Over the weekend Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti, the Vatican's number two man in issues of conscience, told Italian Magazine 'L'Osservatore Romano' that ecological damage is one of today's manifestations of sin. In recent months Pope Benedict has also urged Catholics to protect the environment, citing climate change as a critical issue.
Last year the Vatican made headlines by going carbon neutral. To offset its own emissions, it donated about $130,000 to Klimafa, an organization that is reforesting a national park in Hungary. The Vatican also hosted a scientific conference on global warming, and made plans to install electricity-generating photovoltaic cells on the papal audience hall adjacent to St. Peter's Basilica.
We know that protecting the environment is vital to preserving life on earth. According to the Pope, it's important for getting into the afterlife too.
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