Rome, Italy
AP
The world’s top Christian leaders – Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians – on Tuesday issued a joint appeal for delegates at the upcoming UN climate summit to “listen to the cry of the Earth” and make sacrifices to save the planet.
In their first-ever joint statement, the three Christian clerics said the coronavirus pandemic gave political leaders an unprecedented opportunity to rethink the global economy and make it more sustainable and socially just for the poor.
In this 20th September, 2016 file photo, Pope Francis, centre, flanked by Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I, left, and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, pray together inside the Basilica of St Francis, in Assisi, Italy. PICTURE: Tiziana Fabi/Pool photo via AP/File photo.
“We must decide what kind of world we want to leave to future generations,” said the statement from Francis, Archbishop Justin Welby of the Anglican Communion and the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.
But in the statement, they also noted that the threat is no longer far off.
“The extreme weather and natural disasters of recent months reveal afresh to us with great force and at great human cost that climate change is not only a future challenge, but an immediate and urgent matter of survival,” they said.
The statement sought to give a sense of urgency to the upcoming UN climate summit, which Francis at least is expected to attend in person. The conference, known as COP26, is scheduled for early November in Glasgow, Scotland.
“This is the first time that the three of us feel compelled to address together the urgency of environmental sustainability, its impact on persistent poverty, and the importance of global cooperation,” they wrote.
Individuals have a role to play, but leaders bear the greatest responsibility to take courageous decisions in Glasgow, the statement said.
“We say: choose people-centered profits; make short-term sacrifices to safeguard all our futures; become leaders in the transition to just and sustainable economies.”
The statement was dated 1st September, when their churches celebrate the world day for the care of creation. There was no official explanation for why it was released a week late, though the Vatican is essentially closed for business in August, suggesting summer holidays might have been to blame.
While the joint statement was a first, Francis has frequently cited Bartholomew’s teachings on the environment, including in his landmark 2015 environmental encyclical Praised Be. Welby, a former oil executive, has spoken out about the moral crisis of climate change though his Church of England has declined to divest fully from carbon-intensive companies arguing that it can force greater change on the fossil fuel industry as a shareholder.
Scotland’s bishops have said Pope Francis, who underwent intestinal surgery in July, will take part in the COP26 UN climate summit in Glasgow in early November, health permitting.
A spokeswoman for Welby said he would attend. Bartholomew’s office did not immediately respond to an email about his plans.
On 4th October, the Vatican will host a major gathering of world religious leaders and scientists to take a common stand to raise the stakes ahead of the Glasgow conference.
Called Faith and Science: Towards COP26, is being organised by Britain and Italy. It will bring together some 40 leaders from the world’s major religions and 10 scientists.
– With PHILIP PULLELLA, Reuters
Correction: The Archbishop of Canterbury’s title has been corrected in the headline on this article. The byline on this story has also been corrected.