Pope prays for Texas flood victims in climate crisis warning
This marks the Vatican 's second significant appeal on global warming within a week, with Leo characterising the global situation as an "ecological crisis".
The pontiff called for prayer for the "conversion of many people" who do not recognise the urgency of caring for "our common home".
Leo celebrated a Mass according to a new Catholic rite focused on care for creation, which included a prayer for victims of flash flooding in Texas.
Cardinal Michael Czerny noted that Leo's decision to interrupt his holiday underscores the new pope's commitment to environmental matters, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Pope Francis.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
8 hours ago
- The Guardian
‘We don't want to be climate refugees': Torres Strait uncles fear for their islands and their people
Uncle Paul Kabai and Uncle Pabai Pabai are afraid for the future of their ancestral homelands. Their country on the outer islands of Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait), less than 10km off Papua New Guinea, is under siege from the impacts of the climate crisis. The two men fear the loss of their islands, their culture and their way of life, forcing their families and communities to become Australia's first climate refugees. The uncles have taken the federal government to court in the landmark Australian climate case, seeking orders which would require the commonwealth to undertake steps to prevent further harm to their communities. This would include cutting greenhouse gas emissions in line with the best available science. The commonwealth has argued it is not legally required to consider the best available science or the impacts of climate change when setting emissions reduction targets. On Tuesday, the federal court is due to make a decision in the case and the men hold hope that their fight might safeguard the future of their people. Uncle Pabai and Uncle Paul launched the action against the federal government in 2021. They are arguing that the commonwealth owes a duty of care to Torres Strait Islanders to take reasonable steps to protect them from harm. During on-country hearings in 2023, witnesses described how devastating their loss of culture due to climate change had been. 'We don't want to be climate refugees,' Uncle Pabai, who has spent his life on the low-lying island of Boigu, says. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email Uncle Paul remembers a time when his family would hunt, fish and eat produce from gardens grown by the community. But that has all changed, he says. The beaches on his island, Saibai, have receded, turning to mud and mangroves. Its river system is inundated with saltwater and, alarmingly, even the island's cemetery has been affected by flooding. 'Even our cultural sites are being destroyed by rising seas,' he laments. 'We're both very worried about what we are losing, our hunting grounds are being destroyed by strong currents. 'Where can we show our culture to the younger generation?' he asks. 'In this way we are losing our culture, everything that belongs to our ancestors.' Drawing closer to a decision in the case is a significant milestone for the men. It has been an emotional journey for them, their communities and supporters, but as the uncles approach the end of this battle, they hold close the reasons they began such a long fight. Pointing to the example of fellow Torres Strait Islander Eddie Mabo – whose lifetime of campaigning resulted in a landmark high court ruling, recognising the rights of First Nations people to their lands, countering the idea of 'terra nullius', asserted by the British at colonisation – Uncle Pabai says the battle has been waged for his ancestors. 'I'm standing firm on his shoulders,' he says. 'If we come to winning this case, this is a victory for my family and communities on Boigu and all the community around the country and around the world.' As much as this is about the people who came before and protecting what they've left, Uncle Pabai says his two-year-old son and the generations to come – in the Torres Strait and further afield – are front of mind. 'My main focus is on the new generation,' he says. 'This is why I'm doing it – for the love of my son, for all the people in my community in the Torres Strait, for bushfire and flood survivors, for the farmers and the children and grandchildren.' No matter the legal outcome, Uncle Paul says he believes the action he and Uncle Pabai have taken will make a difference. 'We will be very proud, even if we win or if we lose,' he says. 'The government is listening now, they know what is happening and they must do something about climate change.'
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Our city is being ruined by 'billionaires' playground'... we're being forced out by tourists
A Texas city is becoming a billionaires' playground as it moves forward with a new sports arena that locals are riling against. A project that was initially code-named Project Marvel is facing huge backlash from local residents who have no desire for a new San Antonio Spurs arena to be constructed downtown. 'We don't need to provide a $4.5 billion playground for tourists and billionaires that does not provide economic development for our city,' Father Jimmy Drennan, of St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, told the San Antonio Express-News. For years, there have been talks amongst city officials about building a new Spurs arena behind closed doors and forcing consultants and developers to sign nondisclosure agreements. But locals don't want their taxpaying money to go toward the new arena, which they say, won't get any love from those residing there, only tourists and billionaires. 'This is a business deal with the Spurs and the city. It should also be a business deal for us,' Patrick Stolmeier, a local, told The Express-News. Anne Alexander cofounded a campaign called Stop! Project Marvel and several of her organization's signs - which read: 'No! Project Marvel' - have been popping up in plenty of neighborhoods since. The campaign might become a thorn in politicians' sides as more and more residents are becoming disdainful about the project. And locals are angered by the lack of transparency and communication and don't want it to be on the ballot in November. 'There are too many unanswered questions, including costs, economic benefits, alternatives, and financing,' Alexander's campaign said in a statement. 'Is downtown for the people or just for tourists?' Alexander's cofounder, Annalisa Peace, questioned. They also worry about traffic jams from the all the tourists coming downtown and whether or not locals would even be able to afford tickets to the games, which is currently held at the Frost Bank Center on the East Side. The average income in San Antonio is $34,000 for an individual and $63,000 for a household. 'When I tell people: "Would you like to sign in opposition?" they grab it out of my hands to try to sign it,' Mike Phillips, a COPS/Metro Alliance, an interfaith group that opposes the arena, told the outlet. Assistant City Manager, Lori Houston, told The Express-News that officials hear the backlash, but said the city has no desire to cancel their plans. 'I've heard people say: "How do I stop this project?" You take a vote,' she said on Tuesday. 'But we don't want to stop this project.' Tourism is a huge moneymaker for the Southern city and adding the arena downtown would help increase foot traffic and help finance the area through taxes on hotels and rental cars. Officials also worry that if the area isn't built, the basketball team could look elsewhere and that would lower the city's profit margin. And not every resident is viciously opposed to it and Keely Petty told The Express-News that she believes it could put San Antonio on the map next to Houston and Dallas. The city is also looking to expand the convention center again, which could cost up to $900million and would have to move the San Antonio Water System chilled water plant to do so. How much it would cost to move the water system is unknown.
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Thousands of calls to FEMA went unanswered following Texas floods after contracts weren't renewed
Thousands of Federal Emergency Management Agency calls went unanswered following the deadly Texas floods after Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem allegedly failed to renew call center contracts. Nearly two-thirds of calls to the disaster assistance line went unanswered in the two days after the floods, which have so far claimed the lives of at least 121, a source told the New York Times. It came after hundreds of contractors at call centers were fired on July 5 after their contracts lapsed and weren't extended, according to documents obtained by the outlet. The agency received 3,027 calls from survivors as flood waters receded on July 5. Roughly 3,018 calls were answered, the NYT reported. But the next day, as contracts expired and hundreds of contractors were fired, FEMA received 2,363 calls and only 846 were answered, according to the documents. On Monday, 16,419 calls were made by survivors with only 2,613 answered by the agency. It was five days after the contracts expired before they were renewed by Noem, according to the NYT source who added she has also recently instituted a new requirement for her personal approval of any expenses over $100,000. A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security told the NYT: 'When a natural disaster strikes, phone calls surge, and wait times can subsequently increase. 'Despite this expected influx, FEMA's disaster call center responded to every caller swiftly and efficiently, ensuring no one was left without assistance.' The devastating floods hit at a time when FEMA was already facing large amounts of scrutiny, as Donald Trump has also called for its eradication. The alleged contract renewal delays caused frustration within the agency, and by July 8 an email from a FEMA official said: 'We still do not have a decision, waiver or signature from the DHS Secretary', per the NYT. Jeffrey Schlegelmilch, who directs the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University, told the outlet: 'Responding to less than half of the inquiries is pretty horrific. 'Put yourself in the shoes of a survivor: You've lost everything, you're trying to find out what's insured and what's not, and you're navigating multiple aid programs. 'One of the most important services in disaster recovery is being able to call someone and walk through these processes and paperwork.' Democratic lawmakers also expressed concern on Friday that Noem's new expenses requirement would continue to stall the deployment of search-and-rescue teams to Texas. A letter obtained by the NYT to David Richardson, FEMA's acting administrator, from the Democrats on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform detailed that Noem had not approved teams to be deployed until July 7, three days from the beginning of the floods. Texas's Fourth of July weekend saw devastation as the raging waters swept through the state and claimed the lives of at least 121 people, including dozens of children at Christian summer camp Camp Mystic. The toll of missing persons sat at around 160 people ahead of Trump's visit to the devastated state. Friday evening, about 300 people showed up at the memorial for a vigil with speakers that included faith leaders and some who told harrowing tales of narrowly escaping the flood. FEMA lamented that it ran into bureaucratic obstacles that, four insiders told CNN, prevented them from more swiftly responding to the disaster. But Noem is pushing back on this claim. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the secretary did not need to initially authorize additional FEMA resources to help respond to the floods because it used other DHS search and rescue assets – including tapping assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection. She said as more need for FEMA resources came up, the requests then immediately received Noem's approval. 'FEMA is shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens,' McLaughlin said. 'The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades,' she added. The FEMA insiders who spoke with CNN said that the recent changes have stripped the agency of its autonomy – especially under emergency situations where every moment can make a difference. The White House also has pushed back at criticism that FEMA and the National Weather Service was understaffed, making early warning efforts more difficult. ' Blaming President Trump for these floods is a depraved lie, and it serves no purpose during this time of national mourning,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at her briefing on Monday. And, in a Cabinet meeting this week, Trump praised Noem for her department's handling of the response. The Department of Homeland Security oversees the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 'You had people there as fast as anybody's ever seen,' the president told Noem. Trump, unlike in other disasters, has not cast blame on anyone for the tragedy, calling it a horrible accident. 'I would just say this is a hundred-year catastrophe, and it's just so horrible to watch,' the president said on Sunday. Trump also signed a disaster declaration for Texas on Sunday to unlock federal aid for those affected. 'The president immediately delivered the dollars, Texas already has that money in their hands, and Governor Abbott is the lead decision-maker when it comes to the Texas floods,' a White House official told the Washington Post.
