Francis' comments came as he answered a question from U2's lead singer Bono, the co-founder of the anti-poverty organisation ONE.

Bono told the pope that in ONE's "Poverty is Sexist" campaign, girls' education is presented as the "superpower" in fighting extreme poverty.

"Girls' education is a superpower in fighting extreme poverty and I would like to ask His Holiness if he thinks that women and girls play the same powerful role in tackling the climate crisis.

"We always speak of Mother Earth and not Father Earth," drawing laughter from Bono and the whole audience.

"Women know more about harmony than men," added the pope.

On its website, ONE is described as a global movement campaigning to end extreme poverty and preventable disease by 2030, so that everyone, everywhere can lead a life of dignity and opportunity.

Bono, 62, and the 85-year-pope shared star billing at an event organised by Scholas Occurrentes, a worldwide network of schools that promotes virtual and in-person encounters and aims to boost educational opportunities.

The organisation was started by Francis when he was the archbishop of Buenos Aires. It has since spread to more than 70 countries, many in the developing world.

Bono attended the event as one of the "teachers" of the Laudato Si' school, Scholas' latest project.

Laudato Si' is Pope Francis's 2015 document on the environment and the care of God's creation.

The project brings together young people from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay and Portugal to develop socio-environmental projects.

The U2 frontman said that he first got involved with Scholas four years ago, "drawn to this idea of a culture of encounter."

In his speech, Bono said he had given students music lessons earlier in the day and called for wider educational opportunities for young people.

The pope told the young people to live lives full of courage and poetry and "to go beyond what is politically correct."

Sources

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The South American football federation CONMEBOL had pledged to donate US$10,000 to the Vatican charity Scholas Occurrentes for every goal scored during the Copa America, which began in Chile on June 11.

The federation had signed the agreement in the presence of Pope Francis at the Vatican on April 21.

Venezuelan Rafael Esquivel, who was among the seven FIFA officials arrested on May 27 to face corruption charges in the US, was among those signing the Vatican agreement

A June 15 statement from the charity, signed by Archbishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, stated it "will refrain from receiving any funds until the ongoing judicial investigation is clarified".

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