Pope to young people: We need you to protect environment

Pope Francis has praised young people for their efforts to protect the Earth's environment

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis on Sunday praised young people for their efforts to protect the Earth’s environment and told them to “be the critical conscience of society.”

Francis celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, filled with hundreds of young faithful, to mark a church day focused on youth in dioceses worldwide.

“You have been entrusted with an exciting but also challenging task,'' the pontiff said, ”to stand tall while everything around us seems to be collapsing."

Francis expressed thanks “for all those times when you cultivate the dream of fraternity, work to heal the wounds of God's creation, fight to ensure respect for the dignity of the vulnerable and spread the spirit of solidarity and sharing.”