Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg holds up a sign as Pope Francis greets her at the end of his weekly general audience, in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, on 17 April 2019. Photo: AP
Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg holds up a sign that reads, “Join the Climate Strike”, as Pope Francis greets her at the end of his weekly general audience, in St. Peter’s Square, at the Vatican, on 17 April 2019. Photo: AP

By Emily Dixon
17 April 2019

(CNN) – Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg met Pope Francis after his weekly audience at the Vatican on Wednesday.

The Swedish 16-year-old carried a sign reading “Join the Climate Strike,” which she showed the Pope after he greeted her.

A day earlier, Thunberg urged European Union leaders to “panic” about climate change, as she addressed a committee of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

She went on to condemn politicians for spending their time “arguing about taxes or Brexit” in the face of a building climate crisis.

Thunberg, whose sit-ins outside the Swedish parliament inspired students worldwide to hold school strikes demanding climate action, spoke to a “packed” room of EU politicians, according to the AFP news agency.

“Our house is falling apart, and our leaders need to start acting accordingly,” Thunberg said. “If our house was falling apart, our leaders wouldn’t go on like you do today. You would change almost every part of your behavior, as you do in an emergency.”

“If our house was falling apart, you wouldn’t hold three emergency Brexit summits, and no emergency summit regarding the breakdown of the climate and environment,” she added, to applause from the committee.

During Tuesday’s meeting, Thunberg began to cry as she talked about what scientists have termed the sixth mass extinction. “Erosion of fertile topsoil, deforestation of our great forest, toxic air pollution, loss of insects and wildlife, the acidification of our oceans,” she said, her voice wavering. “These are all disastrous trends being accelerated by a way of life that we, in our financially fortunate part of the world, see as our right to simply carry on.” [more]

Greta Thunberg meets the Pope after scolding EU leaders on climate change

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (R) speaks during a debate with the EU Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee during a session at the European Parliament on 16 April 2019 in Strasbourg, eastern France. Sweden's teenage activist Greta Thunberg on April 16 urged Europeans to vote in next month's elections on behalf of young people like her who cannot yet cast ballots but demand decisive action against climate change. During a visit to the European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg, Thunberg, 16, told a press conference that time is running out to stop the ravages of global warming. Photo: Frederick Florin / AFP / Getty Images
Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg (R) speaks during a debate with the EU Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee during a session at the European Parliament on 16 April 2019 in Strasbourg, eastern France. Sweden’s teenage activist Greta Thunberg on April 16 urged Europeans to vote in next month’s elections on behalf of young people like her who cannot yet cast ballots but demand decisive action against climate change. During a visit to the European Parliament in the French city of Strasbourg, Thunberg, 16, told a press conference that time is running out to stop the ravages of global warming. Photo: Frederick Florin / AFP / Getty Images

Pope encourages Swedish campaigner Greta on environment

By Sophie Lewis
17 April 2019

VATICAN CITY (AP) – Pope Francis encouraged Swedish teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg on Wednesday to continue her campaign to fight climate change, during a brief meeting at the end of his weekly general audience.

Thunberg arrived late and took her seat in the VIP section in St. Peter’s Square, ducking down to not cause any commotion as the pope spoke. Francis later approached her and she showed off her sign, “Join the climate strike.”

“Continue, continue,” Francis told her. “Go on, go ahead.”

Thunberg told Francis: “Thank you for standing up for the climate, for speaking the truth. It means a lot.”

Thunberg was in Rome to headline Friday’s “school strike,” the growing worldwide youth movement she spearheaded, demanding faster action against climate change. Thunberg will also address the Italian parliament. [more]

Pope Francis encourages teen climate activist Greta Thunberg to continue her fight