Numerous Catholic organisations are divesting fossil fuels from their share portfolios. They want to show the world it is not okay to keep polluting the environment. As an example, nine Italian organisations divested from fossil fuel corporations in time to send a message to the G7 summit being held today and tomorrow in Taormina, Sicily. Read more
A Catholic environmental activist has been arrested and his supporters beaten by police in Vietnam. Police attacked protesters who were demanding an explanation for the detention of environmentalist Hoang Duc Binh earlier this month, said a priest at the scene. He said the police told the crowd Binh had been moved to another facility. The Read more
The Archbishop of Suva, Peter Loy Chong, has expressed concern about the effect development projects are having on people and on the environment. In his Easter message he connected the meaning of Easter and the “destruction of peoples, the environment and the planet.” A locally-based company, Gold Rock Investment Ltd, has invested more than $16 Read more
The US Bishops and the English Westminster Justice and Peace Commission jointly oppose President Trump’s Executive Order issued last week. “The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in unity with Pope Francis, strongly supports environmental stewardship and has called consistently for ‘our own country to curtail carbon emissions,’” said Bishop Frank J Dewane of Florida. Read more
Caritas coordinators from 19 Catholic Dioceses of the Catholic Church of Papua New Guinea oppose the decision to experiment with seabed mining. The group have issued a statement saying the negative impacts of the mine greatly outweigh the anticipated benefits. “Therefore, in solidarity with Alliance of Solwara Warriors, Bismarck Ramu Group, and other concerned organisations, Read more
In 2003, I was told by a restaurant owner on a Thai island that local fishermen used to wrap their lunch in banana leaves, which they would then casually toss overboard when done. That was OK, because the leaves decayed and the fish ate the scraps. But in the past decade, he said, while plastic Read more
Fast for Lent and reduce your carbon footprint. The Archdiocese of Bombay has asked Catholics to observe a ‘carbon fast’ during the season to create awareness about global warming and the importance of a sustainable lifestyle. Carbon footprint is a term used to describe the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide generated by Read more
Global warming and the Catholic church do not seem to have any connection, on the face of it. However, priests are going to be learning about environmental concerns during their formation period at seminaries. Later, they’ll be expected to preach about the environment at Mass. How did this topic come to be included in the Read more
Stephen Hawking, a renowned British physicist and self-declared atheist, was among those the Pope addressed this week. Hawking and other scientists were attending the Pontifical Academy of Sciences symposium. The symposium focused on scientific knowledge and technology’s impact on people and the planet. Although Pope Francis and Hawking have opposing religious beliefs, they connect with Read more
Pope Benedict is often forgotten when the call for Catholics to be better stewards of God’s creation is made. Even though Pope Francis usually gets the credit, Benedict was behind the changes the Vatican has made to becoming a “green” carbon-neutral state. Read more