Vatican diplomat reflects on Catholic schools, natural disasters, and climate risk

June 11, 2025

At the recent Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, a Vatican diplomat took part in a roundtable discussion, “Safe Schools Now: Protecting Every Child from Disaster and Climate Risk.”

Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, said that “the Holy See is deeply concerned that around one billion children worldwide are at risk of disasters, which can have dire consequences in the short and the long term. These consequences include severe disruption to access to nutrition, healthcare, and schooling.”

Against this “bleak backdrop,” the prelate emphasized that

• “firstly, as seedbeds of prevention, schools play a vital role in promoting a better understanding of, and preparedness for, disaster risks”
• “secondly, as gardens of responsibility, schools serve as a unique venue for advancing education in environmental stewardship and encouraging behaviors that directly and significantly impact the creation, entrusted by God to human care”
• “thirdly, schools represent strategic hubs where people converge to find support and resources in the aftermath of a disaster”

“As the largest non-state provider of education globally, the Catholic Church is committed to shaping minds and creating safe and compassionate schools where every child can flourish in dignity, resilience, and hope,” he concluded.

 

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Further information:

• Statement of H.E. Archbishop Ettore Balestrero (Permanent Mission of the Holy See, Geneva)