The Pope has gone full Greta Thunberg

At last, the Pope is being taken seriously when he warns of moral degeneracy – well, sort of. When Popes have tried to preach to us about abortion, promiscuity, materialism, drugs and selfish lifestyles, they have widely been treated as old fools or bigoted moralists who want to stop us having fun and being who we are. 

But how miraculous the transformation among enlightened opinion now Pope Francis has issued on exhortation on climate change, warning us that ‘irresponsible’ western lifestyles are ruining the planet. Christine Figueres, former UN executive secretary on climate says she ‘warmly welcomes’ the Pope’s exhortation. Climate campaigner Bill McKibben says ‘the work of spiritual leaders around the world may be our last chance of getting hold of things.’  

The Pope has gone full Greta. It is faintly odd to read him lecturing us on the rate of glacial melting and the absorption of carbon dioxide by the oceans. I