Decades of Care for the Earth
As the UNFCC COP30 convenes in Belém, Brazil, we, Columban Missionaries, renew our commitment to climate justice rooted in Gospel values of nonviolence, dialogue, and respect for all life. We call on leaders to find courage and clarity needed to commit to an agreement that recognizes the fragility of this moment in earth history. We stand in solidarity together with representatives from faith, youth, local and Indigenous communities who carry the global cry for action that benefits people on the margins and the wounded earth.
Columban Society Leader, Fr. Andrei Paz, offers hope and inspiration in his 2025 Season of Creation message:
"True and lasting peace includes peace with the natural world. It means listening to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor and responding with compassion and action," said Paz. "The earth is not simply a place we inhabit. It is a revelation of God’s presence, beauty, and wisdom. Let us work for peace. Let us live in peace. Let us make peace with one another and with all creation."
With biodiversity protection and restoration in the context of interreligious dialogue as one of our mission priorities and the many interrelated environmental concerns, including climate change, Columbans engage globally in:
- Integral ecology education.
- Retreats, special liturgies, and other forms of prayer and reflection.
- The arts through poetry, song, and painting connecting people and nature.
- Public witness and advocacy with national governments and at the United Nations.
- Community projects such as rewilding urban areas and reforesting indigenous land that has been decimated by extractive industries.
Columbans witness both the cry of the Earth and the hope of its defenders through our lived experience with communities devastated by climate change. With every typhoon, hurricane, flood, wildfire and landslide, we hear the earth proclaiming to humanity that humans, particularly those living in industrialized countries, have lost our way and is calling us back to right relationship in the intergenerational web of life.
Therefore, at COP30, we urge world leaders to:
- Commit to bold, enforceable climate policies that prioritize frontline communities.
- Support faith-based and Indigenous-led ecological initiatives.
- Uphold the principles of integral ecology, recognizing the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and spiritual well-being.
- Commit to reaching the agreed target finance for Loss and Damage to developing countries.
- Commit to a concrete roadmap to guide a planned and just transition to end fossil fuels.
We pray that the COP30 outcomes will be truly guided by the principles of restorative justice, the common good, and deep listening to one another and the earth.
