Episcopal Church Climate Partnership with ecoAmerica's Blessed Tomorrow Program

The Jesus Movement: Good News For All Creation from ecoAmerica on Vimeo.

Like a Dickensonian Ghost Greta Thunberg Offers a Chilling Rebuke and a Haunting Warning

Fifteen year old Greta Thunberg spoke truth to power at the recent UN COP24 climate talks. Speaking on behalf of environmental non-governmental organizations she delivered one of the most powerful speeches ever delivered on climate action. Like a ghost from Charles Dickens' 1843 novella, A Christmas Carol she shows us what we have done, what we are doing and what we must do. She cuts through our excuses for inaction and exposes the insanity of our failure to do what common sense dictates we must. Here are the full transcripts of two speeches that she delivered at COP24:

Justice Issues Including Climate Action Discussed at Primates Meeting in Preparation for Lambeth 2020

At the end of November, Anglican leaders from the Americas and the Caribbean gathered in Toronto for the regional Primates’ Meeting. The primates discussed the Lambeth Conference 2020 and they said they are "asking that our reality be made a priority," this includes the issues of refugees, violence, economic injustice, and climate change.

Faith Leaders are Ideal Climate Leaders

In a recent BBC broadcast, Ruth Valerio discussed the role of religions and faith leaders in efforts to address climate change.

Valerio states that Christians and other faith leaders are well positioned to promote climate action.  "I think faith communities all around the world have a huge part to play. Faith leaders are uniquely placed to be able to support and motivate communities all around the world. They can help their members to take actions both individually and also holding governments to account."

Episcopal Bishop Marc Andrus' Climate Activism at COP24

In this November 30, 2018 Episcopal News Service article Lynette Wilson reports on Episcopal Bishop Marc Andrus' climate activism at COP24 in Poland. Bishop Marc Andrus represents the Presiding Bishop and Episcopalians advocate for the environment at COP24.
______________________________________

Wildfires. Hurricanes. Four straight record-setting years of increasing temperatures. Ocean acidification. Sea-level rise. Species loss. Drought. All are made worse by climate change, fueling humanitarian crises as people are forced to flee their homes because of natural disaster or changes in their environment.

Bishops sign document calling for action against climate change

Have you ever wondered what Bishops are doing to advance climate action? In this Oct 26, 2018 Catholic News Service article, Junno Arocho Esteves explains how six Bishops signed a document and issued a joint statement calling for action against climate change. These Bishops are currently attending COP24 in Poland where they will deliver their message of climate action to global leaders.
________________________

Vatican City — Six bishops representing episcopal conferences on five continents issued a joint statement calling on the international community to take immediate action against climate change.

Addressing world leaders who will be attending the COP24 Summit in Katowice, Poland, in December, the bishops urged them to take concrete steps "in order to tackle and overcome the devastating effects of the climate crisis."

"We must be prepared to make rapid and radical changes and resist the temptation to look for solutions to our current situation in short-term technological fixes without addressing the root causes and the long-term consequences," the bishops said in the statement.

The statement was signed at the Vatican Oct. 26 by: Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai, India, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences; Archbishop Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, president of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union; Archbishop Gabriel Mbilingi of Lubango, Angola, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar; and Cardinal José Luis Lacunza Maestrojuan of David, Panama, president of the Latin American bishops' council's economic committee.

The document was also signed by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco of Genova, Italy, president of the Council of Bishops' Conferences of Europe; and Colombian Cardinal Rubén Salazar Gómez of Bogota, president of the Latin American bishops' council, also known as CELAM.

Gracias told journalists that on the issue of climate change, the church cannot rest until "the Paris agreement is fulfilled, adhered to and followed up."

"People who are affected most are the weakest," he said. "There is no doubt that this is something that is urgent, important, and it is our responsibility to throw our full weight on it."

Hollerich said that a contributing factor to the crisis was the flow of money into industries that contribute to climate change, especially fossil fuels.

"If you do not look to the sources of money and where the money flows we have a very nice way of speaking, but things will not really happen," the archbishop said. "And things have to happen because everything is interconnected as Pope Francis says in Laudato Si' and we are responsible for the people in Europe but also the people of other continents."

He also recalled watching a television program that showed how the European landscape would change due to rising sea levels and how new technologies and structures could prevent it from happening.

"It made me furious. Yes, we can do it but other continents, other countries cannot," he told reporters. "We are co-responsible for this earth, there is only one. We have to act now and I think the urgency of this call is very important."

Joseph Sapati Moeono-Kolio, a Samoan observer at the Synod of Bishops and a member of Caritas Internationalis, said the bishops' declaration was "a huge symbolic step, it's a symbol of hope for many of us."

The future of young people, especially those living in Asia and Oceania, are threatened by climate change, which has resulted in many young men and women migrating, he explained.

"As you know, young people bear the brunt of a lot of bad decisions and we want to end it here," he said.

The effects of climate change, he continued, have resulted in more frequent and increasingly powerful cyclones that have struck his native Samoa. When those storms come, he said, villagers often run to the strongest building nearby: the local church.

"I think that's a very good image of what we're trying to do here, the importance of this document, the church now should be a haven of safety, especially for young people," he said.

Sapati told journalists that the issue of climate change is "more than just science, politics and ideology" and frequent debates have "bogged down" any genuine action.

"I'd like to remind you that there is a human face to climate change, you're looking at it," he said. "But I am not the only one; there are many of us vulnerable people back home and it's one of those issues where, eventually, we'll all become the face of climate change if we don't do anything soon."

Click here to see the SEC's short film The Seed.

Related
Introducing the SEC's Eightfold Path of Environmental Action
Right Understanding: Knowing the facts about climate change
Right Thought: How we think about the natural world
Right Speech: Effective environmental communications
Right Action: Making smaller footprints
Right Works: Efforts that benefit the planet
Right Effort: Choosing a cause
Right Concentration: Staying focused on creation
Right Mindfulness: Managing ecological stress

Plastic-Free Picnic to Celebrate the Season of Creation at Christs Church Cathedral

Early in September, on a beautiful Sunday morning, my family and I had the pleasure of attending a plastic-free picnic in downtown Montreal hosted by Christ Church Cathedral's Environmental Social Justice Action Group (ESJAG). The picnic took place on Sunday, September 9th to celebrate the Season of Creation.

Prior to the picnic my wife and I participated in the Sunday service at the Cathedral while the kids went to Sunday school. At the beginning of the service the Very Rev’d Bertrand Olivier explained that the liturgy reminds us that this is the Season of Creation.

Remembering Saint Francis the Patron Saint of Ecologists

The Feast of St. Francis is celebrated worldwide on October 4th and this is the day that marks the end of the Season of Creation. St. Francis is the Patron Saint of Animals and in 1979, Pope John Paul II declared St. Francis the Patron Saint of Ecologists. Many people have their their pets blessed on this day. Other events celebrating the life of this ecological saint include nature walks and games for children.

Francis de Sales was born in Italy in 1181 and he was beatified in 1661 by Pope Alexander VII, who then canonized him four years later.  Francis was a soldier in his youth, but after a conversion experience, he renounced his family’s wealth and devoted his life to God.

Francis' devotion to God was expressed through his love for all of God's creation. St. Francis cared for the poor and sick, he preached sermons to animals, and praised all creatures as brothers and sisters under God. His death in 1226 brought three million people together for his funeral. He is well known as the author of the author of the Canticle of the Creatures.

The Inspirational Efforts of the Environmental Social Justice Action Group at Christs Church Cathedral

Christ Church Cathedral's Environmental Social Justice Group (ESJAG) has been involved in a wide range of social advocacy over the years.  Both advocacy and education are central tenets of ESJAG's Statement of Purpose.

When the Very Reverend Ken Gray of British Columbia met with ESJAG he urged them to make ecological justice a priority which contributed to their decision to add "environmental" to their name and make ecological justice the theme for 2018.  Previous annual themes include homelessness, particularly as it relates to indigenous women. ESJAG actively supported indigenous justice including Truth and Reconciliation and the It Matters to Me campaign. They worked with KAIROS - Winds of Change (Call 62) campaign and they organized a conference with Indigenous educators and students.

Right Thought: How We Think about the Natural World

God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking: god be in mine heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end, and and my departing.   - John Rutter (b. 1945)

This is the second installment in the series the Eightfold Path of Environmental Action. This series offers helpful information and tips related to climate change and the environment. It is a companion to The Seed, a short film that will be launched at the end of the Season of Creation on October 4, 2020.

Information and Resources for the Season of Creation

The “Season of Creation” is observed by churches around the world between September 1st and October 4th.  Members of the Anglican church and others are celebrating the Season of Creation. This includes Creation Matters working group and Creation Matters Network and members of the PWSEJ Committee.

Right Understanding: Knowing the Facts about Climate Change

God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking: god be in mine heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end, and and my departing.   - John Rutter (b. 1945)

This is the first installment in the series the Eightfold Path of Environmental Action. This series offers helpful information and tips related to climate change and the environment. It is a companion to The Seed, a short film that will be launched at the end of the Season of Creation on October 4, 2020.

The SEC's Eightfold Path of Environmental Action

God be in my head, and in my understanding; God be in mine eyes, and in my looking; God be in my mouth, and in my speaking: god be in mine heart, and in my thinking; God be at my end, and and my departing.   - John Rutter (b. 1945)

Faith groups are at the forefront of efforts to address environmental degradation and climate change. Various religious traditions have made the moral case for climate action. Many of us share a common concern for nature and many of us want to protect it. This is why people, governments, NGOs, schools and businesses are all involved in environmental advocacy and climate action. The natural world has a prominent place in Anglicanism, other traditions and in society at large. This makes the environment an interfaith issue and a bridge to the secular world.  Protecting creation appeals to shared values that bind us all together. 

Interfaith Call for Carbon Pricing

An interfaith call for carbon pricing in Massachusetts has garnered the support of more than 150 faith leaders. Many of those that signed on to the Climate XChange project went to the State House to amplify their plea that the commonwealth put a price on carbon.  Such schemes reduce carbon the primary climate change causing greenhouse gas while supporting a low carbon economy. For more information on the benefits of carbon pricing click here.

Environmental Action at St. Cuthbert's Church

Here is a good example of what churches have done to raise awareness and encourage activism. St. Cuthbert's Church in Toronto has adopted a community approach involving local leaders. To commemorate Earth Hour St Cuthbert's organized a panel discussion on environmentalism that included a District School Board trustee, MPP for Beaches-East York, and a spokesperson for the Anglican Church of Canada. St. Cuthbert’s Anglican Church, 1399 Here are some of. St. Cuthbert's efforts as summarized in a 2017 Toronto Observer article by Alexa Battler.

Church leaders endorse Season of Creation in rare ecumenical joint letter

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has joined leaders of other Christian churches in a joint letter encouraging participation in the Season of Creation. The annual celebration of prayer and action to protect the environment emerged from a proclamation by the Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I in 1989. He called on Orthodox Christians to observe 1 September each year as a day of prayer for creation. Many churches across the world from different traditions began celebrating a Season of Creation between that date and 4 October 4 – the feast of St Francis of Assisi.

Anglicans Support Nature: Stewardship of the Environment Survey Results

The Stewardship of the Environment Committee (SEC) is pleased to release the results of our poll sampling Anglican's views about the natural world.

The SEC created this survey to help inform a video we are preparing as part of our mission priorities for 2018 and 2019.

Faith Communities Offer Hope This Earth Day

Sunday, April 22, marks the start of Earth Week and as we approach the half-century mark for this important event we are forced to confess that while we have made some important strides, we have not been good stewards of God's creation.

Religious groups are celebrating Earth Day in record numbers. Many faith traditions are offering toolkits and environmental resources. Hindus are engaging in environmental action through the Bhumi project and Buddhists are discussing ecology. Both Muslims and Sikhs released statements on climate change and Jews shared ways of tracking environmental action in synagogues.

Many people including Anglicans feel called by their faith to act on environmental degradation and climate change. It therefore follows that faith communities are at the forefront of efforts to respond to one of the most serious crises humans have ever faced. As people of faith, we are called to engage by taking personal responsibility and sharing this important message with others both within and outside of our faith traditions.

Earth Day 2018 Message from Anglican, Lutheran Leaders

In recognition of Earth Day on April 22, 2018, we invite you to join us in praying for the humility and discipline to use Earth’s resources wisely and responsibly.

We begin by praying the Rule of Life, from Gospel-based Discipleship of Indigenous Ministries of the Anglican Church of Canada:

Creator God, we acknowledge and give thanks that:
In Jesus we know we belong to a Sacred Circle with the Gospel and Baptismal Covenant in the centre.

Anglicans Gave Up Plastic for Lent

Bishop Mary in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal heeded the call from the Church of England to give up plastic for Lent. As the Diocese of London explained, "This Lent let's give ocean creatures a better chance to renew themselves, free of our trash!"

Each year millions of Christians fast or give up something for Lent. This year many Christians opted to give up single-use plastic because of its destructive environmental impact. More than 300 million tons of plastic is created each year and around half is single-use plastic.  A total of 8.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been created since the 1950s.

Much of that waste ends up in our oceans and waterways.  Eight tons of plastic is dumped in the sea every minute. This plastic is forming massive plastic patches on the surface called gyres.  It is also ubiquitous beneath the waves. This plastic does not biodegrade making it deadly to wildlife. The problem is so vast it is interfering with the aquatic food chain.

Easter and the Environment: Spiritual Transformation

The symbolism of Easter offers an opportunity to reflect on the importance of the natural world and the shift of consciousness required for the survival of life on this planet. If we are to find a way forward we urgently need to address climate change and environmental degradation.  To alter our perilous trajectory we need to assume responsibility for the state of our world. Science alone will not take us where we need to go. We need a spiritual transformation that will enable us to address the wide range of human activities that are adversely impacting the Earth's geology and ecosystems.  James Gustave Speth is an environmental scientist who believes that science cannot solve the crisis we face.

"I used to think the top environmental problems were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that with 30 years of good science we could address those problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental problems are selfishness, greed, and apathy." Speth said, adding, "to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural transformation - and we scientists don't know how to do that." Speth is the dean and professor in the practice of environmental policy and sustainable development at Yale University’s School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

What Does Nature Mean to You? Let Us know by Completing a Short Survey

What is your connection to nature? The Stewardship of the Environment Committee in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal has created a short survey to help us to get to know more about how people feel about nature and by extension the environment.

We intend to incorporate the results into a series of three videos we are shooting as part of our mission priorities for 2018.

This very brief survey takes only a minute to complete. It is comprised of 10 easy to answer questions about you and your relationship to nature.

Please complete this short survey and consider sharing it with friends. There are no names so your answers will be kept strictly confidential.

To go to the survey click here.

The Call to Come Together to Safeguard the Health of the Planet

Faith groups and others must unite to address environmental degradation and climate change. Anglicans are called by the fifth mark of mission to be good stewards of the Earth. Other traditions have come to similar conclusions. Secular society is also actively involved in environmental stewardship. The scope of the problems we face demand that groups work together to safeguard planetary health.

In recent years we have seen the ways in which diverse coalitions including religious organizations are living their convictions as they seek to divest from fossil fuels. We have seen this effort grow at both national and local levels. The rational for divestment in faith communities is powerfullly compelling. The Anglican Diocese of Montreal along with other dioceses across Canada and around the world have passed resolutions to divest from fossil fuels.

Anglican Primates Invited to Share Views on Caring for Creation

The 39 Primates in the Anglican Communion have been asked to share their views about what it means to care for God’s creation. The Primates who together represent tens of millions of people are being encouraged to write about their local environments and our common planetary home. They are invited to include illustrations, photographs, paintings and video. These creations will be featured at the launch of the Global Climate Action Summit which is being held in Grace Cathedral in San Francisco on September 12, 2018. The submissions will also be exhibited in Lambeth Palace during Creationtide (Sept.1 - Oct. 4). Lambeth Palace is the official London residence and offices of the Archbishop of Canterbury.  This project will go on display ahead of the Lambeth Conference, God’s Church for God’s World in 2020. The conference is expected to bear witness to the Anglican Communion’s 5th Mark of Mission: "To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth."

New Chair for the Stewardship of the Environment Committee

Richard Matthews has assumed the role of chairperson of the Stewardship of the Environment Committee (SEC). Richard replaces Rev. Elizabeth Welch, the former Parish Priest at St. Andrews and St. Mark’s in Dorval.

Rev. Elizabeth was instrumental in the passage of the fossil fuel divestment motion in the Diocese of Montreal. In addition to her environmental interests Rev. Elizabeth has served as a chaplain in both hospitals and prisons. She obtained a Masters in Religious Studies with a Specialization in Biomedical Ethics from McGill University.  Rev. Elizabeth is currently the Rector at St. Georges Anglican Church in Victoria, BC where she lives with her wife, and their daughter.

Building Bridges: Stewardship of the Environment Committee's Mission Plans for 2018

The Stewardship of the Environment Committee (SEC) in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal is pleased to share our mission priorities for 2018. We are grateful to serve alongside an increasing number of faith communities that are prioritizing environmental stewardship. This year we will focus on crafting narratives that appeal to shared values. We will do this by telling stories that invite engagement.

As we embark on our newest initiatives, the SEC wishes to thank everyone who has supported us over the years, especially the delegates who voted in support of the fossil fuel divestment motion at the 2015 Synod. I am happy to report that as a function of your votes divestment efforts are underway in our diocese.