Dubai might witness a historic moment next month as Pope Francis is considering attending the COP28 climate conference, according to Vatican insiders. This would mark the first instance of a pope participating in a U.N. climate change conference since their inception in 1995.
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, confirmed the Pope’s inclination towards attending the conference but stated that a final decision is still pending. However, the chances of Pope Francis’s presence at the event, scheduled from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, is estimated to be as high as 90% by other Vatican sources.
The 86-year-old pontiff, known for championing environmental causes during his papacy, recently met Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the President-Designate of COP28 UAE. In an Apostolic Exhortation released on Oct. 4, titled “Laudate Deum” (Praise God), Pope Francis underscored the urgency of addressing climate change. He called for climate skeptics and hesitant politicians to recognize the severity of the situation, warning that the Earth “may be nearing the breaking point”.
This latest document follows his 2015 encyclical “Laudato Si” (Praise Be) on the environment. Reacting to the numerous extreme weather incidents lately, Pope Francis emphasized the significance of the upcoming COP28 meet. He mentioned that any failure in Dubai would be a huge setback for the progress made so far in the fight against climate change.
Despite mobility challenges due to a knee condition, the Pope maintains an active itinerary. Recently, he visited Mongolia and Marseilles in September.