BOSTON (SE): The Global Catholic Climate Movement sent a letter to Pope Francis at the beginning of Lent suggesting that a Synod on Creation would be a constructive move in inviting all people to an ecological conversion.
The movement, which points out that it represents around one million voices from all around the world, thanks the pope for his pastoral concern for all of God’s creation and especially for his leadership in promoting an understanding of it among people.
The letter dated February 11 and postmarked Boston, is signed by Tomás Insua, on behalf of the steering committee of the climate movement.
It says, “The process (of a synod) is an ancient one in our tradition which would serve to invite the Church to participation at all levels in bringing Laudato Si (Praise Be: On care for our common home) to life.”
It continues, “We believe we are at a ready moment for urgently needed systematic theological, pastoral and experiential process to further deepen and enflesh the invitation and challenge set forth in the encyclical.”
The movement says that it sees a synod as an excellent opportunity to explore deeply how we understand that all of us are linked by unseen bonds and together form a kind of universal family, which it describes as, “A sublime communion which fills us with a sacred, affectionate and humble respect.”
It says that the movement believes that the encyclical contains real implications in the areas of pastoral care, theology, liturgy, lifestyle and local, national and global policy.
It says that it finds the words of the encyclical inspiring and quotes a reference to growth from the encyclical of the maturity in a person through relationships, which is also an invitation to live in communion with God.
“In this way, they make their own that Trinitarian dynamism which God imprinted in them when they were created” (On care for our common home #240), the letter quotes the encyclical as saying.
Last year, Father Sean McDonagh suggested that a three-stage synod could well serve to give the issues of ecological conversion a real impact on the lives of local dioceses.
“One effective way of educating the Christian community would be by way of a local synod, which could last for three years. During the first year Churches could learn about the natural world in their local dioceses” (Sunday Examiner, 1 November 2015).
“People would be encouraged to learn about the flora and fauna in their local parishes and dioceses. There, they could address issues such as climate change, the destruction of biodiversity and pollution of water,” the expert in the theology of creation suggested.
“Developing a spirituality to support this would also be important. The second year the focus could be on the national scene and the final synod could be at an international level. This initiative should be ecumenical,” he wrote.
The Global Catholic Climate Movement said to Pope Francis, “We believe that a Synod on Creation is urgently needed as part of our Christian duty to ecological conversion with real implications for personal and communal transformation.”
It added that it believes that On care for our common home fits well into the current context of the Jubilee of Mercy, as well as with the pope’s previous encyclical, The Joy of the Gospel.
“Our hearts are warmed by your call to proclaim God’s Mercy and to listen to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth,” the movement said to Pope Francis.
On the eve of the Conference of Parties on Climate Change held in Paris from November 29 to December 10 last year, the movement presented a petition to the United Nations Climate Chief, Christiana Figueres, at an interfaith prayer meeting.
On December 11, the group met the French president, François Hollande, to deliver the 900,000 signatures collected in coalition with other faith groups.
Together with all faith-based groups present, a total of 1,833,973 signatures were eventually handed to the French president, which journalist, Ellen Teague, described as “An impressive amount of faith-inspired people demanding climate justice.”
Speaking at the launch of a climate petition campaign in Hong Kong on October 25 last year, Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing said that Catholics are called to a prophetic role in society and the pope’s encyclical is a call to be active in promoting ecological conversion.
“The Church is involved in politics because it is concerned about people,” Bishop Ha said, adding that “social teachings appear in response to the need of the times so that the faithful can be guided while facing various issues.”
Where there is interest there is hope and the Global Catholic Climate Movement concludes its letter by quoting On care for our common home as saying, “May our struggles and our concern for this planet never take away the joy of our hope.”