The Vatican's Climate Conference Calls for a Moral Awakening that Includes Rejecting Fossil Fuels

On April 28th, the Vatican held a major conference on climate change that called for a moral awakening. The summit addressed the need for urgent action including reductions in our consumption of fossil fuels. The conference was titled, Protect the Earth, Dignify Humanity: The Moral Dimensions of Climate Change and Sustainable Development. It was hosted by the Pontifical Academy of Science and included 60 scientists, religious leaders and diplomats.

Earth Day Sermon by Rev. Elizabeth Welch

This Earth Day sermon was written by Rev. Elizabeth Welch. She is a member of the Stewardship of the Environment Committee (Anglican Diocese of Montreal) and the parish priest at St. Andrew and St. Mark Anglican Church in Dorval.
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Why on the 3rd Sunday of Easter are we reading all about sin? It’s almost as if after the first two Sundays of Easter we’re back in Lent. One commentator wrote: “Can’t the Scriptures cut us a break for one Sunday and give us simple ‘God is great’ good news?” It’s the 3rd Sunday of Easter after all! The commentator added: “I feel the same way about the world sometimes [thinking]: can’t the world make joy a little easier?”

The question for us at this time is: How do we be an Easter people; how do we follow the risen Christ when life does not always seem touched by the resurrection?

Earth Day statement by the Primate and Bishop Johnson

Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, with the Rev. Susan Johnson, National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Earth Day—observed annually on April 22nd—falls this year in the midst of the Festival of Easter in which we celebrate the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created.... He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15–17)

Connect the Blue Dots National Day of Action

On Sunday, April 19 there will be a national day of action in support of environmental rights. This includes fresh air, clean water and healthy food.  As part of the Blue Dot movement people are coming together all across the country.

So far more than 70,000 Canadians have signed up to participate in events that are planned in more than 60 communities from coast to coast (the actual turn out is expected to far exceed this number).

Big and small events will take place in living rooms and community spaces, parks and outdoor places. All of these events are intended to protect the people and places that we love.

The Blue Dot Movement Advocating for a Healthy Environment

Rather than just address individual environmental insults, the Blue Dot movement seeks to entrench a legal framework that will protect Canada's environment from coast to coast. A growing number of Canadians are demanding the right to a healthy environment. Historically Canadians have been at the forefront of environmental issues, but in recent years these issues have been ignored by Canada's federal government. 

Looking for Young People of Faith to be Moral Climate Leaders

Concerned about climate change? Connected to a spiritual or faith community? Fossil Free Faith is looking for young people of faith* to become leaders in strengthening moral and faith-based calls for climate justice and fossil fuel divestment in Canada.

Climate Justice is the defining moral issue of our time, and young people have been leading the movement to address it. As governments stall on taking action, and communities across the globe experience more and more deadly weather events, the fossil fuel divestment movement continues to pick up steam. We're calling other young people of faith to join in. Young people who want their schools and faith institutions to stop investing in companies that destroy the planet.

Anglicans Invited to Eco-Ministry in Costa Rica

Members of the Parish of Glengarry in the Diocese of Ottawa are set to embark on a journey to Costa Rica in February 2016 to learn about ecological ministry—and spots are still available for any Anglicans across Canada who wish to join them.

Clergy and parishioners—in an effort to advance the commitment to eco-justice and eco-spirituality among Christians—have partnered with Creation Matters and Greening Sacred Spaces to plan the Costa Rica trip. Their goal is to create a shared curriculum to educate church members about environmental issues.

What the Climate Movement Must Learn from Religion

Last September 40,000 people attended London’s largest ever climate march. This was a big achievement for an issue that struggles to catch people’s attention. After all, as psychologists point out, it is notoriously hard to mobilise people around issues that are invisible, uncertain, set in the future and require them to make sacrifices.

Or is it? This Easter, more than 2 million people will attend church in Britain to celebrate the Christian resurrection. They will agree to constrain their most primal drives in return for long-term rewards that are not just uncertain but fundamentally unknowable.

Climate Leadership from the Head of the Episcopal Church

Katherine Jefferts Schori is the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, she believes that those who deny the science of climate change are both "blind" and "immoral." Jefferts Schori is not only a religious authority, she also has some serious scientific credentials. She holds a doctorate in oceanography and worked as a marine biologist before becoming a priest.

At a March 24 Episcopal event in Los Angeles called The Climate Change Crisis Forum, Jefferts Schori delivered a speech in which she said, "this planet is overheating, its climate is changing, and the residents are sick, suffering, and dying."

As reported by the Huffington Post, Jefferts Schori said, “We are making war on the integrity of this planet. We were planted in this garden to care for it, literally to have dominion over its creatures. Dominion means caring for our island home.” She went on to say that humanity must make a "life and death" decision and she added that the window of opportunity to do so, "will not last long."

A Good Friday Call for Climate Justice from the Chair of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network

 

A Good Friday call for climate justice from the Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba, Chair of the Anglican Communion Environmental Network.

On this Good Friday, we reflect on the meaning of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Our view of salvation has often focused on our individual souls and journey to heaven. Our responsibility to care for God’s Creation has been overlooked or ignored. We have acted as if Christ only died to save the human race. The truth of the redemption of all things in Christ, which is the message of the life-giving cross, must be reclaimed (Colossians 1:20).

Anglican Bishops: “A Call to Urgent Action for Climate Justice”

A group of 17 Anglican Bishops from all six continents have called for urgent prayer and action on the “unprecedented climate crisis”. Their Declaration The World Is Our Host: A Call to Urgent Action for Climate Justice released on Monday March 30, 2015 sets a new agenda on climate change for the 85 million-strong Anglican Communion.

Archbishop Fred Hiltz Fasts for Climate Change

Archbishop Fred Hiltz fasted for the Climate on Friday, March 6, 2015. The Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and President of the PWRDF Board of Directors, joined other faith leaders, politicians and environmentalists for the 365 Rolling Fast for the Climate that began on December 1, 2014 at the UN climate conference in Lima, Peru, and will end November 30, the first day of the climate conference in Paris, France.

Examples of Earth Hour Events in Faith Communities

In addition to turning out their lights, faith communities around the world commemorated last Saturday's Earth Hour in a variety of ways including prayer services and concerts. This year's World Wildlife Fund Earth Hour festivities included hundreds of millions of people from all walks of life. Events took place in more than 7000 cities in 172 countries. To support climate action, churches, mosques, synagogues and temples were among those that turned off their lights from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday March 28th.

In Vatican city, St. Peter’s Basilica joined iconic landmarks around the world to take a stand for stronger climate action. Rome’s Great Synagogue and Great Mosque also took part, along with other religious sites, like St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.

At Montreal's Christ Church Cathedral the lights went out and candles were lit as five choirs of young singers presented a programme of music on the theme of light and hope.

Fossil Fuel Divestment Resources for Faith Communities

Here are some powerful resources for faith communities who want a better understanding of the mechanics of divestment from fossil fuels. See the three webinar subjects and times below:

April 7, 7-8pm (EDT): The Moral Rationale. Register here.

May 5, 3-4pm (EDT): Building Support for Action. Register here.

May 27, 3-4pm (EDT): Addressing Trustee Concerns. Register here.

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Please click here and here, to see why the Stewardship of the Environment Committee is advancing a motion advocating for fossil fuel divestment in the Anglican Diocese of Montreal.

Related
A Role Call of Faith Groups Divesting from Fossil Fuels
Report on Faith Based Divestment from Fossil Fuels
Faith Communities Divest Holdings in Fossil Fuel Industry
Why Faith Communities Must Divest from Fossil Fuels
The Religious Imperative for Fossil Fuel Divestment and Reinvestment in a Clean Energy Future
Church of England Adopts New Climate Change and Ethical Investment Policy that Includes Divestment
Episcopal Church Votes to Divest from Fossil Fuels as a Moral Issue
United Church of Canada Votes to Divest from Fossil Fuels
WCC at International Divestment Conference in Paris
Divestment and Reinvestment Resource: Fossil Free Faith

Video - Bishop Fossil Fuel

Webinar - How to get your Faith Building Ready for an Extreme Weather Event

The webinar, "How to get your Faith Building Ready for an Extreme Weather Event" will take place on Tuesday, March 10 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm (EDT).

Due to climate change, we are seeing increasing incidences of extreme weather events. Faith communities can be one of the groups in the community that respond.

Faith Community Resilience Hubs Donna Lang, Toronto Representative, Greening Sacred Spaces, will talk about the Capacity Assessment interviews she conducted at 12 faith communities in Fall 2014.

Stephen Collette, Green Audit Manager, Greening Sacred Spaces, will talk about how to go about preparing a faith building for blackouts, storms and extreme weather events.

Rev Jane Shaw Sees Climate Change as the Most Important Issue of our Times

With degrees from Oxford and Harvard, Rev. Jane Shaw blends her faith with intellect and perceives a broader spiritual path. Shaw is the new dean of religious life at Stanford University with a personal belief system bridging the patriarchal past with the faithful future.

Shaw was awarded her position as professor and Stanford Dean just last year. An Anglican priest and historian from Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, California, she brings a fresh perspective to religious studies. Not only was she the first female to lead the San Francisco church, she is also a lesbian. Shaw infuses many important interests into the topic of religious life, such as inclusiveness, the arts, and environmental sustainability.

Discussing what she felt was the most important issue of our time, Rev Jane Shaw told Palo Alto Online, “I think the great crisis of our day is climate change, and the environment. So, I’d rather hope that more people would take that seriously, and begin to think and reflect on what they are doing with their own lives.”

Climate Change is the Top Priority Issue for Sweden’s First Female Archbishop

Sweden’s first-ever female archbishop, Antje Jackelén, is among those calling for scientists, politicians, cultural icons and religious leaders to work in concert to address the issue of climate change. "As a church, we are part of a global movement," she says. "The question of justice is at the heart of the Christian Church."

Here are some excerpts from an interview by Democracy Now's Amy Goodman and Jackelén. This interview was conducted last July during an event called Almedalen Week. Climate change was one of the major issues at the week long political festival. In May, the bishops of the Church of Sweden issued a joint statement, saying, quote, "Climate change is probably the biggest common challenge ever faced by humanity. But popular concern and the seriousness of the reports on climate are not matched by climate and environment being placed high on the political agenda." 
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Extracting Collective Wisdom from Perspectives on Alberta's Oil Sands

Last summer Afra Tucker and Lauren Lallemand participated in the Justice Camp Oil Sands Immersion an initiative sponsored by the Anglican Foundation and hosted by the diocese of Edmonton. Drawing on their immersion experience, they have co-created an exhibit called, "Personalizing the Oil Sands: What can we learn from the multiple narratives of extraction?" The event will launch on April 23 and conclude with a public conversation on the evening of April 29.

I recently had a chance to sit down and talk with Afra and Lauren and here are some excerpts from that conversation.
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Science Describes Climate Change While Faith is the Catalyst to Act

World acclaimed climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe recently spoke to Kingstonians about climate change, its potential impact on the world and how faith can lead to positive change.

According to Hayhoe, a professor of atmospheric science at Texas Technical University, who spoke at St. George's Cathedral on Feb. 19, climate change is the greatest challenge confronting our world today.

“It makes every other problem worse – access to clean water, development issues, we can’t fix these problems if we leave climate change out of the picture,” she explained. “It’ll be like pouring money into a bucket with a hole in the bottom that is getting bigger and bigger. That hole is climate change.”