Christians take action on climate change
Officials from the Vatican are calling for a moral awakening of politicians and people of faith on issues of global warming. The Pope’s representative on peace and justice issues (Cardinal Peter Turkson) issued a statement at a recent Vatican summit on climate change and poverty. He said that a full conversion of hearts and minds is needed in order to conquer global warming. He also explained how the lesson from the Garden of Eden still rings true today: pride, hubris, self-centredness are always perilous, indeed destructive. The very technology that has brought great reward is now poised to bring great ruin.
The United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon gave the keynote address at the summit in which he supported the Pope’s upcoming encyclical on the environment saying that, coupled with his planned speeches before the UN general assembly, would have a profound impact on climate change negotiations. The encyclical will convey to the world that protecting our environment is an urgent moral demand and a sacred duty for all people of faith and people of conscience.
Both Turkson and the secretary-general emphasised that scientists and people of faith we united in their call for action. Science and religion are not at odds on climate change but are fully aligned. Turkson called on leaders of all faiths to be good role models saying, “At a time like this, the world is looking to faith leaders for guidance”.
In March this year a group of 17 bishops and archbishops wrote a letter urging the Anglican Church to divest from fossil fuel companies that are driving climate change. The bishops represent the Anglican Communion Environmental Network, a group that promotes environmental concerns within the Anglican Communion.
The Church of England is currently debating whether to remove fossil fuels from its £6.1 billion fund. The World Council of Churches, of which the CofE is a member, has already ruled out new fossil fuel investments. Other Christian denominations have already voted to dump their fossil fuel assets. The United Reformed Church of Scotland has committed to pull out its investments in fossil fuel companies. The United Methodists have committed to dump coal and Unitarians and United Church of Christ are also reportedly divesting.
Sources: Grist online (April 2015), Guardian online (April 2015)