Pope Benedict XVI waves to pilgrims as he passes the Sydney Opera House in his Popemoblie after addressing thousands at Barangaroo on his first day of official duties during World Youth Day activities, July 17, 2008. REUTERS/Will Burgess
Posted on 07/17/2008 12:08:33 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Pope Benedict on Thursday told a huge gathering of young people that they were inheriting a planet whose resources had been scarred and squandered to fuel insatiable consumption.
His latest appeal to save the planet for future generations came in a address to some 150,000 youths in Sydney after he rode through the city's harbor standing on the outdoor deck of a white ferry as dozens of boats blew their horns.
"Reluctantly we come to acknowledge that there are also scars which mark the surface of our earth, erosion, deforestation, the squandering of the world's mineral and ocean resources in order to fuel an insatiable consumption," he told the cheering crowd.
The 81-year-old pope appeared in good form as he started the official part of his trip after three days of rest. He chatted with young people on the ferry and stepped off sprightly to receive a bear hug welcome by an Aboriginal on the dock.
He told the young people, some of whom had come from island nations threatened by rising sea levels or drought-hit nations such as Australia, that protecting the environment was "of vital importance to humanity."
--snip--
"It is as though one catches glimpses of the Genesis creation story -- light and darkness, the sun and the moon, the waters, the earth and living creatures," he said.
In a welcoming speech to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on Thursday morning, the pope said: "It is appropriate to reflect upon the kind of world we are handing on to future generations."
--snip--
APOLOGY TO ABORIGINES PRAISED
The pope also praised Australia for apologizing for past injustices to Aborigines, saying it was a courageous move to repair race relations and offered hope to the rest of the world.
Rudd officially apologized to Aborigines in February.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Far be it from me to criticize the Pope, but the palace he lives in and the house I live in? Really, I have a much smaller impact on the earth.
Pope Benedict XVI waves to pilgrims as he passes the Sydney Opera House in his Popemoblie after addressing thousands at Barangaroo on his first day of official duties during World Youth Day activities, July 17, 2008. REUTERS/Will Burgess
The Vatican is going green big-time in an attempt to neutralize its carbon footprint, going solar and wind I think, it isn’t mentioned in this piece, recall it being mentioned elsewhere earlier, will post it if it I see it.
Another article from a dubious news source states that “people” are calling Pope Benedict the “Green Pope”. And quoted him saying that the many people attending the World Youth Day come from island nations threatened by “rising oceans”.
Ugh.
Et tu Pontiff?
Ugh. I dont think the Pope realizes he is casting his lot with the Ted Turner types who want to see the earth down to 100 - 250 million.
Who would The Pope euthanize/abort to get to ‘sustainable’ development.
Concerned Catholic
I’m not Catholic, not particularly a big fan of the Pope. I do think it is unfortunate when leaders take this type of approach.
It’s really just code for damn the U.S. We are viewed as the parias of the planet because of our consumption. People don’t understand that we consume more, because we have pretty danged good standard of living.
As long as there are humans, those humans will be using resources. Life’s a real B sometimes.
right. ‘as long as there are humans’. Does the Pope not see the contradiction here?
Do you own a Popemobile?
I don't, sorry to say.
Who or what made the Pope seriously “drink the man-made global warming cool aid”?
As noted, no disrespect intended at all. I’m just getting a little tired of being told what cr*ppy human beings we all are, when there’s no conclusive evidence whatever of manmade global warming, climate change, or whatever the latest buzz phrase for “pay us money” is.
“We’ll inherit the earth...but we don’t want it”
—The Replacements
The Pope could start by setting a good example: like taking a slow boat to China, America, or wherever. A 100% sailboat would show his concern. A solar powered Popemobile, too. Bike or horseback would suffice for village to village travel. No more jets and Mercedes.
Not really a surprise to me. But I still get creeped out reading his comments.
I think the guy means well, but he seems to have watched Al’s “Incovenient Truth” a few times to many.
On the subject of consu,erism -- I wonder what airline he flew cabin class on to get from his shanty in old shantytown to Australia.
Question: Did the Pope tell these young people to “call on the name of the Lord and be saved”? Did he tell them that the lake of fire is their destiny if they do not?
If he had said that it would have been worth something, instead he tells a bunch of lost people things that mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme (because earth has been in bondage to decay since the Fall and is going to be destroyed by God with fire).
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