Green Pope

By: Tami Segal

On March 13, 2013, Vatican City became the Mecca of media and Catholics alike as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was chosen to succeed Pope Benedict XVI. The name he chose for himself, Pope Francis I, after Saint Francis of Assisi, has been discussed as much as Bergoglio’s heritage. Not only is the new pope Argentinean, he is the first of many things; the first non-European pope in modern era, the first South American pope, the first Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, etc., but can he be the first environmentally conscious pope too? Papal names have always given implications to the reign in which each pope sees to follow, and St. Francis was a man not only of the people, but of the wildlife and environment as well. In the book, Fioretti (Little Flowers), the saint is described in countless stories to which he shows a caring and loving side, by preaching animals and nature, as well as humans were directly created by God’s divine power. Bergoglio is in line with this thinking since he has chosen Pope Francis as his new name, a sentiment that has been confirmed by his early speeches. On March 19, 2013 during mass, the new pope declared, “Let us be protectors of creation, protectors of God's plan inscribed in nature, protectors of one another and of the environment. Let us not allow omens of destruction and death to accompany the advance of this world!” Although he has some time before focusing on the actual activities to which his proclamations imply, it is very important that he is making these statements early on. No other pope has been so straightforward and enthusiastic, nor spoken about the environment quite as much as Pope Francis has done so in his first few weeks of papacy. And this is truly a hopeful sign. Many leaders, whether presidents, prime ministers, or high office holders have the opportunity to bring about change, but too many times politics get in the way and what was promised does not happen. Such is the case with the environment. If there is any topic that has gotten shifted around, disputed, and done minimum about (especially by world leaders) it is the global warming crisis. The pope holds a different power than these world leaders. Although presidents and prime ministers have persuasion over countries, the pope in a sense holds much more. He is not only an important figure, but one that can persuade people of all ethnicities and races, of different cultures and religions, spread all throughout the world. Popes can move communities, cities, countries, and entire religions to focus on an aspect in our modern time to do well. So it is astounding that Pope Francis, a man whom many believe to have the power of God behind him, has picked the environment to save when it has been ignored by so many other important figures. There is a good chance change will finally come, and perhaps saving the environment will be another first to add to his list.