On Saturday, Pope Francis, 85, was seen being pushed in a wheelchair as he travelled to Assisi to urge youth to save the environment and alter the planet’s trajectory.
When Francis made his plea for “courage” in giving up fossil fuels and regretted that previous generations didn’t know how to preserve the environment and ensure peace, he was visiting the birthplace of his namesake saint, a man who was devoted to nature.
He informed the youth that he was counting on their efforts to protect the environment and make the global economy more considerate of the underprivileged.
Longtime observers who are worried about the Pope’s health have been wondering if he still has the energy to carry out his pontifical responsibilities.
Despite having a colon operation in July to remove 33cm (13 inches) of intestine, it is believed that he uses a wheelchair because of a significant knee condition that restricts his movement.
It was a “scheduled treatment,” according to the Vatican, since the Pope’s bowels had “narrowed.”
To supplement the personal doctor the Holy Father currently possesses, Francis also established the position of Personal Health Assistant to the Holy Father in August.
The Holy See declared the same month that Massimiliano Strappetti, an Italian, had been nominated to the role.
The pope was always accompanied by a nurse during his visit to Canada in July, when he apologised for the Catholic Church’s part in the separation of indigenous children from their families and placement with Canadian families.
Francis talked to an audience of around 1,000 young people, some of whom were young economists, during his short visit to the hill town in central Italy on Saturday. Others are active in initiatives, such as start-ups, that are aimed at protecting the environment.
All throughout the globe sent representatives to the event. One of them was a woman who told the pope about how a group called The Economy of Francis, which is modelled after the life of St. Francis and his concern for the poor and those in need, assisted her and her husband in leaving Afghanistan when the Taliban took control of the country last year.
The pope said that “a fresh vision of the environment and the Earth” has to be expressed in the global economy.
Many individuals, organisations, and corporations are converting to a more eco-friendly way of life. Francis said that we must continue on this path and take more action.
The pope emphasised the pressing necessity for a discussion about development model.
Francis remarked, “Now is the moment for fresh boldness in giving up fossil fuels to hasten the development of zero- or positive-impact energy options.”
“Our generation has left you with a wonderful inheritance, but we have not learned how to safeguard the world and are not ensuring peace,” he warned the young people.
We are glad to God that you are here, he said, lamenting a lack of “creativity, hope, and passion.” In addition to being there tomorrow, you are also present right now.
The atrocities that the Pope acknowledged are occurring in Ukraine may serve as evidence for his trust in young people. He said that his charity leader, who is providing help there, had to flee and find shelter after coming under fire last week.
While on his fourth pastoral and humanitarian visit to Ukraine, Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski had to avoid gunfire while delivering supplies with a Catholic bishop, a Protestant bishop, and a Ukrainian soldier.
The pope claimed to have spoken with Krajewski, who had visited the large Ukrainian cemeteries outside of Izium in northeastern Ukraine, yesterday.
‘He (Krajewski) informed me of the suffering of these individuals, the cruel deeds, the brutality, and the tortured corpses they discover,’ Francis stated today.
“Let us join these brave and martyred individuals.”