14 DAY TRIAL // Barack Obama and Pope Francis are scheduled to meet this coming March 27. The former might be the president of the United States, and the latter might be the leader of the Catholic Church, but, as it turns out, this does not mean that they are safe from being bossed around.
Not to beat about the bush, a group of faith-based environmental advocates have taken it upon themselves to set some guidelines concerning what President Obama and the Pope should chat about when they come face to face later this month.
According to Think Progress, what these greenheads think the two leaders most definitely must talk about during their March 27 meeting is climate change, simply because conservation and environmental protection boils down to taking care of God's gifts to mankind.
Looking to make sure that the demand that President Obama and Pope Francis talk about climate change when they meet lands on the best possible ears, one Richard Cizik, i.e. the head of a progressive evangelical Christian organization, has even started a petition on the White House's “We the People” website, the same source tells us.
In this petition, Richard Cizik of the New Evangelical Partnership for the Common Good urges Barack Obama to show Pope Francis pictures documenting the country's beauties, and even ask him to come visit a US national park or monument. Besides, the president should remind the Pope that conservation has very much to do with religion.
“Faith communities across the US are working to protect our environment. When the President and Pope Francis meet in March, we ask that President Obama give the Pope a photograph of one of our majestic parks of new national monuments as an example of America's proud tradition of conservation leadership, and discuss the sacred obligation of people across faiths to protect God's creation,” the petition reads.
Furthermore, “Conservation is a moral responsibility. President Obama should share a progress report on this climate action plan and efforts to protect America's Great Outdoors, and invite Pope Francis to visit one of America's national parks and monuments.”
The petition was started towards the beginning of this month, and, despite the fact that Barack Obama and Pope Frances are supposed to meet in late March, it aims to raise 100,000 signatures by April 3. Should the petition pass the 100,000 threshold, the White House will be left with no choice except deliver an official response to the requests listed in it.