Cardinal Parolin to deliver Pope Francis’ speech at COP28

By Devin Watkins

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, told journalists on Friday that Cardinal Pietro Parolin will represent Pope Francis at the COP28 summit in Dubai.

“I can confirm that Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin will lead the Holy See Delegation already present in Dubai for COP28 to deliver, on Saturday, 2 December, the contribution that the Holy Father would have liked to pronounce,” said Mr. Bruni, responding to questions from reporters.

He added that Cardinal Parolin will participate in the inauguration of the Faith Pavilion at Expo City in Dubai on Sunday, 3 December, along with Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue.

Pope’s health situation

Pope Francis had been scheduled to make an Apostolic Journey to Dubai on 1-3 December to lend his support for international efforts to curb climate change.

He decided on Tuesday to cancel the planned visit on the advice of his doctors.

The Pope has been suffering from “a very acute, infectious bronchitis”, as he said on Thursday during an audience in the Vatican.

Speaking to participants in a seminar on “Ethics in Health Management”, the Pope said he no longer has a fever but confirmed that he is still receiving antibiotic treatment.

“The doctor didn't let me go to Dubai,” he said on Thursday. “The reason is that it's very hot there, and going from the heat to air conditioning is not convenient in this bronchial situation.”

Care for common home

The Pope has been outspoken on the need to care for our common home, especially in his encyclical Laudato si’, released in 2015.

More recently, Pope Francis published an Apostolic Exhortation entitled Laudate Deum to renew his calls for responsible stewardship of Creation.

Laudate Deum also sought to update Laudato si’ regarding the changes that have occurred in the intervening eight years.