CASTEL GANDOLFO: Pope Leo XIV officially opened a new sustainability-focused training centre on the outskirts of Rome, continuing the environmental advocacy championed by his predecessor Pope Francis.
The Vatican-operated facility, situated within the papal residence near Lake Albano southeast of Rome, spans 55 hectares and features farmland, a nursery, vineyards, olive groves, a solar-panelled greenhouse, and over 300 plant varieties.
The late Pope Francis initiated this project in 2023 to provide training courses for vulnerable communities including refugees, migrants, people with disabilities, former prisoners, domestic abuse survivors, and the unemployed.
Named ‘Borgo Laudato Si’ after Pope Francis’s influential encyclical letter, the centre explicitly connects environmental stewardship with broader social justice initiatives.
Pope Leo personally toured the facility on Friday, feeding fish and other animals before leading a liturgical celebration at the site.
He described Borgo Laudato Si as a remarkable synthesis where spirituality, nature, history, art, work, and technology coexist in harmonious balance.
The American pontiff had previously conducted an outdoor mass at the village in July, demonstrating his early commitment to the project.
This zero-waste centre will implement comprehensive composting of food waste, reuse water supplies, and produce various food products, with all generated profits being reinvested directly into the project’s ongoing operations. – AFP
