Pope Francis Orders Vatican to Switch to Solar Power

The plan he announced Vatican NewsIt was announced by Pope Francis in an apostolic letter issued motu proprio – that is, on his own initiative.

The letter to the church is titled “Brother Sun,” a reference to St. Francis of Assisi. In it, he orders Vatican authorities to work with Italian officials to transform the city into a green organization.

The Pope has set himself the goal of carbon neutrality and to this end has ordered the construction of a solar power plant in Santa Maria di Galeria, located about 17 km from Rome and owned by Vatican Radio.

The 424-hectare area will also be used for agricultural crops – making it an “agrivoltaic” investment.

Francis supports his decision by recalling the accession of the Holy See to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2022. He emphasizes its desire to “contribute to the efforts of all states to offer … an adequate response to the challenges that climate change poses to humanity and our common home.”

The construction of the plant will be supervised by Cardinal Fernando Véregez Alzaga, president of the Vatican City State governorate, and Archbishop Giordano Piccinotti, head of the administration of the assets of the Holy See.

Both were appointed “Extraordinary Commissioners” and given full powers to bring the project to completion, as well as the authority to communicate with the Italian government in accordance with the Lateran Treaty that governs relations between them.