Vatican City, Nov 9, 2023 / 11:46 am
The Vatican has released the schedule for Pope Francis’ trip to Dubai in early December to attend the COP28 climate conference.
The pope will visit the United Arab Emirates’ most populous city Dec. 1–3 where he will give a speech, meet world leaders, and help launch a pavilion for faith-based engagement at the United Nations climate summit.
It will be the first time that a pope has attended the U.N.’s annual environmental meeting. Francis published the apostolic exhortation Laudate Deum last month that called climate change “one of the principal challenges facing society and the global community.”
Pope Francis is scheduled to speak at COP28 in Dubai’s Expo City on Dec. 2 at 10 a.m. Following the speech, the pope will spend the rest of the day participating in private bilateral meetings with other attendees.