Statement from Kathleen ROGERS, President of EARTHDAY.ORG on the passing of Pope Francis

On behalf of the more than 1 billion people who engage in Earth Day on its 55th anniversary, we express our deepest condolences for the passing of Pope Francis. 

He was without a doubt the world’s most earnest and influential voice in protecting our planet. For more than ten years, Pope Francis has taken countless actions to bring to life the “cultural, spiritual, and educational” dimensions of the climate challenge.

With deep emotion and sorrow, we received from the Vatican greetings from Pope Francis and a letter of support for Earth Action Day that echoes the spirit of his pontificate and the urgency of his message. On the 10th anniversary of Laudato sì, this gesture moves us profoundly, reminding us of the moral call to care for our common home. We are sincerely and humbly grateful for this blessing, which inspires us to carry forward his vision with renewed commitment and hope.

Vatican City, April 19, 2025

Excellencies, Authorities, Dear Guests,

I am pleased to bring the greetings of the Holy Father Francis to this event: “Earth Action Day: Strategies and Policies for a Sustainable Future”, which challenges us on our actions towards our common home, to whose care the Pope has dedicated the Encyclical Letter Laudato si’, of which, in this Holy Year, we celebrate the tenth anniversary of its publication.

On today’s occasion, which calls us to implement strategies and policies for a sustainable future, it seems appropriate to me to return to an extremely timely passage from the Encyclical: «While humanity in the post-industrial period will perhaps be remembered as one of the most irresponsible in history, it is to be hoped that humanity at the beginning of the twenty-first century will be remembered for having generously assumed its grave responsibilities» (n. 165).

This is a great challenge that is not only technical-scientific and political-economic, but also and above all «cultural, spiritual and educational» (n. 202). We are now deeply aware that the environmental crisis, with its serious impacts especially for the most vulnerable populations, is closely connected to the ethical and social crisis that we are experiencing and that must lead us to adopt a new vision anchored to that concept of integral ecology so well outlined in Laudato si’. Starting from the principle that “everything is connected and interdependent”, it requires a real “change of direction”: moving from a throwaway culture, which permeates our society, to a culture of care: care of oneself, care of others (near or far away in space and time), care of the environment. For believers, «living the vocation of being custodians of God’s work is an essential part of a virtuous existence; it does not constitute something optional or even a secondary aspect of the ‘Christian experience’» (n. 217).

From this perspective, the ethical-socio-environmental crisis represents not only a serious concern, but also an opportunity, a privileged moment of stimulus to a more authentic life and to an individual and community “ecological conversion”.

In sharing these reflections, I am grateful to extend to all the participants of the day a cordial greeting and best wishes for good work.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin

Secretary of State