杏MAP导航

By Devin Watkins

The Holy See Press Office held a press conference on Thursday to present the 鈥淔aith and Science: Towards COP26鈥� meeting, which will take place on 4 October.

The event, which is organized by the UK鈥檚 and Italy鈥檚 Embassies to the Holy See, will see numerous faith leaders and scientists address the theme of climate change and the need for a coordinated effort to protect Creation.

Papal support

杏MAP导航 Francis will likely participate in the 4 October event, according to Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican鈥檚 Secretary for Relations with States.

Presenting the Holy See鈥檚 role in preparing the meeting, the Archbishop said the 杏MAP导航 is very committed to the issue of climate change and that he would be 鈥渧ery surprised if the Holy Father does not participate.鈥�

But, he noted, the Holy See will formally confirm 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� participation at a later date.

Role of faith in climate solutions

Archbishop Gallagher also pointed out that climate change presents an enormous challenge and that faith has a role to play in the solution.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to draw on all of your resources if we鈥檙e going to rise to these challenges,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd that certainly is faith; it is religion and the spiritual dimension of humanity. If we ignore that and think that the only solution is good politics or good science then we鈥檙e going to find that we鈥檙e not successful.鈥�

The Archbishop went on to add that the sense of urgency has grown about the need to confront climate change, saying that the pandemic has shown how various economic, social, and alimentary crises affect all people on the planet.

As the 杏MAP导航 has said, 鈥渆verything is connected鈥�, and so these challenges must be dealt with together, which is an aspect that people of religion can contribute to in a unique fashion, said Archbishop Gallagher.

鈥淩eligion,鈥� he noted, 鈥渋s a sort of integrated vision of life, the world, and everything in it. Religion embraces all the issues that affect our human existence.鈥�

鈥楩aith and Science鈥�

Sally Axworthy, British Ambassador to the Holy See, then presented the UK鈥檚 goals for COP26, which will be held in the Scottish city of Glasgow on 1-12 November, and its hopes for the 鈥淔aith and Science鈥� runup event.

She said the British government hopes COP26 will bring all nations together to confront the issue of climate change, which disproportionately affects least-developed nations and indigenous peoples, making it a 鈥渕oral issue鈥�.

Theology of the environment

Ambassador Axworthy described the overriding aim for the climate change conference as getting governments back on track to limiting temperature rises to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

She said the UK has recognized that faith leaders played an important role in preparing the success of COP21, at which the Paris Agreement was agreed and signed.

杏MAP导航 Francis had just released his environmental encyclical Laudato si鈥�, she noted, adding that faith leaders have just as important a role to play in COP26.

With this in mind, the British and Italian Embassies to the Holy See decided to host the 鈥淔aith and Science鈥� initiative to combine the strengths of faith leaders.

Ahead of the 4 October event, six virtual meetings were held at which faith leaders presented their theology on environment, actions they have taken thus far to contribute to reducing emission, and what their hopes are for the future.

Ambassador Axworthy cited one faith leader as saying the role of religion is to provide 鈥渆nlightened passion鈥�, with scientists providing the data and faith leaders offering the inspiration for climate action.

Young people preparing the future

The Italian Ambassador to Holy See, Pietro Sebastiani, spoke about his government鈥檚 efforts to prepare for COP26.

He also recalled how climate change has contributed to worsening conflicts, including in Africa鈥檚 Sahel region.

Italy鈥檚 government will host the pre-COP event in Milan in the Fall, to offer government ministers the chance to discuss topics in an informal setting, ahead of the main COP26 event in Glasgow.

Another initiative in Milan on 28-30 September seeks to involve some 400 young people from around the world in preparing a better future for the planet.

Finally, Ambassador Sebastiani said the 鈥淔aith and Science鈥� event will allow faith leaders to showcase how religion encourages the faithful to do their part in caring for our common home.