An area in northern Rome, long associated with controversy due to electromagnetic waves from the Vatican Radio towers there, will undergo a major change. Pope Francis, committed to fighting climate change, ordered on Wednesday the construction of a solar farm in this site to provide power for Vatican City State.
Pope Francis has ordered the construction of a solar farm in a northern area of Rome to provide power for Vatican City State.Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Pope Francis Orders Construction of Solar Farm in Vatican Radio Area
Vatican Radio's controversial area in northern Rome will soon house a field of solar panels. The Associated Press reported that Pope Francis' decision aligns with the Vatican's commitments under UN climate agreements to reduce carbon emissions.
Also, in line with this commitment, Pope Francis appointed a commission to oversee the development of this solar farm in the 430-hectare Santa Maria di Galeria that belongs to the Vatican. The Pope's Motu Proprio emphasized that the new solar farm would power not only the Vatican Radio but the whole Vatican City State.
The Santa Maria di Galeria was inaugurated in 1957 as home to Vatican Radio, which initially broadcast Catholic and Vatican news globally through two dozen short- and medium-wave radio antennas crowding the site.
The area has now been earmarked for sustainable energy production. As urbanization encroached on the once-rural site that is 35 kilometers north of the Vatican, local residents raised concerns about health issues, including cases of childhood leukemia.
They attributed these health problems to the electromagnetic waves emitted by the towers. The Vatican consistently denied any direct connection between the towers and the reported health issues.
Under Pope Francis, who authored a comprehensive encyclical emphasizing the importance of environmental stewardship, the Vatican initiated a program to replace its car fleet with electric vehicles.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy called "Ecological Conversion 2030," which seeks to implement sustainable and carbon-neutral practices across the Vatican City State.
Pope Francis previously issued a pressing revision to his influential 2015 encyclical on environmental issues. In this update, he called upon global leaders to adopt concrete, enforceable targets to mitigate climate change. He cautioned that Earth, as God's creation, was rapidly warming, which may cause irreversible damage.
Before Pope Francis, his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, earned the moniker of the "green pope," largely due to his efforts to promote sustainability within Vatican City. These initiatives included installing solar panels in the main audience hall, marking a significant step towards reducing the Vatican's carbon footprint.
These actions mark a step forward in the Vatican's efforts to teach the Catholics about caring for the planet to stop irreversible damage from climate change.
