Monday, April 21, 2025
Environmental leaders around the world are paying tribute to Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church, who passed away earlier today, on Easter Monday, according to the Vatican. The 88 year old Pope dedicated the past 12 years to a challenging reign in which he sought to overhaul an ancient and divided institution.
In 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s first major environmental move was to select the papal name “Francis” after the Italian friar appointed Saint Francis of Assisi, known for his appreciation of the natural world and God’s creatures.
During his 12 year papacy, Pope Francis would go on to become a key figure in the global climate movement. As political leaders debated the technical and economic dimensions of the climate policy agenda, he served as a voice of moral clarity, speaking and writing about the social consequences of human influence on the planet.
“There is a need to act with urgency, compassion and determination, since the stakes could not be higher,” he said in an address to a climate summit at the Vatican last year, labelling the destruction of the environment a “structural sin.”
As pope, Francis called for immediate action on climate change and exhorted the world’s Catholics to “better recognize the ecological commitments which stem from our convictions.” With his death on Monday at the age of 88, environmental leaders, advocates and academics celebrated his legacy and mourned his passing.
C40 is a global leadership organization working to deliver the urgent action needed to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone can thrive. The C40 network is made up of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s biggest, most influential cities, representing 750+ million people and one quarter of the global economy.
“Pope Francis was a true global leader whose commitment to climate justice has inspired millions. 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,” said the Executive Director of C40 Cities, Mark Watts, paying tribute to Pope Francis.
“From his groundbreaking Laudato si’ encyclical in 2015 to his championing of local communities and urgent call for action in Laudate Deum, Pope Francis consistently reminded world leaders of their responsibility to protect our planet, the vulnerable, and future generations.”
Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using a science-based and people-focused approach to limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities across the globe.
“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,” added Watts. “Pope Francis’s leadership will continue to inspire us as we work to create a sustainable, fairer world. On behalf of C40 Cities, I extend our deepest condolences and reaffirm our dedication to the urgent climate action he so passionately championed.”
Pope Francis made a pastoral visit to Canada in 2022, providing a unique opportunity to listen and dialogue with Indigenous Peoples, to express his heartfelt closeness and to address the impact of colonization and the participation of the Catholic Church in the operation of residential schools throughout Canada.
Featured image: Mayor of London and Co-chair of C40 Cities Sadiq Khan meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican climate summit on May 16, 2024. Credit: © Vatican Media
