Bishops' Appeal for Haiti - why donating is not enough

I spoke on the Bishop's Appeal at Down and Dromore synod 2016. The short speech is below.



Jeody Luckmane is 28, he is a farmer from Haiti. His home was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew on 4 Oct. In a UNICEF blog he said, “I do not know what we will do now. Everything is destroyed. There is nothing left. There is no food or water, and children are starting to get sick,” A cholera epidemic is looming on Haiti, 1.3 million people are in need of food aid.

News like this saddens us, almost to despair. What can we do?

I would like to encourage each one of you to give to the Bishop’s Appeal emergency relief fund for Haiti.

I would also like you to understand that Church central funds, and your pension fund, are being invested in fossil fuel companies that are the major cause of carbon dioxide pollution and climate change. Global warming is making the impact of hurricanes like Matthew worse.

A report released just last Monday by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation states that climate change could drive 122 million people into extreme poverty by 2030.

Listen to this - for the Church of Ireland to invest in fossil fuels is ethically wrong.

Last year this synod passed a motion calling the RCB to divest from fossil fuels. But the RCB ignored your call for change. It ruled out investments in coal - but there were no investments in coal to divest from.

The response to this synod's motion was a climate change policy that justified continued investment in fossil fuels for years to come. With millions suffering around the world, that is ethically wrong.

But I believe there is hope. For our bishops understand the need to Care for Creation. This has been led by our own Bishop Harold who is now on the Board of Tearfund.

I believe there is hope because God has placed the right people onto the Representative Church Body. Those who have smelt poverty and suffering; who understand that investing in the oil and gas industry is fuelling the problem, not investing in a solution.

I hope and pray that our Church will put its Care for Creation words into action – to lead the way on divesting from fossil fuels.

I also hope you will dig deep to contribute to the Bishops' Emergency Appeal for Haiti.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Care for Creation - new growth in Ireland

Image
It is been quite a year for Care for Creation in Irish Churches, perhaps it could even be called a season of new growth. And it all came about because of two teenage girls speaking passionately. Tori and Isobella from Mullingar Parish in county Meath spoke for a few minutes at the Irish Churches Creation Care conference and captured the hearts of the audience and explained what creation care is all about.  You can see the moment below, Their project Lighten Our Darkness by Numbers is a youth-led response to climate change. They are educating church goers, engaging communities, building bridges to businesses, and enhancing biodiversity in church graveyards.   This short talk from the girls had a deep impact on the Archbishop of Armagh, and he spoke about it at his presidential address in General Synod.  Archbishop John McDowell said, We need to do what that group of young people from Westmeath are doing. That is, to work on ways of inspiring and equipping parishes to do everything pos
Read more

Speech to General Synod 2022

Image
Photo from Stephen Spillane The support from the RCB to parishes, dioceses and cathedrals during the Covid-19 emergency was most welcome. It helped us worship in difficult at times. May I suggest we use this model of support to respond to other emergencies too. The World Health Organisation said in October last year that, “the single biggest health threat facing humanity” is Climate change. We must take decisive action. I want to thank the RCB for leading the way by divesting and supporting the Creation Care Conference in April.  But it is also up to every diocese, every parish, and every one of us to take action. We need a grassroots movement to transform our churches and our lives for a sustainable future. And church leaders, you might need to sow some fresh seed to help the grass roots grow. I think the RCB can support this movement by responding to the Climate Emergency, just as it did with Covid. For example, How many of you clergy have lived in a cold and drafty p
Read more

The Archbishop of Armagh challenges the Church of Ireland on climate change

Image
In his presidential address at the Church of Ireland General Synod yesterday the Archbishop of Armagh, The Most Reverand John McDowell, challenged the Church of Ireland to respond with a greater purpose to the climate crisis. He announced that the Representative Church Body had completed divestment from all fossil fuels. This is a tremendous achievement and sets an example to churches in Ireland and around the world to stop funding an industry that is destroying nature and harming human health. As the Archbishop said, "we should be proud of it". He went on to challenge the church saying that if we are to have any credibility as the People of God, "we will need to bake environmental sensitivity and action into our everyday life as a Church". Action is needed at the parish and personal level, he said, so that a carbon footprint assessment, "is as natural to us as an Easter Vestry return and that we act on its results."  Throughout his comments he stressed th
Read more