CCVIs Participate in Catholic Day of Action for Migrant Children

On Thursday, July 18th, hundreds of Catholics gathered together in Washington D.C. for a Catholic Day of Action to end child detention and stop the inhumane treatment of immigrants and refugees in the United States. The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word were proud to have two representatives in DC for this public witness: Sr. Jean Durel CCVI and Jennifer Reyes Lay, former Assistant Director of the JPIC Office and ongoing JPIC collaborator. As an Incarnate Word family, our charism calls us to respond with open hearts and hands to Christ present in those who are suffering in the world today, and as we have seen and heard throughout the past year there is incredible suffering happening right now throughout our broken immigration system.

Jennifer Reyes Lay and Sr. Jean Durel CCVI

The day began with a gathering on the Capitol lawn where faith leaders spoke out against the inhumane conditions and treatment of migrants and refugees, particularly the separation of children from their parents and the abuse of children in overcrowded detention centers. They reminded those present and those watching from around the world that our Catholic faith calls us to welcome the foreigner, provide food for the hungry, shelter for those without, and comfort the afflicted. When government policy and action is rooted in unjust and inhuman treatment, then these Catholic faith values we hold in common demand that we speak out and amplify the voices of those who are crying out, working to realize God’s peace and justice here on earth. After the speakers there was a moving prayer service that included testimonies of migrant and refugee children and prayers of lament and recognition of our complicity in their suffering.

Sr. Carol Zinn, Executive Director of LCWR speaks to the crowd

At the conclusion of the prayer service, the crowd walked over to the Russell Senate Building where they gathered in the main rotunda and shared more songs and prayers. A group of 70 people who were prepared to risk arrest made a circle in the center and led the group in a rosary of the sorrowful mysteries, weaving in the names and stories of migrant children who have died in U.S. custody over the past two years. Capitol police informed the group that this was an unlawful assembly and that they would need to vacate the premises. All but the 70 who were prepared to risk arrest left the area, and as the rosary, prayers, and songs continued the police proceeded to arrest them one by one, until all that was left behind scattered on the floor were images of the children who had died.

The group who was arrested in prayer

Sr. Jean Durel leads part of the Rosary

Sr. Jean Durel CCVI was one of those 70 arrested by capitol police and charged with “crowding, obstructing, or incommoding” under DC Code 22-1307. She along with the others were handcuffed, escorted to police vans, and transported to the local jail where she was processed, charged, and released later that same day. All 70 who were arrested were released by 5:30pm on Thursday.

Reflecting on her experience Sr. Jean said, “It was a real privilege to be present here in Washington DC and participate in this public witness and action with so many other Catholics. The little inconvenience we experienced being arrested is nothing compared to what the immigrants and refugees are experiencing in detention on a daily basis. Within the group that was arrested, there was a real sense of solidarity and we had the opportunity to share with one another about the work each person is involved in and what motivated them to partake in the action today. There was one sister who was 90 years old and had participated in multiple arrestable actions for justice issues. I am very grateful for this opportunity because it encourages me to not just stand by and think there is nothing I can do. There is something we all can do. I am hopeful that we will continue to participate in future actions like this.

Sr. Jean being arrested

Jennifer welcoming Sr. Jean upon her release

Jennifer Reyes Lay, CCVI JPIC collaborator, was present to support and document the action, as well as offer assistance with jail support and welcome those who had been arrested upon their release. She said, “It was an honor to be present at the Catholic day of action in Washington DC, standing with Catholics living out our faith values, fighting for justice, dignity, and human rights. Together we prayed, sang, and spoke up for the vulnerable among us who are suffering at the hands of our government. It gave me great hope to see so many Catholics coming together and living into what the church as the living body of Christ is all about: love, justice, and peace. Today was a clear call for all Catholics to take action to defend the rights of our immigrant and refugee brothers and sisters. I am grateful for all who joined with us in solidarity from around the country, particularly the CCVI family who gathered in San Antonio on Thursday evening!”

National organizers of the event have said that this is just the first in a series of planned actions to increase pressure on the U.S. Government to change its current immigration policies and practices and encourage more Catholics to take direct action. Eli McCarthy, JPIC Director for the Council of Major Superiors of Men said, “Today’s action was focused on increasing the visibility of Catholics willing to take more risks to significantly improve treatment of children and end child detention. This is only the first phase of a 3-part campaign to end child detention and thus create more political space to challenge family detention and beyond. The second phase will involve a direct action at the border in mid/late-August, and the third phase will include another direct action in DC and at the border in mid-Sept.”

As Sr. Jean said, we hope that the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word will continue to be active supporters and participants in the weeks and months ahead, joining with Catholics around the country to defend the human rights of our immigrant and refugee brothers and sisters and say loud and clear with our words and actions: “Stop the Inhumanity!”

Stop the Assault on Asylum Seekers

Article by Fr. James Martin S.J. published in America Magazine November 26, 2018

Yesterday the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency fired tear gas at migrants trying to seek asylum in the United States at the border crossing at Tijuana. How did our country reach the point where we are tear-gassing mothers and children? One reason is because of the widespread myths about these brothers and sisters of ours.

Myth One: They are “illegals.” First, no one is an “illegal person” and seeking asylum is widely recognized as a universal human right. Current international agreements about asylum stemmed from a desire not to repeat the fate of Jews during the Second World War, who were denied entrance to many countries. And one requirement for asylum is to be physically present in the United States, which is exactly what these men, women and children from Central America are trying to do. In fact, it is illegal to dismiss asylum seekers without hearing their cases. In other words, they are trying to follow both international and U.S. law.

Myth Two: We cannot afford them. Many people believe that the United States and many European countries shelter a huge amount of refugees. This is false. The majority of the world’s refugees live in poor or middle-income nations. Eight out of 10 of the world’s refugees are sheltered by developing countries. In 2016, for example, Turkey, Pakistan and Lebanon hosted the highest number of refugees, a combined total of 5.4 million refugees. Of the 15 million refugees worldwide, 86 percent reside in developing countries. By contrast, the United States, one of the wealthiest countries in the world, is allowing only 30,000 refugees in next year. We can afford it.

Myth Three: They are mainly criminals. Claims that these migrants are criminals, that this exodus harbors terrorists from the Middle East, are unfounded. Are there a few criminals somehow mixed in? No more than with any other group in the past and that would include the immigrants that came to this country in the last 200 years: Italians, Irish, Germans and on and on. People fleeing Honduras, for example, who are mainly women and children, face some of the worst violence, inequality and corruption in the world: criminal gangs, rape and persecution, on top of poverty. There is a reason that they are risking everything to come here. They are fleeing crime, not bringing it. So before you dismiss these people as illegals, as too expensive and as criminals, know the facts. And even if you want to dismiss these facts, remember what Jesus said about welcoming the stranger. He did not say welcome them when they had the right papers. He did not say welcome them when there was zero risk. He did not say welcome them when you could afford it. Jesus said, welcome them
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Bishops Issue Joint Statement on Climate Change

The heads of six continental bishops’ conferences have signed a rare joint statement urging political leaders to solve climate change.

The bishops’ call is clear:

We call for ambitious and immediate action to be taken in order to tackle and overcome the devastating effects of the climate crisis. These actions need to be taken by the international community at all levels: by persons, communities, cities, regions, nations.

The bishops’ statement is aimed at world leaders who are preparing for a UN climate summit in Poland this December. We pray thanks for the bishops’ leadership. Now, it’s our turn to respond.

We invite you to take three minutes today to share the statement with your pastor or another leader in your community. We’re all in this crisis together, and we’re all called to respond with the clarity and urgency the bishops have demonstrated.

• The full statement is here.
• A short email to your pastor or other leader is here: Dear Pastor, I’d like to share a statement that was recently signed by the heads of six continental bishops’ conferences. It calls all of us to take action now to protect our common home from the crisis of global warming. It is being covered in the press, such as in this article.  It is a powerful document, and I encourage you to read it in the light of our faith. With my sincere thanks,
• If you’d like to tweet the statement at your president/prime minister, please find his or her Twitter handle here. Be sure to use the hashtag #TheClimatePilgrimage

The bishops say that “there is no time to waste.” I invite you to set aside a few minutes today to share this statement with your pastor or another leader.

Thank you for your witness and the witness of our Church!

Catholics are Still In

(From the National Catholic Reporter article April 30, 2018) 

The Catholic Climate Covenant officially launched on April 25 the "Catholics Are Still In" campaign to assemble church institutions behind a united Catholic Climate Declaration advocating for U.S. action on climate change and support for the Paris Agreement despite the Trump administration's plans to exit the deal.

"As Catholic communities, organizations, and institutions in the United States, we join with state, tribal, and local governments, as well as businesses, financial institutions, and other faith organizations, to declare that we are still in on actions that meet the climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement," the declaration reads.

It continues: "Climate change is an urgent moral issue because it compromises the future of our common home, threatens human life and human dignity, and adds to the hardships already experienced by the poorest and most vulnerable people both at home and abroad. We teach that governments exist to protect and promote the common good, and that 'the climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all,' " referencing a passage from Pope Francis' 2015 environmental encyclical "Laudato Si', on Care for Our Common Home."

Continue reading here

The General Leadership Team for the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word has agreed to sign on to this campaign.  We encourage other Catholic congregations and institutions, especially our sponsored ministries, to considering signing on as well to show your support for the Paris Agreement and commitment to caring for our common home.  

See more about the campaign launch through the webinar below:

US and Mexican Bishops Express Concern about Border Militarization

FOR THE DIGNITY OF MIGRANTS

STATEMENT OF THE BISHOPS OF MEXICO’S NORTHERN FRONTIER
AND OF THE COUNCIL PRESIDENCY OF THE MEXICAN EPISCOPATE CONFERENCE

APRIL 7, 2018


To all Mexicans on national territory and beyond our borders
To all believers and non-believers in Jesus Christ in Mexico and the United States
To the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump
To the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto


1. For the first time in the history of the Catholic Church in Mexico, the undersigned Bishops are addressing to all the inhabitants of Mexico and the United States, regardless of their religious convictions, and in a very special way and with great respect, to the Presidents of our respective countries, for the reason of the deployment of troops of the National American Guard at the frontiers that delimits our territories.

2. The Catholic Church in fidelity in the faith to Jesus Christ, cannot ignore the suffering of our migrant brothers who are looking for better living conditions crossing the border to work and contributing to the common good, not only for their families but also for the brother country that receives them.

3. We know that the present and future migratory flows will require a renewed regulation by both nations. Moreover, we are not oblivious to the fact that a constitutive dimension of a prosperous and peaceful society is the effective exercise of the Rule of Law. However, not all rule, nor all political or military decision, by the simple act of promulgating or defining it, is just and consistent with human rights.

4. If there has been a historical lesson that we as society have learned based on the experience of the global conflicts during the XX Century, this is, what’s legal needs to be legitimate; that the inalienable dignity of the human person is the true source of law; that the pain of the most vulnerable must be understood as a supreme law and fundamental criterion for the development of the peoples and the building of a future with peace. That is the profound origin of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That is the universal foundation of a fraternal coexisting among nations.

5. For these reasons, Mexican Bishops wish to repeat what we said one year ago: “the cry of the migrants is our cry.” Their pain is our pain! Each migrant that gets hurt in his/her dignity and in his/her rights, Jesus Christ is once again crucified!

6. Mexican past and present governments have a grave responsibility for not having created enough development opportunities for our poor and marginalized people. For this reason, our incipient democracy has an enormous challenge in the near future: choose the people that must lead honestly, without corruption and impunity, a historic change that will help the people of Mexico to be the principal agent of his or her development, this, with peace, justice, and full respect of human rights. A road that involves, not to close, but to be open to the dynamic of the new global world, increasingly interdependent and needed of solidarity and cooperation.

7. However, the unfulfilled needs that Mexican people have cannot be justified to promote the antagonism between peoples that are called to be friends and brothers. It is not conforming to human dignity, and the best reasons and arguments thought of by men like Abraham Lincon or Bartholomew de las Casas, to build up barriers to divide us or implement actions to violate us. Migrants are not criminals, but vulnerable human beings that have the right to their personal and community development.

8.From there the defense that the Church makes on a universal level, and in a special way through the work done between the brotherly peoples: Mexico and the U.S.A., with Central America, the Caribbean, Latin America and Canada, in this necessary attention to our migrant brothers.

9. There is only one future in the promotion and defense of the equal dignity and of the equal freedom among human beings. The frontier between Mexico and the United States “it is not a war zone,” said by our Bishop brothers of the United States. On the contrary, this zone has been called to be an example of linkage and co-responsibility. The only possible future for our region is the future built with bridges of confidence and shared development, not with indignity and violence walls. Furthermore, Pope Francis has said to all of us: “A person that only thinks in building walls, wherever they may be, and not to build bridges, is not a Christian. This is not the Gospel”.

10. For the dignity of migrants and the dignity of all inhabitants of our countries, we propose to consume all our energies in the development of other types of solutions. By this we mean, solutions that can sow the seeds of fraternity and mutual enrichment in the humanitarian, cultural and social order.

11.That the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of the True God for whom we live and Patroness of our Freedom, may bless those who govern us, and our peoples. May She sustains us in the effort of improving our nations, and of all our region, a space of fraternal reconciliation, integral development, and service of solidarity to the poorest that will inspire the whole world.

By the Bishops of the Presidency Council (see full list of signers HERE)  

U.S. Catholic bishops of U.S./Mexico border respond to U.S. National Guard deployment

In response to announcements regarding deploying the United States National Guard to the U.S./Mexico Border, the U.S. Catholic Bishops of the U.S./Mexico Border issued a statement.

We are deeply concerned by the announcement that the National Guard will be deployed on the U.S./Mexico Border. The continued militarization of the U.S./Mexico Border distorts the reality of life on the border; this is not a war zone but instead is comprised of many peaceful and law-abiding communities that are also generous in their response to human suffering. We recognize the right of nations to control and secure their borders; we also recognize the need of nations to respect the rule of law. Current law in the United States rightly provides that those arriving to our country fleeing persecution are entitled to due-process as their claims are reviewed. Seeking refuge from persecution and violence in search of a peaceful life for oneself and one’s family is not a crime. Our faith calls us to respond with compassion to those who suffer, and to live in a spirit of solidarity with all human beings. We remain hopeful that our local, state and federal officials will work collaboratively and prudently in the implementation of this deployment, ensuring that the presence of the National Guard is measured and not disruptive to community life. We are also deeply concerned that at this time divisive rhetoric often promotes the dehumanization of immigrants, as if all were threats and criminals. We urge Catholics and people of good will to look past the dehumanizing rhetoric regarding immigrants and remember that they are a vulnerable population, our neighbors, and our sisters and brothers in Christ.

(See full list of signers HERE)

Praying with Dreamers Prayer Service

Catholic Day of Action: Praying with Dreamers

February 27, 2018

Prayer Leaders: Welcome

We want to thank you for taking time from your very busy lives to join the Catholic Community for a day of prayer and action with Dreamers.

It’s time for Congress to do the right thing by Dreamers who are our neighbors, our students, our parishioners, and friends.  It’s time—it’s long past time—for Congress to protect our communities and pass a clean  Dream Act without  additions that harm our immigrant communities, without threats to family unity, and without further militarization of border communities. 

We recall how often Dreamers, and our immigrant communities, fail to find welcome, fail to find acceptance, and fail to find solidarity. And we ask forgiveness.

Sing: This is Holy Ground

Prayer Leader: Opening Prayer

Let us pray. Loving God, you have given us in your Word the stories of persons who were forced to leave their homelands—Abraham, Sarah, Ruth, Moses. You sent us your son Jesus whose life was filled with travel and flight from enemies. We ask you, our God, to open our minds and hearts to the invitation to model your perfect example of love and to share the journey with those who seek welcome. Amen.

Leader of the Rosary:  

We gather today to pray that ancient Catholic prayer, the rosary. We gather as a believing community here in the site of our elected leaders. We pray for them, knowing that God can open minds and transform hearts. And we commend Dreamers, and all our immigrant sisters and brothers, into the loving hands of our Blessed Mother, Mary.

And so we begin, as is our custom . . . 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Apostles Creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Our Father:

Our Father, Who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary (3x):

Hail Mary full of Grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death Amen.

Glory Be
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Today we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary remembering the passion of Jesus and sharing the suffering of Dreamers.

First Mystery Reader:

The first sorrowful mystery, the agony in the garden (Mark 14:34-42)

If a Non-Dreamer Leader: Part of Christ’s suffering was that he endured it alone. The Apostles slumbered while his persecutors approached. Are we asleep as well? Do we recognize the injustice of current immigration policy? Do we speak on behalf of Dreamers and their families?

If a Dreamer Leader: Part of Christ’s suffering was that he endured it alone. The Apostles slumbered while his persecutors approached. Are we asleep as well?  Like Jesus, I, too, have felt alone on this painful journey. Do you recognize the injustice of our immigration policy?  Will you stand on behalf of me and my fellow Dreamers?

We pray for the grace of solidarity with those who are denied welcome in our country.

Rosary Leader: Our Father; Hail Mary (10x); Glory Be

Second Mystery Reader:

The second sorrowful mystery, the scourging at the pillar (John 19:1)

Non-Dreamer Leader: Pilate used torture to try to force a confession from Jesus. Today, Dreamers who, with their parents, fled to the United States to escape violence and torture are often deported or imprisoned for failing to possess proper documents.

We pray for forgiveness for our silence and we beg for the courage to speak out for justice.

Rosary Leader: Our Father; Hail Mary (10x); Glory Be

Third Mystery Reader: 

The third sorrowful mystery, the crowning with thorns (Matthew 27:27-30)

If a Non-Dreamer Leader: Jesus’ captors were not content with torture; they humiliated him, crowned him with thorns, and mocked him. Racism, prejudice, cruel stereotypes, and verbal abuse are the thorns that pierce many new migrants as they seek work, housing, and education for their children.

If a Dreamer Leader:  Jesus’ captors were not content with torture; they humiliated him, crowned him with thorns, and mocked him. Racism, prejudice, cruel stereotypes, and verbal abuse are the thorns that pierce many Dreamers as we seek work, housing, and education for our children.

We pray for compassion and for the grace to heal the wounds that divide us.

Rosary Leader: Our Father; Hail Mary (10x); Glory Be

Fourth Mystery Reader:

The fourth sorrowful mystery the carrying of the cross (Luke 23:26)

Non-Dreamer Reader: The burden of the Cross was so great that without the help of Simon of Cyrene, Jesus would have been crushed by its weight. Often, Dreamers bear crushing guilt because they survived when their parents or relatives were deported or died horribly in our deserts or our jails. Who can endure this alone?

We pray for the grace to be present to their suffering and help them carry their burden.

Rosary Leader: Our Father; Hail Mary (10x); Glory Be

Fifth Mystery Reader

The fifth sorrowful mystery, the crucifixion (Mark 15:37)

If a Non-Dreamer Leader: And with a loud cry, he breathed his last and died. Do DACA recipients cry when their status expires and their dreams of education, safety and work die? Or when a legislator tells them that the only home they know, is not their home?  Or when their citizen children are told they don’t belong?   

If a Dreamer Leader:  And with a loud cry, he breathed his last and died. We, DACA recipients also cried when DACA, our ticket to safety, was ended. We cry when our dreams of education, housing and work die, or when our citizen children are told they don’t belong. 

We pray for the grace to understand that no human being is illegal, that every life is sacred, and that each person must be welcomed with reverence.

Rosary Leader: Our Father; Hail Mary (10x); Glory Be

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Closing Song:

·         Here I am Lord

·         The Servant Song

Many thanks to Mary Ellen Lacy, DC who developed the original prayer from which this adapted.

Letter to President Trump on Global Climate Change

The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word - San Antonio are proud to join with over 160 of our Catholic colleagues in endorsing this letter (below) to President Trump and the United States Congress.  Our faith calls us to prophetically speak out on behalf of God's creation.  As Pope Francis stated in Laudato Si, the cries of the earth and the cries of the poor are one.  Let us work together to respond to these cries, heal the earth, and protect the poor and vulnerable.  

November 16, 2017

Dear President Trump and Members of the United States Congress:

As leaders of Catholic organizations in the United States, we write with one voice to urge you to reassert U.S. leadership in the global effort to address climate change. On behalf of people who are poor and vulnerable and future generations, we especially ask that you act based upon the best available climate science; fund the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; honor U.S. commitments to the Green Climate Fund; and meaningfully participate in the deliberations of the UNFCCC.

The Catholic Church has long called for a prudent approach to creation. In 1971, Paul VI wrote , “Man is suddenly becoming aware that by an ill-considered exploitation of nature he risks destroying it and becoming in his turn the victim of this degradation.” His successors, Saint John Paul II, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and Pope Francis have advanced the Church’s call for us to care for creation, a tenet of Catholic social teaching.

Catholic leaders across the nation and world have explicitly and consistently affirmed climate change as a moral issue that threatens core Catholic commitments, including to: protect human life, promote human dignity, exercise a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, advance the common good, live in solidarity with future generations, and care for God’s creation which is our common home.

The Catholic Church has for years supported actions to address climate change based upon the best available science. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) expressed in its 2001 statement Global Climate Change: A Plea For Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good: “In facing climate change, what we already know requires a response; it cannot be easily dismissed. Significant levels of scientific consensus—even in a situation with less than full certainty, where the consequences of not acting are serious—justifies, indeed can obligate, our taking action intended to avert potential dangers.”

We are thus obligated by our faith to act – especially now considering the November 3rd National Climate Assessment from thirteen federal agencies that concludes:

“[B]ased on extensive evidence, that it is extremely likely that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, are the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century. For the warming over the last century, there is no convincing alternative explanation supported by the extent of the observational evidence.”

Guided by these principles and findings, we members of the Catholic Church in the United States ask that you:

1. Fund the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
The UNFCCC and IPCC are indispensable institutions for the advancement of global diplomacy, action, science and knowledge on climate change. The United States has provided funding for these institutions since 1992, and we applaud the Senate Appropriations Committee’s recent bipartisan amendment to include $10 million for them in the Senate’s FY2018 budget. We echo the USCCB in its letter urging Congress to support this amendment and call for the Administration and Congress to support future allocations to ensure US participation and leadership in the global efforts to address climate change.

2. Meaningfully participate in the deliberations of the UNFCCC
Climate change is a global problem that requires global solutions. As our nation enjoys vast resources and has been a primary contributor to climate change, justice requires that the U.S. display strong and consistent leadership within the UNFCCC. In this way, the U.S. can help secure science-based global commitments which rapidly reduce greenhouse gas pollution and avoid so-called “tipping points” towards unavoidable and catastrophic impacts.

3. Honor U.S. Commitments to the Green Climate Fund
One measure of a society’s greatness is how it treats people who are poor and vulnerable. As our Catholic tradition instructs us to put the needs of the poor and vulnerable first, we urge you to honor U.S. commitments to the Green Climate Fund. The Fund helps less developed nations most impacted by climate change to build resilience to present and future impacts. Their peoples are disproportionately harmed by climate change despite often contributing least to the problem.

We heed the call of our Church, which implores, “As individuals, as institutions, as a people we need a change of heart to preserve and protect the planet for our children and for generations yet unborn.” We hope that you will accept our appeal, so that we may continue to dialogue and work together to manifest this change of heart.

Download a copy of the letter with signatories here