Letters to the Editor: Pope Francis leaves behind a climate legacy that must be heeded

To the editor: The headline says it all in columnist Sammy Roth’s recent article on Pope Francis (“Pope Francis was a climate hero. Trump’s reign gives his words extra meaning,” April 22). I am not Catholic, but I mourn the pope’s death because he spoke for so many of us. Francis had a background as a scientist prior to joining the priesthood, and he was thoughtful and intelligent. His prescient “Laudato Si’” which, as Roth notes, is “almost certainly the most famous climate essay ever written,” leaves a rich legacy we inherit and a call we must heed.

Of the many photographs circulating since the pope died, my personal favorite was taken in Rome and depicts a smiling Francis facing the young environmentalist Greta Thunberg holding a small poster that says, “Celebrate Laudato Si.’” It reminds us that, for our species and the other planetary species we are connected to, we must fight the climate catastrophe.

Starflower Thomson, Joshua Tree