In Earth Day message, pope warns that planet is "at the brink" By Philip Pullella Reuters VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis said in his Earth Day message on Thursday that the planet was "at the brink" and humanity had to avoid "the path of self destruction." The pope, who has issued many appeals for environmental protection since his election in 2013, spoke in two video messages, one for the Earth Day Live internet event and another for a global climate summit hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden. "Now is the time to act. We are at the brink," Francis, who has backed the scientific consensus that global warming is partly man-made, said in the Earth Day message.