(CNN Spanish) — Caring for the environment is a constant concern for Pope Francis, so much so that on several occasions he has called for “care for our common home” and to value the place where we live.
Now, the pope has made an unusual call on young people to cut down on meat consumption to take care of the environment, according to reported the Catholic Information Agency, ACI Prensa.
“It is urgent to reduce consumption not only of fossil fuels, but also of so many superfluous things,” said Pope Francis, quoted by ACI Prensa, at the European Union Youth Conference on July 11.
“Also in some areas of the world it would be convenient to consume less meat: this can also contribute to saving the environment,” added the pontiff.
In addition, the pope encouraged young people not to be “seduced by the sirens who propose a life of luxury reserved for a small portion of the world”, and aspire to a life “dignified and sober, without luxuries or waste”, reported ACI Prensa .
During an interview published on July 1 with the Argentine Télam news agency, the pope highlighted the importance of caring for the environment: “There are people who cannot imagine the danger that humanity is experiencing today with this overheating and handling of nature. ”.
The health of Pope Francis and the rumors about his resignation
Pope Francis firmly denied rumors of a possible resignation due to health problems in an interview with Archyde.com published this Monday.
In a hypothetical case of his resignation, Francis ruled out staying and living in the Vatican and also returning to Argentina, since he said that, in that case, he would be the bishop emeritus of Rome, and opened the possibility of living in the Pontifical Basilica of San Juan of the Lateran, the Cathedral of Rome. In this framework, he assured who would like to dedicate himself to confessing a Church, ACI Prensa reported from an interview that the pontiff gave with Univisión.
However, the pope ruled out resigning from his position in several interviews published this week.
“It didn’t cross my mind, it never crossed my mind. At the moment, no. But the time will come when I see that I can’t do it [su trabajo]. I will and the great example of Pope Benedict was a very good thing for the church,” Pope Francis told Archyde.com.
And in an interview with Televisa he said that “not at the moment” he has contemplated resigning from the pontificate.
“I really don’t feel that the Lord is asking me at this moment,” Francis said of a possible resignation. “When I feel that the Lord is asking me, yes.”
Pope Francis has long suffered from pain in one of his knees and said that it scared him “…in the sense of ‘think a little about what your future is going to be like now.'”
However, he clarified that he had improved and can now walk, ACI Prensa reported.