Audience with the Delegation of the Hera Group — 2026-10-01

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Oct

♻️ Audience

Audience with the Delegation of the Hera Group

📍 Clementine Hall, Apostolic Palace

In the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Leo XIV receives in audience a delegation of the Hera Group, the company that since December 2025 has managed environmental services in the Vatican — waste collection, transport, recovery and disposal — including with low-impact vehicles, among them a 100% electric vehicle introduced in April 2026 for St. Peter's Square. Recalling the opening pages of the Bible and Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato si', the Pope notes that the safeguarding of creation is an original «commandment» addressed to humanity, and urges moving beyond «the consumerist model» in the face of uncontrolled consumption of resources and the increasingly problematic disposal of waste. To the «culture of waste», he says, «the culture of care can be profitably opposed», extending from objects to human labour and to persons, and he calls on the Church to be «the first to practise what she herself proclaims».

📷 Photos

Pope Leo XIV receives the delegation of the Hera Group in the Clementine Hall, 1 October 2026 (© Vatican Media)

📰 Articles

Vatican NewsOfficial

Leo XIV: resource consumption is out of control, our conduct toward Creation must change

The Pope's address to the Hera Group delegation, between the culture of waste and the culture of care.

📜 Speech text

Audience with the Delegation of the "Hera Group" (translated)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.

Good morning to all, and welcome!

I am pleased to welcome you, as a delegation of the Hera Group, for this moment of greeting, which gives us the opportunity to underline once again the importance of our responsibility for the care of creation. From the very fir

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you.

Good morning to all, and welcome!

I am pleased to welcome you, as a delegation of the Hera Group, for this moment of greeting, which gives us the opportunity to underline once again the importance of our responsibility for the care of creation. From the very first pages of the Bible, the safeguarding of our world appears among the commandments that God wished to address to humanity. It is, therefore, an original task, which today also finds expression in your work.

I am grateful for the work you do in seeking to contribute to the care of our common home, and I encourage you to continue in this commitment. The ecological challenge of our time is indeed more urgent than ever: on the one hand we witness an uncontrolled consumption of resources, while on the other the management and disposal of enormous quantities of waste becomes ever more problematic. In order not to regard every used object as mere waste, we need to change our conduct, committing ourselves to taking a different path. This means, in substance, moving beyond the consumerist model and towards a productive system capable of preserving the limited goods of our planet. Mindful of God's commandment, as Christians we cannot resign ourselves to accepting the culture of waste, but are instead called to make wise use of creation.

Your activity in the field of recycling shows that it is possible to work in this direction. The work you carry out, including here in the Vatican, testifies that the culture of waste can be profitably countered by a culture of care. This is not limited simply to objects and products, but extends from these to human labour and from labour to persons. For it is we who inhabit the world and who, through our decisions and our conduct, live it as a gift from God.

As Pope Francis taught, the model of recycling and circular production represents a good way to guarantee future generations a sustainable environment (cf. Encyclical Letter Laudato si', 21-22). It is important to set an example of consistency: let the Church be the first to practise what she herself proclaims. Through our cooperation we will be able to make the home of all ever more beautiful and welcoming.

Thank you for your visit. I bless you and wish you every good for your work and your families. Thank you.

Official source ↗