TrewsNews

A letter published in the Chrurch of Ireland Gazette, 20 November 2015: On 30th November, world leaders will meet for one of the most crucial conferences ever – the UN Paris Climate Change Conference, ‘Paris 2015’, also known as the 21st Conference of Parties or ‘COP21’. The aim of the conference is to reach international agreement to keep global warming below 2°C. This is a good opportunity to reflect on why climate change is looming as a moral issue and to ask what actions we, the Church of Ireland, have taken. Throughout 2015, Christian leaders have spoken out about the moral challenge of climate change. Pope Francis, in his encyclical, said climate change “represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day”. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: “We are now – like never before – in a position to choose charity over greed, and frugality over wastefulness in order to affirm our moral commitment to our neighbour and our respect toward the ear...

The Archbishop of Armagh, Richard Clarke, and Archbishop of Dublin have spoken out on climate change by releasing a joint letter with other faith leaders in Ireland which was published in the Irish Times and Belfast Telegraph on 25th September. "The collective sacred texts of all faiths speak of caring for the Earth. We, as representatives of diverse faiths on the island of Ireland, call for a new dialogue at all levels of society on the threat of climate change to the Earth, our common home, and to our aspirations for a just society. Climate change is one of the most serious challenges facing our human family. Current impacts are already too much for poor countries to bear. In rich and poor countries alike, women and men living in poverty are most vulnerable to the impacts of increasingly unpredictable weather and more intense storms, floods and drought. The opportunity to limit further warming to relatively safer levels and avoid even more devastating impacts will so...

Bishop Patrick Rooke spoke passionately about his concerns over climate change at the Tuam, Killala and Achonry Diocesan synod on 25 September 2015.  Bishop Patrick said, During the [Church of England] debate at the July Synod in York, climate change was described as ‘the big issue’, and as a spiritual problem to which there is a moral imperative to act. ‘Synod was told; ‘there is no Planet B’. I intend therefore to set up a group to look at this whole area and to present us with a Diocesan Charter for honouring creation."  It is good to see a Church of Ireland Bishop speak out and take action about one of the most important issue of our day.