Pope Francis Urges Young People to Consume Less Meat to Save the Environment

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Currents News Staff

Pope Francis met with the participants of the European Youth Conference, and encouraged them to transform the “old continent” into a new one. He said they can effect this change by being more attentive and less swayed by ideologies than previous generations, and urged them to be “sensitive to environmental issues.”

Pope Francis praised the concrete commitments young people have made to care for humanity’s common home. He explained how urgent it is “to reduce consumption not only of fossil fuels, but of many superfluous things.” The Holy Father also said that in certain parts of the world “it would be advisable to consume less meat.”

The pontiff also asked them to read his encyclical “Laudato Si'”, where he thinks both believers and non-believers can find reasons to commit themselves to integral environmentalism. He encouraged young people to be capable of generating new ideas but, above all, of seeking new paths to travel along together.