For the first time, the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion have jointly warned of the urgency of environmental sustainability, its impact on poverty, and the importance of global cooperation.
Issued at the start of Creation Time, the statement from Pope Francis, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and Archbishop Justin Welby calls on people to pray for world leaders ahead of the UN COP26 climate summit this November.
‘We call on everyone, whatever their belief or worldview, to endeavour to listen to the cry of the earth and of people who are poor, examining their behaviour and pledging meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the earth which God has given us’, said the leaders.
The joint declaration warns ‘Today, we are paying the price…Tomorrow could be worse’ and concludes that ‘this is a critical moment. Our children’s future and the future of our common home depend on it.’
You can read the whole statement on the Church of England website.
Photo: Archbishop Justin Welby from The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
