Photo credit: Ricardo Stuckert / Palácio do Planalto from Brasilia, Papa Francisco, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia.
By Anders Lorenzen
On Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, Pope Francis passed away.
The people’s climate champion
Pope Francis has won accolades across the world from all faiths since his election as the 266th Pope in March 2013.
He led a compassionate campaign for social justice, with a particular focus on climate change.
Laudato Si’
In 2015, the Pope launched Laudato Si’, an environmental encyclical positioned as the Catholic Church’s response to the climate crisis.
Connecting social injustice and ecological degradation
In it, the Church and the Pope emphasised the interconnected issues of ecological degradation and social injustice.
It highlighted how the poorest members of society are disproportionately affected by the climate crisis and other environmental and ecological issues.
Critical of overconsumption and economic growth
The publication put a critical lens on consumerism in conjunction with endless economic growth, laying out the hefty price the planet is paying.
It called for reevaluating humanity’s connection to nature.
Laudate Deum
Released in 2023, Laudate Deum was an update to Laudato Si’.
Deeply inadequate
It expressed grave concern about the lack of climate action, calling the global response to the climate crisis deeply inadequate.
Pope Francis’s primary criticisms were the persistent use of fossil fuels and the lifestyle choices of wealthy nations.
Laudate Deum signalled out the per capita emissions in the US as unsustainable.
From Buenos Aires to the Vatican
Francis was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires as Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
Between 1992 and 2013, he served as the Bishop of Buenos Aires.
Making history
He wrote history as being the first person from the Americas and the first from the Southern Hemisphere to lead the Catholic Church.
Additionally, Pope Francis was the first individual from the Society of Jesus to be named Pope.
Modernising of the Church
As the head of the Catholic Church, he made several attempts to modernise the Church.
He argued that the Catholic Church should be more sympathetic towards the LGBTQ community and called for the decriminalisation of homosexuality.
Climate advocates pay respect to Pope Francis
The former US Vice President, and Presidential candidate, climate campaigner and educator, Al Gore, paid respect to the Pope:
Al Gore
“He was a tireless champion for climate action because of his unwavering conviction that to truly care for one another and protect the most vulnerable among us, we must halt the destruction of God’s creation”.
Gore further outlined that his climate leadership will have a lasting legacy:
“His humble leadership on the climate crisis sparked a moral movement that will continue to light the way forward for humanity.”
Katharine Hayhoe
One of the world’s leading climate scientists, who is also a dedicated Christian, Katharine Hayhoe, wrote a lengthy tribute to the late Pope on LinkedIn:
“Pope Francis leaves a legacy of compassion, courage, and a continuing call to protect our common home and all who share it with us”.
Also Hayhoe believes his work will have a profound legacy:
“Pope Francis clearly taught how we are all impacted by climate change, and we all have a role to play in advocating for a safer, better future for ourselves, those we love, and all other living things that share this home with us”.
What happens next
It is not yet known who will succeed Pope Francis and become the 267th Pope.
The process of the papal conclave
The process to elect the next Pope, the papal conclave, is a secret vote inside the Vatican where members of the College of Cardinals will be eligible to vote for the successor.
Of the current 252 Cardinals, 135 are eligible to vote as only members under 80 can vote.
It typically begins between 15 and 20 days after a pope’s death.
Voting threshold
Two-thirds of the vote is required before a new Pope is confirmed.
The world would first be informed when the new Pope has been confirmed when white smoke rises.
Another climate Pope
Climate advocates would be hoping for a candidate who will pick up Pope Francis’s climate action passion and work.
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