Pope Francis pointed to the silver linings of the coronavirus lockdowns Sunday, noting that forcing people to stay home and not work has diminished traffic, noise levels, and air pollution.
The pandemic has made us reflect on “the relationship between man and the environment,” the pontiff told pilgrims and tourists gathered in Saint Peter’s Square for his weekly Angelus message.
“The lockdown has reduced pollution and revealed once more the beauty of so many places free from traffic and noise.”
The pontiff’s words may ring as somewhat tone-deaf to the many Italians whose lives have been destroyed by the lockdowns.
In Italy, hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs and livelihoods due to the lockdowns and analysts estimate that about a third of all businesses shuttered during the pandemic will never reopen.
Officials expect the unemployment rate in Italy to reach 11.1 percent in 2020, due to the continuing impact of the lockdowns, and the rate is expected to increase still further, to 11.3 percent, in 2021.
The tourist industry, which accounts for some 13 percent of the country’s GDP, lost all revenue during the three months of lockdown and is expected to recover very slowly.
Italy reopened to European travel on June 15, but for many, strict regulations on hotels and restaurants will keep numbers below the required profit margin to stay open.
The pope said Sunday that as some people return to work, it is necessary to adopt a more ecologically friendly attitude.
“Now, with the resumption of activities, we should all be more responsible for looking after the common home,” Francis said.
“I appreciate the many ‘grassroots’ initiatives that are emerging in this regard all over the world,” he continued. “For example, in Rome today there is an initiative dedicated to the river Tiber. But there are many others in other places! May they foster citizenship that is increasingly aware of this essential common good.”
Earlier this month, Pope Francis employed some of his strongest environmental rhetoric to date, insisting that planet Earth is “sick,” “wounded,” and “bleeding.”
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This new Pope is as authentic as 3 Dollar Bill comparing Trump to King Herod proves is is a fake and a total fraud Why he was selected is beyond any reasonible doupt the Vatican is full of fools
Anti-Pope Franny, the phony, the fake
needs to be put out of his misery.
I’m not soliciting a hit
BUT
A gratuitous take-out would probably be
applauded worldwide.