Tony Gentile—AFP
Pontiff says individuals and politicians have moral responsibility to act on advice from scientists
Pope Francis on Monday slammed climate change doubters as “stupid” in the wake of a spate of hurricanes that have thrashed the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean.
“Those who deny it [climate change] should go to the scientists and ask them. They are very clear, very precise,” the pontiff said on Monday during a press conference on the return leg of a five-day Colombia trip. “A phrase from the Old Testament comes to mind: ‘man is stupid, a stubborn, blind man’,” he added.
Francis said individuals and politicians had a “moral responsibility” to act on advice from scientists, who had clearly outlined what must be done to halt the course of global warming. “These aren’t opinions pulled out of thin air. They are very clear,” he said. “They [world leaders] decide and history will judge those decisions,” he added.
The pope has been an ardent supporter of efforts to combat climate change and its consequences to the world’s most vulnerable populations, in terms of pollution, disease, wars and migration. He has regularly criticized politicians in comments seen by many as a swipe at President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the COP21 Paris Agreement, which binds countries to national pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.