Three Catholic bishops and a nun walk into the White House. Here’s why it’s no joke

(National Catholic Reporter. John Wester).

Three Catholic bishops and a nun walked into a climate policy meeting at the White House. This isn’t the beginning of a joke. Bishop Edward Weisenburger of Tucson, Arizona, Bishop Joseph Tyson of Yakima, Washington, and St. Joseph Sr. Carol Zinn, executive director of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, and I really did go to the White House on Nov. 17, with support from communications specialist Lonnie Ellis. We went to discuss Pope Francis’ latest apostolic exhortation on climateLaudate Deum. We went with a mission — a nonpartisan, faith-filled mission. Here’s why. We are all being impacted by worsening wildfires, heat waves and floods. We know that communities of color and the poor are being hit the hardest. Last fall, Francis issued a second impassioned call to answer the climate crisis. In Laudate Deum, he specifically mentioned the United States, pointing out that our emissions are “seven times greater than the average of the poorest countries.” He encouraged individual and systemic conversion.

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Summit per il clima del Vaticano, anche la Santa Sede suona l’allarme

(Adnkronos).

L’allarme, questa volta, arriva dal Summit sul clima del Vaticano, che ammonisce le istituzioni e invita ad agire subito per contenere il surriscaldamento climatico come testimoniano le parole riprese da vaticavnews.va.

File rouge dei tre giorni (15-17 maggio) è la stretta interconnessione tra la sostenibilità ambientale e quella sociale: spesso sono le popolazioni più povere (e per di più meno responsabili delle emissioni inquinanti) a subire le conseguenze più gravi del cambiamento climatico, a partire dai fenomeni estremi come alluvioni e siccità.

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At Vatican conference, Massachusetts governor announces Climate Careers Fund

(National Catholic Reporter. Justin Mclellan).

Faith leaders must collaborate with public and private partners to set an example on combating climate change for the communities they serve, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said while standing in the Vatican Gardens. “People look to their faith leaders”, she told Catholic News Service on the sidelines of a Vatican conference May 15. “It’s incredibly powerful and important for faith leaders to be talking about climate and to be working with others in government, in business, in philanthropy, in academe on these issues.”

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As ocean temps hit record, Vatican hosts discussions on climate change, offers resources

(CNA. Francesca Pollio Fenton).

The European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service released data showing that April was the hottest month on record for global sea surface temperatures. It was the 13th consecutive month that temperatures hit a record high of 68.97 degrees Fahrenheit. 

The report comes as the Vatican hosts a summit this week on climate change, bringing together politicians, civic leaders, lawmakers, and researchers from around the world.

The three-day conference from May 15–17 titled “From Climate Crisis to Climate Resilience” will be held at the Casina Pio IV, the seat of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences, which sits in the Vatican Gardens. It will feature a series of roundtable discussions and culminate in the signing of a new international protocol that will be submitted to the United Nations.

Pope Francis has been vocal about the need for Catholics to take responsibility for the health of the environment, releasing two apostolic exhortations regarding the topic: Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum.

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