As New York Gov. Kathy Hochul waited for Pope Francis in the Clementine Hall, an ornate room with marble walls and frescoed ceilings in the Vatican's papal apartments, her thoughts turned to her father.
Hocheol last visited Rome seven years ago with his father, who was celebrating his 80th birthday. He passed away suddenly last October, while the governor was on a diplomatic trip abroad to Israel. And now, sitting in her Vatican, she reflected on her upbringing with “Catholic social justice” and how it shaped her own political journey.
“It was a profound experience for me to sit there and meditate on my family’s teachings,” Hochul said Thursday. “I was thinking in that room that this was really the culmination of a lifetime of dedication to service.”
The governor stayed in Italy for just over 24 hours to attend a climate change summit hosted by the Pope at the Vatican. This is the New York leader's second trip in a week. New York City Mayor Eric Adams met with the Pope on Saturday.
Mr. Hochul arrived in Rome on Wednesday for a series of private meetings and receptions with Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.
On Thursday morning, a full assembly of mayors, governors, climate activists and academics gathered at the Vatican apartments for a private meeting with Pope Francis. Some attendees wore suits, while others wore tribal attire, including feather headdresses, or more casual tourist attire. Many people brought gifts to the Pope, including wine bottles, statues and flags.
Cardinal Peter Turkson, a close associate of the Pope, stood up and instructed guests not to kneel or try to kiss Pope Francis' hand when meeting him. “He will bring them down,” he said, and the people laughed. Attendees were also given a white pamphlet containing a copy of the Pope's remarks in English.
The Pope then entered, leaning on a white cane that matched his white robes. As he headed to a chair at the front of the room with two cardinals, people stood and applauded. He spoke in Italian in a soft, slightly frail voice, imploring those gathered to do more to combat climate change.
“The road ahead is uphill and not without risk,” he said. “The data from this summit showed that the impacts of climate change affect every aspect of our lives.”
At the end of his speech, the Pope took off his glasses, folded them, put them in his pocket, and signed a large red book. The climate change agreement was also signed by other world leaders in attendance. The Pope greeted each of his guests.
When it was his turn to meet with the Pope, Hochul said he asked the Pope to share his thoughts and prayers with New Yorkers and invited him to visit the state. He asked her to pray for him, she said. Mr Hochul described their interaction as “meaningful”.
“My father would have been very proud to know that not only did I return to Rome, but I also met the Pope,” she said.
The meeting then returned to the Synod, the Vatican City's central meeting venue, where keynote addresses were given by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Governor Newsom and Ms. Hochul.
Mr. Newsom used his remarks to publicize California's success in transitioning to clean energy, engaging in a duel of sorts with New York.
“California has exceeded its nation-leading environmental goals,” he added. “I’m here today for the 32nd day, 32nd straight day, one month in a row where California’s economy is literally running on 100% clean energy.”
New York struggled to follow suit. When Governor Ho Chul took office, a plan was already in place to transition 70% of the state to clean energy by 2030. But her administration announced last month that three ambitious projects to build offshore wind farms had fallen through due to supply chain problems and rising costs. .
Despite the setback, Hochul said in an interview Thursday that New York is on track to meet its goals within the next six years. Some clean energy advocates criticized her touting New York's accomplishments in Rome as a number of state climate change measures were left out of the budget and now face stiff competition to get them through the Legislature by June 6, the last scheduled date for legislation. . Session.
So when she took the podium at the General Assembly, Ms. Hochul followed Ms. Newsom with few concrete climate achievements.
“It’s truly an honor to be among the leaders of a very humble state like California,” Mr. Hochul joked. “We have a bi-coastal camaraderie, but it all benefits the people of our state.”
In her remarks, the governor again referenced her parents, who she said taught her that “we have a responsibility to other people” that shaped her approach to combating climate change.
She also detailed the various climate crises that plagued her during her two years as governor: hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and even earthquakes. She called the event a “cataclysm” and announced about $300 million in climate resilience funding to support grants, effective immediately.
After the speech was over, Hocheol returned to his family. She will honor her grandparents this weekend when she travels to County Kerry, Ireland, for a reunion event and to visit her ancestral home. Her family's Catholic faith emphasized the importance of Pope Francis' visit, she said.
“I grew up in a house where my grandparents had a picture of the current Pope on their wall every day,” she said. “It was right next to John Kennedy.”