This article is also available in Italian / Questo articolo è disponibile anche in italiano
“An unwavering global champion”: this is how climate and environmental activists around the world remember Pope Francis the day after his passing, just as Earth Day 2025 is being celebrated. Reactions and comments pay tribute to the pontiff who placed the protection of the planet at the core of his papacy. He declared that destroying the environment is a sin, he warned that humanity is transforming “God's glorious creation” into a “desolate and polluted earth” and he identified “people's selfish and boundless thirst for power” as the root cause of the climate crisis.
“A call to do more to safeguard our earth”
“Pope Francis taught us to see the world with eyes of love, humility, and action. His words ignited movements, his actions touched hearts, and his legacy will continue to inspire generations”, wrote the Laudato Si’ Movement on Facebook. And again: “His voice may be silent, but his impact echoes in every act of justice and care for our common home.”
“He truly was the greatest ‘world leader’ of recent times. He was also a dear friend. He showed us what it means to truly LIVE into the future we so desperately want. He didn't just preach it - he embodied it to the end”, added the executive director of the movement, Lorna Gold, on LinkedIn. “He thought in terms of the greatest good for the whole - and compassion for the weakest. He never shied away from speaking plain truth to power, but always left the door open for conversation of heart. Meeting him was always a joy and a call to do more to safeguard our earth. He always ended our meetings looking me straight in the eye, squeezing my hand and saying "vai avanti" - "go ahead". This hashtag #earthday we mourn his passing and double down on his invitation to change and go ahead.”
“An unflinching global champion of climate action”
“Pope Francis has been a towering figure of human dignity, and an unflinching global champion of climate action. His Holiness’ message will live on: There can be no shared prosperity until we make peace with nature and protect the most vulnerable”, stated the top UN climate official Simon Stiell, on X.
According to Laurence Tubiana, director of the European Climate Fund and among the architects of the 2015 Paris Agreement, Pope Francis was “an important voice of the 2010s & 2020s”. Tubiana wrote on X: “He has promoted a humanist vision of the global management of common goods. Laudato si is a founding text of Christian commitment to climate action, which has inspired & marked a new generation of committed people. By clearly setting out the causes of the crisis we are experiencing, Pope Francis has reminded us who the fight against the climate crisis is aimed at: humanity as a whole.”
“His Holiness established for a worldwide audience that the climate crisis is not just an environmental challenge but a profound social and ethical issue, exacerbated by greed and short-term profit seeking, disproportionately affecting the world’s most marginalised communities. His leadership highlighted how inequality and the climate crisis are inextricably linked, mobilising community-led climate action”, emphasised Mark Watts, executive director of the C40 Cities - a group of mayors supporting climate action - on LinkedIn. “His message resonated strongly with mayors and city leaders who were honoured to meet the Pope on several occasions, most recently at the Vatican climate summit in May 2024. Pope Francis’ leadership will continue to inspire us as we work to create a sustainable, fairer world.”
“His legacy will continue to stir consciences”
“We will greatly miss his authoritative attention to environmental issues, the fight against the climate crisis and the protection of the most vulnerable, against all injustice and war,” These were the words of Legambiente, one of the biggest Italian environmental associations, on social media.
”Throughout these years, he reminded us we were not alone in our battles,” commented Daniela Salzedo, president of Legambiente Puglia, to the online newspaper Antenna Sud. ”Pope Francis was our fellow traveller, always standing on the side of the least among us, fiercely committed to the environmental issues that are dear to Legambiente. His absence will be deeply felt, especially at a time when military force is prevailing over the force of reason. We would have needed him by our side. We will carry on our work also in his name”
“Today is an extremely sad day for everyone who defends nature. With Pope Francis, we have lost an extraordinary figure who dedicated his life to affirming that humanity can only be saved if nature is saved,” wrote WWF Italy in a statement on 21 April.
This statement was followed by the words of WWF President Luciano Di Tizio: ”The powerful message of Laudato Si’, further reinforced by the concepts included in the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum, is an important bequest of Pope Francis. His legacy will continue to inspire all those who work every day to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises of our times. It will keep stirring consciences and calling everyone to take more concrete steps to bring about a just transition towards a fairer world, where human beings and nature can live in harmony.”
”He was one of the few global voices to clearly denounce how the climate crisis is destroying our planet and exacerbating inequalities. Laudato Si‘ and Laudate Deum will remain guiding words for all those fighting for environmental and social justice,’ commented Greenpeace Italy.
”Throughout his pontificate, Bergoglio repeatedly emphasized the urgency to protect our ‘common home’, calling for a cultural and spiritual shift capable of addressing the climate and environmental crises. It is a message that deeply resonates with the values of our organization and our daily commitment to protecting the mountains and the landscape,’ wrote the CAI - Italian Alpine Club.
Cover: Envato image