Church seeks ‘bold, decisive changes’ vs climate change

MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Church in the Philippines urged world leaders to “make bold, decisive changes” to fight the effects of climate change.

The world has “chosen a path of ‘soulless development,’ driven by unchecked greed and an insatiable desire for profit,” according to a statement posted on the website of Caritas Philippines, the humanitarian agency of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

“Farms and forests have been sacrificed for subdivisions and resorts, minerals extracted from the Earth’s depths at a tremendous cost and ancestral domains seized for dams and mines,” said the statement.

“Despite growing prosperity for some, the divide between the rich and poor widens, deepening the injustices that defy Christ’s call to solidarity and compassion,” it added.

The organization cited the deaths and destruction that people suffered from when Severe Tropical Storm Kristine pounded Metro Manila, the Bicol region and Batangas province, as well as other storms such as Ondoy and Yolanda. 

The Catholic Church in the Philippines has launched efforts to fight climate change “through sustainable practices, such as organic farming, establishment of integrated forests, just transition to renewable energy and simpler lifestyles,” Caritas said. 

It also called on the government to “declare a climate emergency and take a bold, effective action,” as well as on businesses to “integrate care for the environment into all that you do, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come.”

The Church also appealed to devotees and “all people of goodwill” to “work together to call for climate justice and a climate emergency declaration.” 

The statement by Caritas was signed by representatives from 110 various dioceses, archdioceses, local groups and cause-oriented organizations across the country. 

Meanwhile, the CBCP said it sent Caritas Philippines vice chairman and San Carlos, Negros Occidental Bishop Gerardo Alminaza to the ongoing 29th United Nations Climate Conference of Parties (COP29) in Azerbaijan.

The bishop would represent the CBCP “to contribute to global voices calling for urgent climate action, the delivery of climate finance and ambitious goals to end emissions-causing fossil fuels to keep the 1.5-degree Celcius Paris Agreement goal alive,” Caritas said.