Former US Secretary of State, John Kerry, recently had a private meeting with Pope Francis, the first since the pontiff underwent surgery earlier this year. During their meeting, Kerry discussed the upcoming COP28 climate summit and sought the pope’s support in mobilizing religious leaders to take action on environmental issues.

Kerry compared the importance of COP28 to the 2015 Paris climate summit, which led to the adoption of the Paris Agreement. He also praised Francis and the Holy See for their influential role in climate discussions, and expressed his hope that the pope would attend COP28 in person.

According to Kerry, Pope Francis was receptive to the idea and open to the possibility of attending the summit. The two also discussed the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which they agreed was diverting attention from the urgent need to address the climate emergency.

Pope Francis has long been a vocal advocate for environmental action, having written a landmark encyclical on the subject in 2015. Kerry expressed his gratitude for the pope’s continued efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of climate change and protect the planet for future generations.

However, the head of the UN climate body has expressed concern about the slow pace of progress in addressing the crisis. In a recent statement, he urged countries to take bolder action and increase their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As the world continues to grapple with the devastating effects of climate change, the need for urgent action has never been greater. With leaders like Pope Francis and John Kerry working together to raise awareness and mobilize support, there is hope that progress can be made in addressing this pressing global issue.