The shared vision of Jane Goodall and Pope Leo XIV

Dear Editor,

Conservationist Jane Goodall has passed away at age 91.  As a United Nations Messenger of Peace, she urged: "You're supposed to share the planet, and yet species are disappearing. Ecosystems are collapsing. That's going to affect us."

More recently, Pope Leo XIV implored: “We cannot love God, whom we cannot see, while despising his creatures. Nor can we call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ without participating in his outlook on creation and his care for all that is fragile and wounded.”

Pope Leo and Jane Goodall share deeply rooted values centered on reverence for life, environmental stewardship, the interconnectedness of all creation, and the dignity of every being.  Both expressed great concern about the impacts of climate change.   

Empathy forms a central tenet in Goodall’s worldview, seen in her insistence that humans recognize and honor the emotions and uniqueness of animals. Likewise, Pope Leo XIV (following the legacy of Pope Francis) calls for compassion, a rejection of hierarchy in love, and solidarity with the marginalized, echoing a universal ethic of kindness.

May we honor their examples by working together to create a more compassionate and life-sustaining world.

Terry Hansen, Milwaukee, WI