Pope appeals to young to save planet, find peace…

ASSISI, Italy (AP) — Pope Francis, visiting Assisi, the birthplace of his namesake saint who was close to nature, called on Saturday for “courage” in abandoning fossil fuels and lamented that older generations didn’t know how to protect the planet and secure peace,He told young people he was pinning his hopes on their efforts in working to save the planet and to make the world’s economy more attentive to the poor. During his brief visit Saturday to the hill town in central Italy, Francis spoke to a gathering of some 1,000 young people, some of them young economists. Others are involved in efforts including start-ups, focused on helping the environment. The participants came from all over the world. Among them was a woman who recounted to the pope how she and her husband were helped to flee Afghanistan after the takeover of the Taliban last year by an organization called The Economy of Francis, which is inspired by the life of St. Francis, with his attention to the poor and others in need.ADVERTISEMENTThe pope said a world economy is needed that expresses “a new vision …