Pope: Virus linked to health of people, environment

Pope Francis said on Wednesday the coronavirus pandemic had shown there's a link between people's health and the state of the environment.

Francis spoke about the interconnectedness of people and the planet during his general audience, held in a Vatican courtyard with the faithful spaced out to limit contagion.

He told the crowd that abusing the "ecosystems that God created" was a "grave sin".

"We cannot expect to continue to grow on a material level without taking care of the common home that welcomes us," he said.

Francis added that exploiting nature ultimately means exploiting other people.

Francis is expected to elaborate on the themes of solidarity, fraternity and care for creation in an encyclical he is expected to sign on 3 October on living in the post-COVID-19 world.