Visiting Pope Francis' message resonates

Pope Francis lives at Manhattan College.

At least, a nearly life-size cutout of him does, inside the office of Lois Harr, director of Campus Ministry and Social Action.

Students like to swing by and take selfies with images of the pontiff, she said. About 20 of them also turned out for a group viewing of the pope’s address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 25.

The early-morning event, called “Pastries and the Pope,” was part of Manhattan College’s “Sustainable September.” In the past, a speech by the Bishop of Rome may not have fit into a series of lectures and discussions about environmental sustainability, but Pope Francis has made climate change and its effects a central tenet of his papacy.

“I like him. And the environment is really important,” said freshman Rebecca Herr, whose government professor had the class come watch the broadcast instead of attend the usual lecture.

Bryan Smyth also watched the speech at his college, a private school that prides itself on its roots in the Catholic Lasallian tradition.

“He’s a very good pope. He seems like the right kind of person for the job,” the freshman said, adding that he appreciated the pope’s agenda. “They’re all present issues. It’s good he’s bringing attention and bringing them to light.”

During his speech to the U.N., Pope Francis echoed his main talking points over his first trip to the United States. He called on countries to rethink their attitudes toward natural resources and break away from the “culture of waste.”

“Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity,” the pope told the assembly.

The pope’s previous remarks on the topic had mobilized Ms. Harr to host Sustainable September at Manhattan College.

“We need to make sure we raise our voice, particularly as a Catholic school,” she said.

Ms. Harr said it was important that Pope Francis addressed “every person living on this planet” in his encyclical on climate change, “Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home.” Before, Ms. Harr said, popes had generally addressed “people of all good will.”

“Everyone’s concerned [about climate change], no matter their faith or religion,” Ms. Harr said.