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Catholic Organizations Respond to Bishops’ Climate Appeal with Month of Climate Action November 3rd, 2015
The 230 member organizations of the Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM) have launched the “Month of Climate Action” campaign, calling for an unprecedented Catholic mobilization to conclude with the Global Climate March on November 29. By starting this campaign, the GCCM and its 200,000 supporters are actively responding to the just-released Appeal to COP21 Negotiating Parties addressed from the bishops to world leaders who will gather on November 30 for the Paris Climate Summit (COP21).
The GCCM organizations released a statement, “A Call for a Month of Climate Action: the Faithful Respond to the Bishops’ COP21 Appeal”, which declares: “We offer gratitude and support to the bishops of the world—most especially the Bishop of Rome—who have endorsed the just-released Appeal to COP21 Negotiating Parties. It is a witness to the crises we face that so many Successors to the Apostles have joined together to confront the human causes and consequences of climate change.”
“In announcing its Month of Climate Action, GCCM seeks to support the Church and her bishops in three ways: the Catholic Climate Petition, organizing Catholics for the November 29th Global Climate March, and the #Pray4COP21 Prayer Chain,” reads the statement.
The Catholic Climate Petition already has over 200,000 signatures, which are being carried symbolically by Yeb Saño, former climate negotiator for the Philippines, from Rome to Paris through his People’s Pilgrimage. The petition signatures will be delivered to representatives of the French government (who preside the COP21) and of the United Nations on November 28, in an interfaith event in Paris.
The Month of Climate Action will work like a virtual pilgrimage, paralleling the fasts and People’s Pilgrimages that have been occurring around the world with those advocating for climate action and justice. Participants will begin on November 1st, the Solemnity of All Saints, remembering St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of Ecology, and all saints who have worked for justice and systemic change. Online resources will help participants advance from one step to the next on the journey in the campaign website: www.CatholicClimateMovement.global/Month-Climate-Action.
The last stop of this virtual pilgrimage will be the Global Climate March on Sunday, November 29th, when over one million people will convene in over 3,000 cities to ask world leaders for action on climate justice. In Paris, upwards of 400,000 people will be marching in solidarity with those who most feel the effects of climate change.
“Our Catholic faith is the basis for our work protecting all peoples and all life”, said Tomás Insua, Global Coordinator of GCCM. “We believe, as Pope Francis has said, that climate change is a moral issue, and we want to stress our interconnectedness with all people, all of creation, all of God’s earthly blessings. We hope that hundreds of thousands of Catholics will join us for this historic Month of Climate Action.”
Oblate Shrine hold workshop on Encyclical Laudato Si for Hispanic Community October 22nd, 2015
This week Fr. Chava Gonzalez, OMI of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleviile, IL led a workshop on Pope Francis’ latest encyclical Laudato Si. This workshop is one in a 4-part series and offered in Spanish for participation by the Hispanic community. The series was organized after parishioners expressed strong interest in discussing the encyclical, which focuses on the environment.
Fr. Chava Gonzalez, OMI of the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleviile, IL (front) with his study group.
Vatican Radio interview Oblate representative at UN about Laudato Si’ July 31st, 2015
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he Vatican Radio has interviewed Fr. Daniel LeBlanc OMI,Missionary Oblates General Administration representative to the United Nations and VIVAT in New York about the impact of Pope Francis Encyclical Laudato Si’ on United Nations deliberations.
Listen to Fr Daniel interview here
Encouraged by Pope Francis’ Work, Rabbis Call for Vigorous Action on Climate Change May 14th, 2015
As of the morning of May 13, 2015, more than 300 rabbis have signed a Rabbinic Letter on the Climate Crisis, calling for vigorous action to prevent worsening climate disruption and to seek eco-social justice. The Rabbis were encouraged by the work of Pope Francis on the issue, in particular, the much anticipated papal encyclical on the environment due out this summer.
The letter is addressed: To the Jewish People, to all Communities of Spirit, and to the World: A Rabbinic Letter on the Climate Crisis
Faiths See Climate Change as a Moral and Practical Threat May 4th, 2015
Faith groups are mobilizing on climate change, seeing it as an existential threat to creation. Pope Francis will issue a papal encyclical on the environment this summer, which is expected to highlight both the need to reduce man-made carbon emissions, and for wealthy countries to help poorer nations deal with it, as they have done little to create the problem.
Meanwhile, the Church of England is putting its pounds and pence where its mouth is: The body that administers the worldwide Anglican Communion last week announced it is divesting from thermal coal and tar sands.
Islamic finance has played a major role in clean energy investment so far this decade.
Divestment from these most carbon intensive forms of energy is also good financial management. With pressure growing both from businesses concerned about how to operate in a world disrupted by climate change, and increasingly vocal popular movements, a price on carbon to discourage its use, is becoming more likely. Alongside this is the fact that renewable forms of energy – wind, solar, geothermal, and the like, are increasingly cost competitive. If the damages to health and the climate were factored into the price of carbon fuels, renewables would already be a clear winner.
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