Pope Leo XIV tells Church to set the example on caring for creation
Receiving a delegation from the Italian waste, water and energy company Hera Group on October 1, 2026, the pope said the ecological crisis is more urgent than ever and called for an end to the uncontrolled consumption of resources
Pope Leo XIV received a delegation from the Hera Group, an Italian company that manages waste, water and energy services, at the Apostolic Palace on October 1, 2026. He said the "uncontrolled consumption of resources" must be halted and called for a more responsible use of creation, in line with the principles of Laudato si', the encyclical of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Ecological crisis and the urgency of change
Leo XIV said the current ecological crisis is "more urgent than ever." The problem has two sides, he said: the excessive consumption of resources and the increasingly difficult management of the huge quantities of waste being produced. "So as not to regard every used object as if it were mere refuse, we need to change our behavior and commit ourselves to taking a different path," the pope said. He called for moving beyond the consumerist model toward a system of production that protects the planet's limited goods.
A culture of care against a throwaway culture
The pope praised the Hera Group's work in recycling, saying it shows that a "culture of care" can be set against the throwaway culture. That culture covers not only objects and products, he said, but also human work and people themselves. Leo XIV linked environmental responsibility to the theological understanding of creation as a gift from God: "We are the ones who inhabit the world and, through our decisions and our conduct, we live it as a gift of God."
Environmental projects in the Vatican
The Hera Group will begin managing environmental services in the Vatican in 2025 and has already launched specific sustainability projects. The company donated a fully electric truck for waste collection in Vatican territory, which entered service in April 2026. The vehicle is part of a broader effort to reduce the environmental impact of Vatican City.
Church consistency as witness
Leo XIV said Christians cannot resign themselves to accepting the throwaway culture and are called instead to make wise use of creation. He stressed the value of witness: "It is important to give an example of consistency: that the Church be the first to put into practice what she herself proclaims," he said. He called for working together to make the common home a more beautiful and welcoming place for coming generations.
