CLIMATE activists in the Philippines have expressed relief that Pope Francis has joined their fight against global warming.
More than a dozen activists marched 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from a historic park to a Roman Catholic church in Manila to show their support.
Rodne Galicha, one of the marchers, says: “The pope alone cannot solve the climate crisis. He’ll make a difference as a charismatic global figure but there has to be collective action by Catholics and by world leaders. It’s a difficult battle.”
His group will help gather between 10 million to 20 million signatures across the Philippines, Asia’s largest Roman Catholic nation where Francis was welcomed with rock-star intensity in January, to call for drastic actions, including substantial reduction in carbon emissions, ahead of the climate negotiations in France.
The Rev. John Leydon, an Irish priest in Manila, said he was happy that the pope’s encyclical could help drive home the urgency of climate change amid skepticism by some doubters.
Leydon told the AP: “Sometimes, you feel like a voice in the wilderness.” But with the pope’s encyclical, he says he “felt like Christmas had come early.”
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