete peace.
The Pope’s gaze then shifted to the United States, where the recent measures on migrants have sparked a heated debate. Leone praised the position taken by the American Episcopal Conference, recalling that every country has the right to manage its own borders, but that this can never translate into a denial of dignity: «People must always be treated with humanity. Always”.
The Pontiff is also concerned about the instability of some regions of Africa, in particular Nigeria, where violence periodically breaks out affecting both Christians and Muslims. «Everyone dies there», he observed, clarifying that the root cause is not just religious fanaticism: «There is a mix of interests, control of land, economics. Terrorism takes advantage of this.” For this reason he called for a joint commitment of local institutions and communities to guarantee real religious freedom.
The Pontiff also responded on more personal topics, such as the Pope’s daily life in the Castelli Romani residence. With a smile he said that his days pass “with a bit of sport, a bit of reading, a bit of work”, a sort of balance which, he confided, “is good for the body and the soul”. For him, Castel Gandolfo remains a place of respite, “a necessary break” in the intense rhythm of the Petrine ministry.
There was no lack of mention of possible future trips, albeit with caution: “We’ll see what will be possible,” he said. Latin America, perhaps the Peru, remains a probable destination, as does a pilgrimage to Fatima or Guadalupe, “but without forcing the timing”.
To those who asked him about the situation of the bishop of Cadiz and Ceuta, Msgr. Rafael Zornoza, accused of alleged abuse of a minor dating back to the 1990s, the Pope firmly reiterated the importance of ecclesial investigation paths: «Each case has its protocols. We must let the process take its course and always ensure a safe space for victims».
The pontiff’s words come after the case of alleged sexual abuse was brought to the attention of the Holy See, with an investigation launched about four months ago by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, as revealed last week by the newspaper El Pais. The alleged sexual abuse reported by a former seminarian was allegedly committed in the 1990s, when the current bishop of Cadiz was a priest and director of the major seminary in Getafe (Madrid). On Monday, Leo XIV received the leaders of the Spanish Episcopal Conference (EEC) in the Vatican. At the end of the meeting, the president of the EEC, Luis Arguello, confirmed that the Holy See is evaluating the possibility of accepting the resignation of Zornoza – who had voluntarily resigned as bishop 15 months ago, upon reaching 75 years of age, the retirement age for prelates – although without providing a precise timing.
