“Time is running short.” Quoting Saint Paul, Cardinal Pietro Parolin issued an appeal for urgent action to transform past climate commitments into concrete action. The Vatican Secretary of State is in Belém, capital of the Brazilian state of Pará, to lead the Holy See delegation at the “Climate Summit” ahead of the 30th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP30), scheduled for 10–21 November.
Speaking to Vatican News, the Cardinal warned that climate-related emergencies are now displacing more people than armed conflicts and stressed that addressing climate change can also become an opportunity to revive multilateral cooperation, which he said “has been in deep crisis for years.”
The Pope is concerned about the impact of climate change on the lives of millions of people, especially the poorest. What should be the priorities of local Churches in different parts of the world?
It is indeed a phenomenon that affects more and more people, and always in a negative way, especially the most vulnerable. In recent months, we have met with authorities from Pacific island nations who presented us with the tragic reality of their possible disappearance. We can all imagine what that means for their people.
From what I have read, there are now more displaced persons because of climate change than because of wars. It is truly an emergency situation. The Church is deeply engaged, beginning with the Holy See. We have recalled the great contribution made by Pope Francis through Laudato si’ and Laudate Deum, and local Churches have taken up this commitment as their own.
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