MANILA (UCAN): In line with Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical, Laudato Si’, the Archdiocese of Manila, the Philippines, announced it has divested from fossil fuels such as coal and other businesses that destroy environment. The archdiocese started the divesting process “years ago” in response to the encyclical, Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula said in a pastoral letter on September 4.
The letter was posted on the archdiocesan website for the ongoing Season of Creation which runs from September 1 to October 4.
During the annual ecumenical event, the world’s 2.2 billion Christians unite to pray and show care for God’s creation and the common home, the Earth.
Archbishop 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.”
He added, “We commit to relentlessly support all initiatives that will protect, preserve, nurture, and respect God’s creation.”
He noted that the archdiocese began observing the Season of Creation 11 years ago as the efforts for ecological conservation were a part of preparations for celebration of 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines.
We commit to relentlessly support all initiatives that will protect, preserve, nurture, and respect God’s creation.
Archbishop Advincula
He added that 35 years ago, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines [CBCP] issued a pastoral letter, What is happening to our beautiful land? to inform every Filipino of the ecological and environmental situation of the 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,” Archbishop Advincula said, quoting from the letter.
“It is a matter of life and death,” the letter stated, referring to the vulnerability of the Philippines to frequent natural disasters further worsened by climate change.
As we celebrate the 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines. The Chaplaincy to Filipino Migrants organises an on-line talk every Tuesday at 9.00pm. You can join us at:
https://www.Facebook.com/CFM-Gifted-to-give-101039001847033
In 2019, in another pastoral letter, An Urgent Call for Ecological Conversion, Hope in the Face of Climate Emergency, the CBCP agreed to divest from “dirty energy” sources, such as coal-fired power plants, CBCP News reported on September 5
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
Archbishop Advincvula
The letter proposed 13 detailed concrete action points, the archbishop pointed out.
While only a few dioceses used to have investments in coal, the bishops emphasised the need for collective action to address the climate crisis.
In a pastoral letter, A Call for Unity and Action amid a Climate Emergency and Planetary Crisis, issued on 2 February 2022, the CBCP called for unity among Churches to urgently respond to the problem.
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.
In this year’s Ceason of Creation, Pope Francis is urging us to “become instruments in letting justice and peace flow like a mighty river,” Archbishop Advincula said.
The 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,” the archbishop said.
