Pope Leo, in climate push, to open Vatican-run ecological training center

Pope Leo will open a new Vatican-run ecological training center in the Italian countryside on Friday, in an initiative Catholic officials say is meant to encourage world leaders to address global climate change.

The center, located across 55 hectares (136 acres) on the sprawling grounds of a Renaissance-era papal villa in Castel Gandolfo, includes gardens, vocational training facilities, and educational opportunities for local children.

Rev. Manuel Dorantes, a U.S. priest directing the center, said the Vatican wants to set an example for how countries should pursue environmental initiatives.

"If we, the smallest city-state in the world, can do this, what is the potential for other states that are bigger than us?" he said. "Our world can be different if we work together."

The ecological project, named the "Borgo Laudato Si," was first announced in 2023 by the late Pope Francis, who was a firm proponent of environmental care. The center’s large surface area represents about 55 percent of the Vatican's total landholdings, according to officials.


Reuters