Pope to UN conference: Don’t waste chance to save the planet

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis is issuing an urgent appeal to world leaders ahead of the U.N. climate conference to take “radical decisions” to protect the environment and prioritize the common good. Francis delivered the “Thought for the Day” on the British Broadcasting Corp.’s morning radio program Friday ahead of the Sunday start of the climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland. In the message, Francis urged political leaders not to waste the opportunity created by the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic to change course. He urged them to chart a future based on a sense of shared responsibility for a common destiny. Francis has made caring for God’s Creation one of the hallmarks of his papacy.