The Pope gave a speech before President Uhuru Kenyatta in the presidential house at the end of his first day of visit to Kenya as part of his African tour.
Pope Francis noted that Kenya was not only blessed with the great beauty of its hills, rivers, lakes, forests, grasslands and areas of semidesert, but also with plenty of natural resources.
In anticipation to the sensitive issues expected to be discussed soon in Paris during the 21st UN Conference on Climate Change, he said the serious environmental crisis being faced by the planet increasingly demands greater sensitivity for the relation between the human beings and Nature.
He urged leaders to protect the youngsters, investing in them and working with integrity and transparency for the common good, promoting a spirit of solidarity in all fields of society.
During his welcoming speech, the Kenyan president said the Catholic Church is a strong ally of the State for his country's social and economic development and in the struggle against the vices of corruption, and asked the Pope to pray for the Kenyans.
The Pope is scheduled to give mass at the Campus of the University of Nairobi tomorrow, on the second day of his papal visit. Previously, he will hold an interreligious, ecumenical meeting and give a speech at the headquarters of the Apostolic Nunciature, in this capital.
Also on Thursday, Pope Francis will meet with priests, nuns and seminarists at the St. Mary's School Stadium, according to the Vatican Insider website.
The Pope will stay in Nairobi until Friday, Nov. 27, and travel to Uganda and the Central African Republic, the final leg of his African tour.
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PL-52/MNA
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