Philippine archdiocese divests from fossil fuels
The Archdiocese of Manila has announced it has divested from fossil fuels such as coal and other businesses that destroy the environment in line with Pope Francis’ famed environmental encyclical, Laudato Si’.
Sep 15, 2023
MANILA: The Archdiocese of Manila has announced it has divested from fossil fuels such as coal and other businesses that destroy the environment in line with Pope Francis’ famed environmental encyclical, Laudato Si’.
The archdiocese started the divesting process “years ago” in response to the Pope’s 2015 encyclical, Manila Archbishop Cardinal Jose F. Advincula said in a pastoral letter on September 4.
The letter has been posted on the archdiocesan website on the occasion of the ongoing Season of Creation which runs from Sept 1–Oct 4.
During this annual ecumenical event, the world’s 2.2 billion Christians unite, pray and act to care for God’s creation and the common home, the earth.
Advincula said that the decision to divest from “destructive businesses” was also “in consonance with our faith and the earlier social teachings of the Church.”
“We commit to relentlessly support all initiatives that will protect, preserve, nurture, and respect God’s creation,” he said.
The archdiocese started observing the Season of Creation 11 years ago as the efforts for ecological conservation were a part of preparations for celebration of the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines, he noted.
He noted that 35 years ago, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Philippines (CBCP) issued a pastoral letter, “What is happening to our beautiful land?” to inform every Filipino of the ecological and environmental situation of our country.
“At this point in the history of our country, it is crucial that people, motivated by religious faith, develop a deep appreciation for the fragility of our island’s life systems and take steps to defend the Earth,” he quoted from the letter.
“It is a matter of life and death,” it stated, referring to the vulnerability of the Philippines amid frequent natural disasters further worsened by climate change.
Divestment from fossil fuels has become a major Catholic climate action campaign in recent years. Dozens of Catholic and faith-based institutions have made their assets off-limits for fossil fuel companies.
Manila archdiocese is committed to responding to the goals of Laudato Si’ “by mobilising various institutions to become part of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform to achieve integral ecology,” Advincula said.
The Season of Creation ends on Oct 4, the feast of St Francis of Assisi. In the Philippines, the dioceses extend the observance to the second Sunday of October, known as Indigenous Peoples’ Sunday. -- ucanews.com
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