Today was a very good day with a group of international Franciscans gathered at a meeting in Southern Paris (about an hour ride on the train). Representatives from Ecuador, S. Korea, Netherlands, France, Brazil, US, Australia and Rome heard one another offer presentations on the status of work at the UN, on climate change and with mining and extractive industry concerns. This is the same group that I will offer a presentation to in Paris on Saturday morning. The group is attending various parts of the COP and contributing a Franciscan presence.
In particular, I was touched by Cardinal Hume who spoke about theNetwork Ecclesial Commission de Amazon, which has now extended a collaboration to include work with Africa and the Rio Congo, which is considered the second major “lung” of Earth.
Cardinal Hume
Cardinal Hume spoke about the importance of Laudato Si and the crisis of the planet is really a religious crisis that is intimately connected with science and ethics. Laudato Si has offered important impetus and affirms the efforts to become a church with an Amazon face where there is real dialogue with Indigenous people where they are subjects of their own history, including religion and culture. Within this context the development model of governments and industry that do not understand the Amazon and the people in this context can be addressed.
Many varied voices including the prophetic are needed in the struggle and to accompany the people. Friar Rodrigo from Brazil echoed this theme and shared a very moving presentation of the recent mining tailing pond disaster which devastated villages, ruined water supplies and created a wasteland of the Rio Doce with life literally decaying in her once beautiful waters. Numerous people have been arrested for drawing light to the enormous disaster; however, the mining company has not been arrested or called to accountability.
The target of mining must be lifestyle changes and transitions. The continued paradox of mining is that where these resources exist and are extracted the poverty continues to loom large.
Images of the people walking through contaminated water from a war zone scene of their village lingered with me as I say in the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral for an ecumenical prayer for Creation tonight. We are at war with Earth and ourselves, this is a very large and looming terrorism which requires prayer and new insights for action.
presentations on the status of work at the UN, on climate change and with mining and extractive industry concerns. This is the same group that I will offer a presentation to in Paris on Saturday morning. The group is attending various parts of the COP and contributing a Franciscan presence.
In particular, I was touched by Cardinal Hume who spoke about theNetwork Ecclesial Commission de Amazon, which has now extended a collaboration to include work with Africa and the Rio Congo, which is considered the second major “lung” of Earth.
Cardinal Hume spoke about the importance of Laudato Si and the crisis of the planet is really a religious crisis that is intimately connected with science and ethics. Laudato Si has offered important impetus and affirms the efforts to become a church with an Amazon face where there is real dialogue with Indigenous people where they are subjects of their own history, including religion and culture. Within this context the development model of governments and industry that do not understand the Amazon and the people in this context can be addressed.
Many varied voices including the prophetic are needed in the struggle and to accompany the people. Friar Rodrigo from Brazil echoed this theme and shared a very moving presentation of the recent mining tailing pond disaster which devastated villages, ruined water supplies and created a wasteland of the Rio Doce with life literally decaying in her once beautiful waters. Numerous people have been arrested for drawing light to the enormous disaster; however, the mining company has not been arrested or called to accountability.
The target of mining must be lifestyle changes and transitions. The continued paradox of mining is that where these resources exist and are extracted the poverty continues to loom large.
Images of the people walking through contaminated water from a war zone scene of their village lingered with me as I say in the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral for an ecumenical prayer for Creation tonight. We are at war with Earth and ourselves, this is a very large and looming terrorism which requires prayer and new insights for action.