Vatican will join Cyprus’ climate initiative as an observer state

The Vatican will join Cyprus’ climate initiative as an observer state, following an invitation by President Nicos Anastasiades.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, the invitation was relayed to Pope Francis by the president of the Cyprus Institute Costas Papanicolas and Professor Fadi Comair, Director of the Environment Energy and Water Research Centre (EEWRC) during a private meeting with Pope Francis on May 16 at the Vatican.

“The meeting was a result of the strong ties between the Institute and the Vatican, and comes in addition to the strong collaboration the Institute already enjoys with the Vatican, following the visit by His Holiness Pope Francis to Cyprus in December,” the Cyprus Institute said in a statement on Thursday.

During the meeting, the Pope reiterated his deep concern about the effects of climate change and the human suffering it will induce in particular regarding refugee flows.

Moreover, the Pontiff advised Papanicolas and Comair to meet with the designated Vatican cardinals responsible for the dicasteries to follow up on climate change and other related issues.

Moreover, Papanicolas presented the Pope with a gift, an exact replica of a detail from the 14th century wall paintings in the catacomb of Saint Solomoni in Paphos.