Pope Francis sent a letter to Iván Duque Márquez, president of Colombia, on the occasion of World Environment Day. The event was to be celebrated in Bogota this year, but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced it online.
In his letter, Pope Francis says “our attitude toward the present state of our planet should indeed make us concerned for and witnesses to the gravity of the situation.” He says “this is not a time to continue looking the other way.”
He also extends an invitation to participate in a year of conferences and workshops to celebrate the fifth anniversary of “Laudato si',” the pope's encyclical on caring for the environment.