Shine a Light on Climate Justice. Hope for the Earth. Hope for Humanity:
Bishop Martin Hayes and the Kilmore Care of Creation Group in collaboration with Eco-Congregation Ireland and the Laudato Si’ Movement invite you to hear the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor at 10:00a.m. Mass in the Cathedral of Saints Patrick and Felim, Cavan on Sunday 21 May 2023.
In his Encyclical, Laudato Si’ (On Care for our Common Home), Pope Francis invites us to respond to new ways of living in harmony with the earth, with its natural resources and with one another. In his encyclical, he speaks to us about the ecological crisis we are experiencing and its origins in over-consumption, and unsustainable models of economic development.
If we continue on our current trend, it is estimated that by 2050, we would need three planets to support our lifestyles. What’s more, 80% of the world’s resources are used by only 20% of the world’s population. Stripping the earth of its natural resources and a throw-away culture are contributing to water, air and soil pollution and a global decline of two-thirds in our wildlife population since 1970. Loss of life, food and water shortages, mass migration, extreme weather events, melting glaciers, rising sea levels and species extinction are all signs of a planet and a humanity who are in peril.
Climate change is affecting us all but its impacts are not being borne equally or fairly. It is those who are most marginalised who are suffering the consequences of climate change the most. The World Health Organisation estimates that between 2030 and 2050, climate change is expected to cause an additional 250,000 deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress alone. Areas with weak health infrastructures – mostly in developing countries – will be least able to cope without assistance to prepare and respond. Pope Francis tells us that the climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all (Laudato Si’ 23).
In Summary, we are called to care for the earth as we would a beautiful garden and we have a moral and ethical imperative to live in solidarity with others. The good news is that each one of us can make a positive contribution and a lasting difference.
What will you do to be the change you want to see in the world? Some suggestions and ideas are listed below:
- Hear the call for a covenant of love and justice
- Proclaim and live the Gospel of Justice for planet and people
- How can you help others face the challenges of life with confidence and hope
- How can you influence decision makers to respond to net zero emission targets by 2050
- How can you protect our natural resources:
- Conserve water
- Consider how your lifestyle contributes to air pollution
- Protect our soils
- How can you prevent waste in all its forms
- How can you reach out to the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised
- How can you lend your voice when their voices are not being heard
Resources:
www.ecocongregationireland.com
https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings
www.laudatosiactionplatform.org
https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/
https://www.who.int
Our Common Home: A Guide to Caring for Our Living Planet (Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Stockholm Environmental Institute)
