The voices of churches from all over the world could be heard at COP 30 in Belém. Yesterday, a symposium was held at the College of St. Catherine of Siena with ecclesiastical representatives from five continents, scientists, indigenous leaders, and social stakeholders. They outlined a new ‘climate justice’ approach that can be implemented without shortcuts or ‘false solutions’, based on integral ecology. This proposal is not isolated: the symposium adopted the document prepared by the churches of the ‘Global South’, which was presented in July by the Latin American and Caribbean, Asian and African episcopates. In recent days, the Church has also been promoting numerous events and debates in the four ‘poles’ of the city set up by the Archdiocese of Belém, in dialogue with representatives of other religions and indigenous peoples’ organizations. Entitled “The Catholic Church at COP30: Paths towards Integral Ecology – Reflections on Climate Justice and Ecological Conversion”, the symposium brought together voices calling for clear political measures, rigorous scientific attention, and the active involvement of local communities. Even in their opening remarks, both Dom Júlio Endi Akamine, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Belém do Pará, and Monsignor Giambattista Diquattro, the Apostolic Nuncio to Brazil, made it clear that the current Climate Change Conference is an invitation to conversion, urging us to listen to ‘the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor’.
Voices from the Global South
‘We must prioritize care for life in our decision-making. We cannot compromise with what is known as the culture of death. We are all called to be seeds of hope for a new future”, said Cardinal Jaime Spengler, Archbishop of Porto Alegre and President of both the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) and the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM). ‘If we truly want to promote understanding and peace, we must care for the earth and educate others to do the same,’ he added, quoting Pope Leo XIII. Cardinal Filipe Neri António Sebastião do Rosário Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and Damão in India and President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC), presented the joint statement of the Churches of the Global South as ‘an ethical and spiritual framework for the climate crisis’. Asia insisted that phenomena such as rising sea levels, disappearing glaciers and increasing heatwaves were making millions of people direct victims of climate injustice, requiring an urgent response. Similarly, Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, the Archbishop of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo and president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), warned that ‘Africa is not a gold mine to be plundered,’ stating that the current economic model, which is based on the extraction and appropriation of strategic minerals, exacerbates poverty, generates conflict, and forces young people to migrate. Speakers from the Global South emphasized the need for systemic change that prioritizes people and the common good.
Oceania, Europe and the Amazon facing challenges
Islands ‘sinking’ and communities losing their way of life: this is the alarming reality facing the Pacific Islands, most of which belong to Oceania. Msgr. Ryan Jiménez, Archbishop of Hagåtña (Guam), President of the Pacific Bishops’ Conference and Vice-President of the Federation of Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania, has spoken out about this issue. ‘We are sinking’ is the cry in response to insufficient international action. Cardinal Ladislav Nemet, Archbishop of Belgrade and Vice-President of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE), said that Europe also faces ecological and social challenges exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, which has caused an absurd increase in energy costs and a rise in poverty. During the ensuing joint press conference held by Cardinal Spengler and Cardinal Leonardo Steiner (Archbishop of Manaus and President of the CNBB’s North 1 region, covering most of the Amazonian territory), reference was made to the dramatic situation of the continuously plundered Amazon: ‘This is a crucial moment in the history of Brazil and the Amazon. The land is bleeding to death.” The Church will not remain silent,” Cardinal Steiner added, referring to repeated legislation aimed at making the enormous forest increasingly exploitable from an economic point of view.
