Bringing the Threads of Mission Together: Global Climate Change
The Catholic concern for global climate change and its impact on the mission of the Church is finding a more clarion voice from the Holy See and the US Catholic Bishops, finding a recent tool for awareness and action in the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. Partnership with other religious traditions also exhibits the interfaith concern for global climate change and its impact, especially on the poorest.
Climate change is indiscriminate; paying no heed to state boundaries it has already exerted serious impacts on people across the planet, affecting the wealthy and those living in poverty, ruraland urban dwellers in both the North and the South. Nevertheless, it is clear that the social and economic costs of climate change are being disproportionately borne by those living in poverty in developing countries. While climate change affects us all, people held back by sustained and chronic deprivation of resources, capability and power, which limits their choices and security, are being affected first and most profoundly.
Developing countries are especially vulnerable to climate change because of their systemic poverty,geographical position, dependence on rain-fed agriculture, the living conditions of much of theirpopulations, and the disruption it causes to their traditional patterns of survival. From our experience we see that poor communities are more limited in their ability to adapt to climate change, and are more reliant on the traditional farming methods and local water systems that are predicted to be heavily impacted. Developing countries are the worst affected, in large part because they are less developed. Whilst poverty exists regardless of climate change, climate change is creating a new vicious cycle which robs people living in poverty of their ability to improve their situation.
All across our country, Catholics are taking the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor and joining the Catholic Climate Covenant. The St. Francis Pledge is a promise and a commitment by Catholic individuals, families, parishes, organizations and institutions to live our faith by protecting God’s Creation and advocating on behalf of people in poverty who face the harshest impacts of global climate change. To join the Covenant, you commit to act on each of the five elements of the St. Francis Pledge.
The St. Francis Pledge
I/We Pledge to:
PRAY and reflect on the duty to care for God’s Creation and protect the poor and vulnerable.
LEARN about and educate others on the causes and moral dimensions of climate change.
ASSESS how we-as individuals and in our families, parishes and other affiliations-contribute to climate change by our own energy use, consumption, waste, etc.
ACT to change our choices and behaviors to reduce the ways we contribute to climate change.
ADVOCATE for Catholic principles and priorities in climate change discussions and decisions, especially as they impact those who are poor and vulnerable.
The late Pope John Paul II understood nature’s importance and the interconnection of all economic, political, environmental, and spiritual issues.We must protect all life at all its stages, for one cannot claim to be authentically pro-life while failing to show solidarity with the natural world and its diverse inhabitants.In doing so we proclaim Christ without ambiguity and show his compassion of love in the most relevant of ways. Today we finally understand that our spiritual concern for the environment is one thread in the Mission of Christ.
