Pope tells youths to tackle climate crisis, poverty

The 86-year-old Francis has made the protection of the environment a cornerstone of his pontificate, noting in his landmark 2015 "Laudato Si" (Praised Be) encyclical that the planet was "beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth".

Pope Francis holds a meeting with students at the Catholic University of Portugal in Lisbon, during his five-day visit to attend the World Youth Day gathering of young Catholics, on August 3, 2023/AFP