Pope Francis has stated that protecting the earth has now evolved from a choice to a duty, calling for a new "social justice." He further emphasized that access to the planet's resources must not be based on economic interests anymore, but instead be based on equality.
The pope's speeches on his third day in Ecuador called for an immediate addressing of environmental issues, which were the landmark of his ecology encyclical (papel letter) "Laudato Si." The pope has said that he wanted the encyclical to influence a United Nations climate change in Paris this coming December, according to The Jerusalem Post.
"One thing is certain: we can no longer turn our backs on reality, on our brothers and sisters, on Mother Earth," the pope stated in his first speech at the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador.
The pope also appears to address the issue of climate change doubters, who remain steadfast in their belief that phenomena such as global warming are but a ruse.
"It is wrong to turn aside from what is happening all around us, as if certain situations did not exist or have nothing to do with our lives," he said in his speech.
He also touched on the issue of a politically delicate issue of whether nature should be considered private property, reports Reuters.
"The goods of the earth are meant for everyone, and however much someone may parade his property, it has a social mortgage," he said in a speech in Quito's St. Francis Church.
"In this way we move beyond purely economic justice, based on commerce, towards social justice, which upholds the fundamental human right to a dignified life," he added.
The pope also pointed out that the utilization of natural resources must not be geared towards short-term goals.
"The tapping of natural resources, which are so abundant in Ecuador, must not be concerned with short-term benefits. As stewards of these riches which we have received, we have an obligation toward society as a whole and towards future generations," he said.
