A Maltese 'lifestyle magazine' has called on Pope Francis to try being vegan for lent to "help fight climate change with diet change".

Veggy Malta is joining a slew of celebrities and NGOs who have called on the Pope to refrain from eating meat for Lent. In return, the Pope will see $1 million donated to a charity of his choice. 

A 12-year-old animal rights and climate campaigner made the offer earlier this month. The offer was published in national newspapers across 15 countries and backed by the likes of Paul McCartney and film legend Brigitte Bardot.

In her letter, Genesis Butler said: "Farming and slaughtering animals causes a lot of suffering and is also a leading cause of climate change, deforestation, and species loss. When we feed animals crops that humans can eat, it is wasteful. And with a growing world population, we cannot afford to be wasteful."

Each person that goes vegan for Lent will save emissions equivalent to a flight from London to Berlin, and if every Catholic on the planet takes part, it will be equivalent to the whole of the Philippines not emitting CO2 for a year, Veggy Malta said.

Veggy Malta coordinator Darryl Grima stated: “We would like to suggest to all Catholics that will be fasting this lent to try vegan this year. By going vegan this lent you will be doing your part to help protect the planet, feed the global population, reduce animal suffering, show benevolence to all God’s creatures and potentially improve your health. After all what could be more Christian than fasting for our plant, those suffering from famine and reducing the suffering of God’s creatures?”

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