Pope Francis visits Africa – points raised in Kenya
Mark Boulton picks out some key points:
(including riding in a gray honda, climate change and ivory poaching)
in the CNN report on Pope Francis visiting Kenya :
Pope Francis speaks out for Paris talks and against illegal trade in ivory
Francis’ arrival in Nairobi, Kenya was itself a lesson in humility. He rode from the airport in a small gray Honda, dwarfed by a convoy of shiny SUVs and sleek Mercedes carrying Kenyan officials.
Pope Francis celebrated a historic Mass in Kenya on Thursday before delivering a stern environmental warning just days ahead of a key climate change conference in Paris.
“It would be sad, and I dare say even catastrophic, were particular interests to prevail over the common good and lead to manipulating information in order to protect their own plans and projects,” the Pope said, urging nations to reach an agreement over curbing fossil fuel emissions.
He urged politicians to work together with the corporate and scientific worlds, and civil society leaders in finding solutions to stop environmental degradation.
No country, he said, “can act independently of a common responsibility. If we truly desire positive change, we have to humbly accept our interdependence.”
But it was Francis’ comments on the pillaging of African resources that drew a louder response from the crowd.
He said Africans cannot afford to remain silent on the illegal trade in precious stones and the poaching of elephants for ivory, which “fuels political instability, organized crime and terrorism.”
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