Pope Francis is closely following the work of COP28

Pope Francis is closely following, encouraging the work and praying for the fruits of the 28th session of the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 November to 12 December 2023.

The Holy Father had to cancel his trip to Dubai scheduled for 1 December for health reasons, and he was to be joined by the Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Michael Czerny, because Ecology - the care of the Common Home - is one of the Vatican Dicastery's areas of competence.

Pope Francis has said that COP28 can be a turning point.

If we believe in the capacity of human beings to transcend our petty interests and to think on a grand scale, we cannot give up on dreaming that #COP28 will lead to an acceleration of the energy transition. This Conference can be a turning point.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) November 27, 2023

The speech that Pope Francis was scheduled to deliver during his address to COP28 was read by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

"The hour is pressing. Now more than ever, the future of all depends on the today we choose," the Pope wrote.

Time is short. Now more than ever, the future of us all depends on the present that we now choose. #COP28 https://t.co/X2bKCJxOLc
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) December 2, 2023

In addition, the Holy Father was to inaugurate the Faith Pavilion. For this reason, on Sunday, December 3, he sent a video message in which he stressed that "the world needs alliances that are not against someone, but in favor of all".

"It is urgent that religions set a good example by working together. Let us guard creation and protect our common home; let us live in peace and promote peace," the Pope invited.

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Moreover, the Holy Father recalled that "creation is not a system to be preserved, but a gift to be embraced. And a world poor in contemplation will be a world polluted in the soul, which will continue to discard people and produce waste; a world without prayer will say many words but, devoid of compassion and tears, will live only on the materialism of money and weapons."

Along these lines, Pope Francis published on October 4 the Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum, in which he encouraged all people of goodwill to become aware of the climate crisis and to contribute - as far as possible - to curbing the damage we are causing to our common home.

The Holy See is participating in COP28 with an official delegation headed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, including an expert from the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.