on inspiring students to use their privilege to combat global warming and economic inequalities.
In his remarks at the university Thursday morning, Francis urged the students to take risks and reject the temptation to merely perpetuate the status quo — the “present global system of elitism and inequality” — with an attitude of self-preservation. “Yours can be the generation that takes up this great challenge," he said. “We need to align the tragedy of desertification with that of refugees, the issue of increased migration with that of a declining birth rate, and to see the material dimension of life within the greater purview of the spiritual."
After the event, Francis met with another group of students in the popular tourist resort of Cascais at the local branch of his Scolas Occurrentes foundation, a movement he founded years ago to bring young people from different backgrounds and nationalities together. Sitting in a brilliantly-painted common room, Francis chatted informally with the youths who told him of their anxieties and concerns.