Pope Francis – Go Green Advocate

By Tom Last

On Saturday, April 26 people of all over the world joined billions of Catholics to mourn the death of our beloved Pope Francis.  He was called “The People’s Pope” due to his humility and for his advocacy of the disadvantaged.  One does not have to be Catholic to appreciate the extraordinary life of this simple man.

Pope Francis was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from March 13, 2013, until his death the day after Easter on April 21, 2025. He was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas and from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first born or raised outside of Europe since the 8th-century Syrian pope Gregory III.

Pope Francis was known for his humility, commitment to the poor, and engagement with people of all faiths. Francis took a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors by choosing simpler vestments void of ornamentation and resided in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments used by previous popes. Pope Francis chose to be buried outside of the Vatican (most Popes are buried within the Vatican), in a simple tomb, without decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus. The cost of the burial would be covered by a benefactor.

Pope Francis was considered more enlightened in that he believed the Catholic Church should demonstrate more inclusivity to LGBTQ people, and stated that although blessings of same-sex unions are not permitted, the individuals in a same-sex relationship can be blessed as long as the blessing is not given in a liturgical context. He was an advocate for having women play a greater role in the administration of the church. He appointed the first woman leader of a department in the church’s central administration and the first female president of the office governing Vatican City State. He appointed the first woman to sit at the board level in the church’s central administration.

Pope Francis was committed to acting on climate change and considered it one of his papal priorities. Francis issued the “Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum” (Praise God), in which he called for decisive action against the climate crisis and CONDEMNED CLIMATE CHANGE DENIAL. This is a strong and undeniable statement from our Pope and one that we all (Catholics and non-Catholics) should sincerely adhere to. Pope Francis was critical of trickle-down economics, consumerism, and overdevelopment too, all which only exacerbate the harmful effects of climate change.

At the 2017 World Food Day ceremony, Francis highlighted the daily impacts of climate change and the solutions provided by scientific knowledge. He acknowledged the importance of establishing international accords such as the Paris Agreement but expressed disappointment over the withdrawal from it by some nations. He expressed concern over a renewed indifference to ecosystem balance, the belief in controlling limited resources, and a greed for profit. In 2024, Francis organized a climate summit that issued a Planetary Protocol for Climate Change Resilience that included three pillars: greenhouse gas emissions reduction, climate change adaptation, and societal transformation. The Pope spoke out on the disproportionate effects of climate change on the poor.

Pope Francis was inspirational in many aspects, including his activism in the global movement against climate change. Let us follow his lead and be activists in exposing corporate greed, the harmful effects of climate change and continue to work together to save our planet.

Thank you, Pope Francis!

Want to get in touch with Go Green Tom? Email: thomaslast100@gmail.com