Pope Francis called on Saturday for courage in abandoning fossil fuels and lamented that older generations did not know how to protect the planet and secure peace.
The pope, who was visiting Assisi, a birthplace of his namesake saint who was close to nature, told young people he was pinning his hopes on his efforts to save the planet and to make the world's economy more attentive to the poor.
Francis spoke to a gathering of 1,000 young people, some of whom were young economists, during his brief visit to the hill town in central Italy. Others are involved in efforts, including start-ups, that are focused on helping the environment.
Participants came from all over the world. A woman who recounted to the pope how she and her husband were helped to escape Afghanistan after the takeover of the Taliban last year by an organisation called The Economy of Francis, inspired by the life of St Francis, with his attention to the poor and others in need.
The pope said that a world economy is needed that expresses a new vision of the environment and the Earth. There are many businesses and institutions that are making an ecological conversion. Francis said we need to go forward on this road and do more.
The pontiff said that there was an urgent need to discuss models of development. The time is the for new courage in abandoning fossil fuels to accelerate the development of zero- or positive-impact sources of energy, Francis said.
He said to the young people: Our generation has left you with a rich heritage, but we have not known how to protect the planet and are not securing peace. He lamented a lack of creativity, optimism, and enthusiasm, and told young people that they are grateful to God that they are here.