2024 Monday Lunchtime Zoom Meetings
2nd Monday of each month except April and August

13 May, 12.45-2.00pm
Climate and the Elections
‘A Year of Encounter’
Andrea Speranza (CAFOD) & Alessandra Sciarra (SVP)
Register with Eventbrite

10 June, 12.45-2.00pm
Preparing for the Season of Creation
Register with Eventbrite

8 July, 12.45-2.00pm
The Climate Coalition

9 September, 12.45-2.00pm
14 October, 12.45-2.00pm
11 November, 12.45-2.00pm
9 December, 12.45-2.00pm

This network for all Catholics and our friends who care about creation meets monthly online on the second Monday of the month and also organises other events online and in-person. Some events take place jointly with the Northern Dioceses Environment Group, as we all work together to animate the Catholic community in the long-term task of stabilising our climate and protecting our common home.

We are inspired by the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, especially as set out by Pope Francis in the encyclical Laudato Si’, and the teachings on caring for the earth and one another found in Scripture.

Participants include CAFOD and Diocesan staff and volunteers, Laudato Si’ Animators, Journey to 2023, clergy, parishioners, religious and activists.You are welcome to attend as a one-off or to participate regularly.

For the Zoom link, more details, or to be added to the mailing list please email
Colette Joyce, Westminster Justice and Peace Co-ordinator, colettejoyce@rcdow.org.uk
or call her on 07593 434 905

The SDEN Planning Group are:
Andrea Speranza (CAFOD), Colette Joyce (Westminster), David Ko (Westminster),
John Paul de Quay (Arundel & Brighton), Maureen Thompson (Portsmouth),
Richard Busellato (Westminster) and Siân Thomas-Cullinan (Brentwood)

The Southern Dioceses are:
Arundel & Brighton, Brentwood, Clifton, East Anglia, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Southwark and Westminster

KEY CLIMATE DATES AND EVENTS

Previous Meetings

13 March 2024 – Climate, Parishes and Evangelisation

12 February 2024 – #ShowTheLove

Opening Prayer – Fasting and Feasting

Fast from judging others;
Feast on Christ dwelling in them.
Fast from fear of illness;
Feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute;
Feast on speech that purifies.
Fast from discontent;
Feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger;
Feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism;
Feast on hope.
Fast from negatives;
Feast on encouragement.
Fast from bitterness;
Feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern;
Feast on compassion;
Fast from suspicion;
Feast on truth.
Fast from gossip;
Feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm;
Feast on prayer that sustains.
Fast from anxiety;
Feast on faith.

Adapted from text of William Arthur Ward
American author, teacher and pastor, 1921-1994

Breakout Group Question: What are you doing for Lent?

Plenary Feedback

• Look at what the liturgy says about the environment and how we need to think wider about our faith.
• Look at a much wider area of things we need to not waste, things like gas and electricity.
• Being inventive with cooking and taking part in the orthodox fast. Asking parishioners to contribute recipes.
• Working on a wildlife garden.
• How to evangelise by our actions and invite wider involvement in these actions.
• Show the #ShowTheLove campaigns with our parish and schools.
• Do Stations of the Cross with an environmental focus.
• CAFOD Lenten walk: 40 parishioners doing 5k
• Lenten Giving Calendar
• Eco thoughts each week
• Laudato Si’ quotes and thoughts
• Laudato Si’ Retreat – focusing on local action
• Live Simply group starting at Worth Parish
• Caritas Brentwood have a Photo Challenge and Giving Calendar. Send your nature pictures www.caritasbrentwood.org/lent
• Download and use the Too Good to Go Food Waste App https://www.toogoodtogo.com/en-gb
• Give up plastic for Lent!
• Give up buying new things.
• Use refills.

15 January 2024 – Update from COP28

Presentation: Neil Thorns, CAFOD Director of Advocacy

Neil was present at COP28 in Dubai and has attended a number of previous COPs as a member of the Vatican delegation.

Neil identified four headline issues from COP28:

1. Agreement on a Loss and Damage Fund
2. The UAE Consensus: Transition away from fossil fuels
3. Dubai – Baku – Belem Roadmap
4. Recognition of Food

1. Loss and Damage Fund

• ‘Loss and Damage’ is when poor communities overseas can no longer adapt to the effects of climate change but need to be able to respond when disasters occur. How do they get the resources they need?
• Developed countries who have done the most to cause the climate crisis have a responsibility towards these communities.
• ‘Loss and Damage’ has been kicking around for a long time in climate circles and in climate negotiations and a fund was finally agreed in principle Sharm El-Sheikh last year at COP27.
• Operating the Fund was agreed on the first day of COP28 and money was put into it.
• Not enough money was put in, but what was important was that all the major countries contributed.
• US paid around $27 million – just peanuts!
• UK paid $45 million.
• UAE paid $100 million.
• How that money is spent is going to be really important.
• The Vatican is very interested in ‘Loss and Damage’ and especially non-economic ‘Loss and Damage’ – e.g. spiritual, cultural sites, language etc.
• Vatican strongly supports ‘Integral Human Development’ so will continue to take a major interest in this aspect.
• It is important that ‘Loss and Damage’ will now be included for the first time in the Global Stock Take Process.
• People ask ‘Why do COPs have to happen annually?’ ‘There have been 28 of them, are they achieving anything?’ Yes! The pace may be slow but the important thing is that we keep moving forward each year. The Global Stock Take Process is an important part of this.
• It is important to get things into the negotiations because then they get monitored and countries are accountable going forward.
• This was one of the biggest things to come out of the COP28 and a big win for the first day.

2. UAE Consensus

• Host countries like to get agreements named after themselves!
• COP28 was focused on the Global Stock Take that was agreed in Paris at COP21 in 2015 and came into force in 2020.
• Countries have to submit reports on how far they are doing to meet the principles of the Paris Agreement to keep global warming temperatures below 1.5C by 2050.
• All eyes were on COP28 to see if an end to Fossil Fuels would be included in the next Global Stock Take.
• Making a ‘transition away from fossil fuels’ was eventually included
• Not the strongest language – and not what the Pope called for – but it was the first mention of an end to fossil fuels in a COP agreement.
• There were lots of caveats!
• E.g. It didn’t call for taking away subsidies from fossil fuels.
• BUT – we can start chipping away from this base.

3. Dubai – Baku – Belem Roadmap

• COP29 will be in BAKU, Azerbaijan, in 2024 – another oil state and another COP president with oil company links.
• COP30 will be in BELEM, Brazil in 2025 – a city in the Amazon rainforest.
• These next COPs are expected to be about finance – money makes the world go round!
• Progress of the Climate Fund will be assessed.
• The Climate Fund for adaptation of $100bn p/a was agreed in 2009.
• Target meant to be reached by 2020 but still only partially met.
• ‘New Collective Quantified Goal’ has to be agreed this year in Baku to ensure that money gets to those countries for adaptation and loss and damage.
• Currently we using existing money to meet these commitments.
• E.g. the UK is using part of the Overseas Aid Budget.
• This is essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul.
• We need innovative ideas on finance. E.g. a tax on international shipping.
• Levels of debt will be have to be addressed and debt cancellation considered.
• The international finance architecture currently makes it difficult for developing countries to get loans, creating debt cycles that prevent spending on climate adaptation.
• E.g. the UK currently borrows money at 1 or 2%, while for Bangladesh it is 7 or 8%
• So who pays? Historic big emitters? Or more recent emitters like Saudi Arabia, who don’t currently have any obligations to pay.
• A France-Kenya initiative will report back to COP30 in Brazil.

4. Recognition of Food

• A third of greenhouse gas emissions comes from our food and food systems.
• Food now needs to be considered in national plans.
• We can now include it in the whole aspect of deforestation.
• 150 are now pledged to include Food in their climate plans.

What Next?

• The Vatican played an important role by talking about ending fossil fuels and talking about food.
• The Vatican is in a position to ask for an ambitious Global Stock Take in these areas.
• The BBC reported on the Pope’s talk, read by Cardinal Parolin as the Pope himself was unable to attend due to illness.

• https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-67599985

• Media reports – especially the BBC which has a global reach – have an impact in COP spaces.
• The rate of action is accelerating as we head towards 2025.
• The UK is heading into an election year and we can use this to promote improvements to our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
• We need to let our elected representatives know what we want in terms of climate ambition.

Breakout Group Questions: What is your response to the outcomes of COP28? What will you be focusing on for the environment in 2024?

Q & A with Neil

Q. How useful is a focus new tech e.g. solar panels?

A. There are always side things happening alongside COP. More renewable energy deals were done at COP28 than ever before, which is a good thing. People at COP were talking about ‘carbon capture and storage’ but experts say it has very little impact so we can’t rely on it. Solar energy is making a huge difference. Especially in the US Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Bill has had a huge impact in creating green jobs. Tech linked to jobs makes for social change.

Q. What about the Vatican follow-up?

A. Loss and Damage is a priority as I said earlier and talking about ending fossil fuels. The Catholic Church celebrates a Jubilee Year in 2025 and the Vatican is looking into how this can be linked to Brazil 2025 and COP30. Pope Francis said during the Covid pandemic that we don’t come out of a crisis the same. We come out either better or worse. Can we ensure that we come out better, with a better economics and better outcomes for the poorest?

Q. Can we push the CAFOD Fix the Food System even more?

A. The Pope said in Laudato Si’ that ‘everything is connected.’ We have to link food with everything else and seeds is a big part in that. As CAFOD we can make some progress making sure that seeds find a place in the food plans for individual countries.

Breakout Group Questions: What is your response to the outcomes of COP28? What will you be focusing on for the environment in 2024?

Plenary

• Encouraged by the positive message from Neil.
• How can we speak up more confidently? Especially in our own homes and with friends?
• We want to encourage people to be hopeful but at the same time make things like taking multiple flights socially unacceptable.
• Focus on taking local actions
• Taking part in the Christian Climate Action Vigil in Lent.
• Joining Greenpeace action.
• Glad that Neil finds positive things to say about progress made, but we need to make it know that progress needs to be faster!
• Is there a way to help governments see that investing in climate change solutions will bring about benefits?
• CAFOD and SVP are working together on election material that will encourage Catholics to push for climate action this year.
• Brentwood Diocese hosted a young adult (18-28) retreat day in early January. Scary news on climate change is putting them off and protests etc. don’t make sense to them any more. Need to deal with difficulties of the younger generation.

Resources: John Paul de Quay

Jesuit, Thinking Faith, Article on Carbon Offsetting

Eco Jesuit roundup of COP28

Fr Pedro Walpole SJ is always worth a read!

Ecological Conversion Group, greenwashing and carbon offsetting guide

CIDSE COP28 roundup

Decarbonisation in Places of Worship Guide

Pope’s address to COP28, Matt McGrath article BBC

To share resources please email John Paul de Quay jp@theecg.org

KEY CLIMATE DATES

13 November 2023 – Money

Opening Prayer – John Paul de Quay (Arundel & Brighton / Journey to 2030)

Reflection on the Trinity and the relationship between Our Creator Ourselves, Our Neighbours and Our Common Home.

Acts 4: 44-47

“All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distributes the proceeds to all, as any had need.

Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all people.

And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”

Introduction – Dr David Ko

Money is a subject that touches everyone. Money has been tight for everyone for a while, with the cost-of-living crisis. COP28 will be all about money. A lot comes down to how we manage our economic systems in response to the climate crisis.

We had invited Waseem Ahmed from Islamic Relief to speak to this meeting, but unfortunately, he is not able to join us today. We hope to invite him again to another meeting next year. By way of introduction, Waseem speaks from the Islamic context about using money in such a way that empowers human dignity rather than just the provision of relief, something that chimes also with Christian teaching.

I will say more, after Andrea has spoken, about the 12 Days of COP initiative, with the title chosen to echo the 12 Days of Christmas.

Recordings of the Prayer and Presentations can be found here

Presentation 1: Andrea Speranza – CAFOD Campaigns Engagement Manager – Catholic context and personal experience of attending the Morocco World Bank meeting with CAFOD for the ‘Fix the Food System’ Campaign

• Reminder that the words ‘economy’ and ‘ecology’ share the same root Greek root, oikos, meaning ‘house’. (Ecology literally means the ‘study of the house’, while economics means the ‘management of the house’, where the house is taken to be the world.)
• Many of you have been involved in the CAFOD ‘Fix the Food System’ campaign these last two years.
• The Fix the Food System campaign is about re-thinking the current global food system, challenging the imbalance of power between agribusinesses and small farmers, and pushing for alternatives.
• A small number of wealthy corporations focus on profit at the expense of the security of the food system.
• Not just a push from CAFOD but also from world food security experts.
• UN Global Report on Food Crises 2023 – We are failing to eradicate hunger. In fact, we are heading in the wrong direction.
• Recent Popes – John Paul II, Benedict, Frances – have all been highlighting certain aspects of our food system that have not been working for several decades.
• CAFOD team: How to make a contribution to address this imbalance of power?’
• Tangible, impactful way: tackling the threat to seed sovereignty.
• CAFOD report identified World Bank has been playing a significant role in reducing or restricting access of small farmers to their own reserved seeds. Have done this through imposing conditions on loans to low-income countries or supporting agribusiness to such extent that small farmers have no choice but to use commercial seeds.
• CAFOD campaign is NOT again commercial seeds but against the restriction of choice for small farmers, even including tools such as criminalisation e.g. in Kenya.
• Example of Salina – a small farmer in Bangladesh. A huge downpour destroyed many of her crops. As a seed-saver she was able to plant new crops, so this made her more resilient to flooding. Many others in her community lost everything.
• Salina’s letter to the World Bank was the basis of the CAFOD campaign. It was signed by 18 bishops, with 70,147 signatures from 762 parishes.
• An act of international solidarity!
• Selected out of hundreds of organisations for an event at the World Bank Annual Meeting Policy Forum in Morocco in October 2023.
• Attended by Andrea and Ruth from CAFOD, along with Farida Akhter from Salina’ village.
• The Director of Global Food and Agriculture at the World Bank was in the room. He listened to Farida speaking, representing millions of small farmers.
• This built legitimacy.
• Importance of the culture of personal encounter. A David and Goliath moment!
• 150 people from Salina’s village came together to view the film of the letter presentation.
• Salina herself was very happy. She said: “I cannot be happy alone, I need to share my happiness with others.

ANDREA’S VIDEO LINKS:

Hand-in of Salina’s letter at the World Bank annual meetings October 2023

Ruth Segal and Farida Akhter present one of the ‘Salina letters’ signed by parishes to the World Bank Global Director of Agriculture and Food at the World Bank annual meetings in Morocco, October 2023. 

Salina’s community react to support from parishes October 2023

Farida Akhter explains to Salina’s community that many parishes in England and Wales have supported Salina’s letter to the World Bank this year, and Salina reacts positively to that news.

Presentation 2: David Ko – Its4U – 12 Days of COP28

#Its4U at https://bit.ly/signup2its4u

David Ko shared his experiences during his visit to East Africa along with Richard Busellato.

David shared a detailed Presentation of their report on CoP28 and given an overview in the light of the activities that were conducted during their visit in East Africa.

The basis aspects of CoP 28 are that “Do we use our money to enable people with their livelihood, especially when you are talking about empowering dignity? Or do we use it for the business that provide things for you to buy?”

The report captures 3 things:

1. What happen with the money?
2. How can we strengthen our connection with nature and strengthen the connection with community and ourselves?
3. What makes the world better?

To do this in a way that brings humour, conversation, creativity, and innovation into it that takes climate beyond climate.

A link was shared for sign up have a quick view of activities and understanding and how to participate the things which we want to do ultimately.

David further mentioned that he and Richard had taken a tiny fraction of one day worth a year to buy the Oil, Gas, and Coal Industry to have control them into global common. This can allow the community to really empower.

Elaboration of Report:

• “Looking after our common home” is to encourage people to put with a chat on Facebook, so the data from information can become a source of information for everybody. Also running an online & offline conversation to share a live and pre-recorded conversations.
• “Trees are important” encourage people to share a personal story about that tree and talk about their connection with the nature.
• “Nature & Dignity First” A simple activity was done is Nairobi in which we asked people to express about nature and about dignity, also asked them about the rights of individuals. It was all about to bring people together to generate ideas.
• “Making the world better” is an important element to make people start a light conversation, to contribute to a conversational topic that connect them to have a deeper conversation. They can talk about reasons, for example Can we live without seed, why we need it, their benefits and loses. 
• I want to sing tomorrow” was about creativity, so tell your story and then perform your art and bring it, essentially a conversation about the person, about the environment and about the creativity and bring it together to make it entertaining.
• The Antidote to CoP28” is about how to turn the Antidote formula into a genuine business pitch and to make money keeping oil, gas, and coal in the ground.
• “Prayers & Meditation for CoP28” is the idea of trying to get groups everywhere to sign-up and fill out the form of 12 days of CoP 28 with prayers and meditations. This reflects the work what Justice & Peace commission had done.
• Daughters and Sons is to share the message across generations. This is about intergenerational dialogue to bring daughters and sons together to have conversations.
• Water for Maasai is a project making indigenous life beneficial for all and how to turn indigenous living into economic & cultural benefit for everyone.
• Trust is about blockchains for financing. How do you maintain communities in the world and how can communities get financing for themselves out of the things that they do, to finance the community projects by their own commerce and trade law. 
• The Unsustainable Truth is based on What really happens with the money you spend? How we can build bridges and create ledges, so that we can face the climate challenges ahead together as a community.
• Festivals of Joy is about turning climate actions into livelihoods. We asked a group of students, young people of East Africa, to figure out how they can create livelihoods for themselves by bringing the different ideas together to create a Festival of Joy. The festival are great opportunities for trade to make money to help yourself and others.

Concluded:

So don’t stand there, as exactly Andrea’s describing in terms of the signatures that she had in going there. It is when we know that we are not alone but that there is a whole world who is with us, that’s where we get the faith reinforced and that’s where we get the courage to step forward and look the right direction to do things. So please sign up now, Thank you.

Q & A and Plenary

• Kenya in 2002 passed legislation to criminalise people who save and swap their own seeds.
• Big Issue figures on the financialisation of nature:
  • 1 in 20 people in UK using a Foodbank
  • 1 in 50 adults in temporary accommodation
  • 1 in 23 children in temporary accommodation
• It is not just seeds/food but housing that has been commodified. But these are the things people need.
• I live in a rural/farming area, one thought to leave with is that food and agricultural policies should be for the benefit of farmers/growers and consumers and not to benefit/enrich politicians and financiers
• The inspiration for the Its4U project was people asking how they can best spend their money for COP28.
• In ‘The Unsustainable Truth’ – point out that we need to generate 11 trillion return from investments. In order to give some people future certainty we are imposing on present reality. This is the outcome of our fear of an uncertain future.
• It doesn’t matter that most the world isn’t doing that, it matters that most of the money in the world is doing that.
• Small actions of resistance can help to tackle the big questions of economic issues and give us hope.
• In the Resources this week John Paul notes that the Jubilee Year is coming up in 2025 and gives us some starting points to start thinking about what ‘Jubilee’ actually is.

Resources: John Paul de Quay

https://bit.ly/signup2its4u David and Richards ITS4U campaign

https://www.plough.com/en/subscriptions/quarterly/2023/summer-2023-issue-36 Plough magazine. The magazine on money is particularly worth reading.

Books and articles on the Sabbath economics and jubilee:

https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Ecosystems-of-Jubilee-by-Adam-L-Gustine-Jos-Humphreys/9780310133537

https://passionist.life/stories/2023/07/we-read-the-gospel-as-if-we-had-no-money-an-extract-from-sabbath-economics/

https://churchanew.org/brueggemann/emancipating-debt-biblical-jubilee-and-contemporary-economics

CAFOD campaign for COP28:

https://cafod.org.uk/news/campaigning-news/cop28-how-you-can-campaign-to-call-for-action-on-the-climate-crisis

Some Catholic social teaching and scriptural references of an economic nature on the Laudato Si’ goals.

https://journeyto2030.org/laudato-si-goals/

The Unsustainable Truth

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unsustainable-Truth-Investing-Future-Destroying/dp/1784529591

To share resources please email John Paul de Quay jp@theecg.org

Events/Actions from Colette Joyce:

• 23 November, 7pm: WHAT WE NEED TO HAPPEN AT COP28. Join CAFOD partners and experts as we look ahead to COP28 and discuss what action we need to see at the UN climate talks. https://www.bigmarker.com/cafod/COP28
• 23 November, 7.15-8.15pm: CAFOD Hour of Prayer for COP28 at Farm Street Church. 114 Mount Street, London, W1K 3AH. Join us for an unforgettable evening of prayer, where we will come together to pray for those attending COP28, including Pope Francis in his address. The evening will consist of time to interact with different prayer stations, Ignatian meditation, experience the power of prayer through music, intercede for our world, listen to the word and adore The Blessed Sacrament. Contact Beata Rozycka, CAFOD Westminster, on 07789876913 or email brozycka@cafod.org.uk if you have any queries. Link to register interest or just come along on the day: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-hour-of-prayer-for-stewards-of-the-earth-tickets-743661179607 
• 26 November, 2-3pm: Tree planting by His Eminence Archbishop Angaelos, Coptic Archbishop of London. Interfaith event at St Mary and Pope Kyrillos V1 Coptic Church, Broad Walk, Hounslow TW5 9AB.
• 29 November, 12.30pm -1.45pm: Northern Dioceses Environment Group. Guest speaker – Deacon Gareth Rowe, researcher for Durham University and CAFOD, who will offer insights into the recent Apostolic Exhortation ‘Laudate Deum.’  Gareth has also been engaged in writing a paper on Climate and conflict: can Catholic social teaching show us the way through the storm? Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81357860747?pwd=VGNMc3pUQXpDaXZqVHJ3cEx1Wjludz09
• 30 November, 2.30 – 6pm: “Finance for the Common Good” – Joint Event with the Centre for Enterprise, Markets & Ethics (CEME) and the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice (Blackfriars Hall, University of Oxford). Hosted by CCLA Investment Management, 1 Angel Ln, London EC4R 3AB. Speakers will address a range of issues such as the interplay between finance, greed and morality, a history of local banking, the role of Catholic Social Teaching, and the relationship of the corn laws, Brexit and the Common Good. Followed by drinks and canape reception. Places are limited – please RSVP via email at office@theceme.org by Monday, 20th November 2023. More Details
• 30 November – 12 December 2023: COP28 – United Arab Emirates https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/topic/cop28/
• 9 December: Day of Action for COP28 – *Save the Date*. More Details of CAFOD action

Keep up to date with Key Dates on the webpage here

*To share events please email – Colette Joyce: colettejoyce@rcdow.org.uk

SDEN Future Meetings

Second Monday of every month, except April and August.

Mon    11 Dec           12.45-2.00pm           Advent Prayer & Christmas Party
Mon    15 Jan            12.45-2.00pm           Feedback from COP28 with Neil Thorns (CAFOD)
Mon    12 Feb           12.45-2.00pm           Feedback from the Synod

A.O.B 

For 11 December, if you would like to bring a prayer, image, video or anecdote to share please do. Christmas jumpers and party hats encouraged. Bring your own sherry and mince pies!

Tuesday 21 Nov at 7.30pm. National Justice and Peace Networking (NJPN) Evening. A discussion on ‘What are the burning justice and peace issues that keep you awake at night?”

To register email Sharon Chambers ebulletin@justice-and-peace.org.uk

Closing Prayer – John Paul de Quay

Our Father

9 October 2023 – Synodality and the Care of Our Common Home

Synod Sharing Introduction

• Our eyes are currently turned to the Synod Hall in Rome. 35 women are voting members for the first time, alongside 35 laymen and priests who are also ‘non-bishop’ members.
• ‘Our common home’ is a term used by the Pope to refer to our environment that we all share and inhabit.
• Climate is an urgent matter linked to Justice. 

Question for Small Group Discussion:

B 1.1 How does the service of charity and commitment to justice and care for our common home nourish communion in a synodal Church? (Instrumentum Laboris, page 2)

This is the document being used as the basis for their discussions by participants at the Synod in Rome right now and was the very first question of the 15 worksheets proposed, illustrating the importance laid on ‘care of our common home’ by Pope Francis.

First time: each person gives their personal response, no comment from others.
Second time: each person says what they have heard from others, no comment from others.
Third time (if time): free discussion. (30 minutes in small groups of 4 or 5)

Feedback Responses

Group 1: (with John Paul)

Asked – what is a synodal Church? 

• Something that is working towards a more democratic Church where the Holy Spirit is speaking through everyone. 
• Process of the synod got in the way because that process was different among different cultures, societies, and dioceses.
• Seemed like the response was that communication and co-union can help with protecting the common home, then solves wider problems that create a more cohesive structure. 
• Unifying (both common home and synod), allows the Church to be more outward-looking in justice and charity.
• Had an Anglican in the conversation who confirmed that they were encountering many of the same problems that the Catholics were experiencing during the synods.  
• Spent a lot of time discussing the question as a whole.

Group 2 (with David) 

• Defined synodal in general terms.
• Process of the synod is not super effective/transparent.
  • Difficult to bring voices together when there is often no feedback to comments or arguments that are made.  
• “Pieces of the jigsaw” – synod becomes a part of the whole.  
• Different ways to show diversity in the Church (example: CAFOD, raising awareness groups.) 
• Synod is about recognizing and hearing God’s will.
• Similar to confirmation in a reaffirmation of faith.

Group 3 (with Maureen)

• Didn’t think or discuss synodality, focused more on the idea of team work that brings upon communion with those who share different views and perspectives. 
• The idea of communion often leads to participation among contrasting individuals or groups. 
• Listening before acting hear the cry or the poor and cry of the earth – hearing people’s needs together build community.
• Human nature to act when a problem presents itself and currently problems are complex- existential – it’s difficult to find our way.
• Complexities of the issues can cause worry.
• Hope in action at a parish level
  • Many are frustrated by the lack of action at this smaller, community level.  
• Not all hopeful for synod process as we have not heard enough about it – In fact the word angry was used several times – we did not always seem listened to and the process seems very remote.
• Hope though in supportive parishes and priests and by local actions and bishops actions and Catholic charities like CAFOD putting faith into action   Building communion by more participation from everyone in some group in parish or local church and practice in talking about how our faith forms our action as mission.
• We found the format of discussion listening to each other then going round again very positive. Recommending working with the Instrumentum Laboris – good way to follow Synod.

Plenary Feedback 

• The importance of unity  
• Emphasis of how these synodal discussions are not reaching the community parishes 
• Nature of engaging is a form of community  
• Shared common demanding task 

Resources

Journey to 2030 resources to involve synodality in context of our common home:
https://journeyto2030.org/poster-activity/
https://journeyto2030.org/let-us-dream/

Laudate Deum:
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/20231004-laudate-deum.html

Laudate Deum infographic:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wjAtxWL1OsWgglDDWX5JNfC21d73Ghut

Elsia survey please take part:
https://survey.cesop.ucp.pt/linkrequest.aspx?id=1

CST and care of creation
https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A0dcc1f48-4ad7-44d4-8a20-1838ba7e0ee1

Local energy cooperatives:
https://energylocal.org.uk/

Carbon brief review of carbon offsets:
https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/carbon-offsets-2023/mapped.html

Guardian article of carbon credits:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/19/do-carbon-credit-reduce-emissions-greenhouse-gases

Jesuit missions podcast:
https://jesuitmissions.org.uk/voices-of-hope/

Events and Actions:

• 4-29 October – First Session of the Synod in Rome. https://www.synod.va/en.html
• 18 October, 2-3.30p.m: Westminster Cathedral Interfaith Group – “All in the Same Boat” Pope Francis and Fraternity. A talk given by Archbishop Emeritus Kevin McDonald. Hinsley Room (to the right of Westminster Cathedral), Morpeth Terrace, SW1 1EN. All welcome! Contact John Woodhouse woodhousesopten@btinternet.com
• 18 October, 7-8.30pm: Christian Climate Action – An Evening with John Dear. On Zoom. US-based Fr John Dear is an internationally recognised voice for peace and nonviolence. He has been arrested some 85 times for actions concerning peace. More details and registration here
• 19 October, 1-2.15pm: Laudato Si’ Research Institute Online Book Launch for An Introduction to Qur’anic Ecology and its Resonances with Laudato Si’. The book is available to read online here. Following the successful launch of the bookby Islamic scholar Farhana Mayer in May 2023 at Westminster Cathedral Hall, this online celebration seeks to further explore the insights and themes from the book in light of COP28 in Abu Dhabi and Pope Francis’s forthcoming follow-up to Laudato Si’, Laudate Deum. The launch will consist of an introduction to the text from Farhana Mayer, followed by responses from panellists including: Revd Prof. Joshtrom Kureethadam, Prof. Ibrahim Özdemir, and Dr. Iyad Abu Moghli. Register for Zoom link here
• 11 November, 11am-2pm: CAFOD young adults (18-30) gathering. Pavilion venue. 55 Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7JB. Free lunch and lots of info about climate action! Find out more and register here
• 18 November 10.30am – 2.30pm: CAFOD’s annual Online ‘Faith in Action’ Conference. Hear from CAFOD’s partners in Bolivia and look ahead to the upcoming UN COP28 climate talks in the United Arab Emirates to discuss what urgent outcomes we need. (Fine to join for just some of the event).  Register here
• 30 November – 12 December 2023: COP28 – United Arab Emirates https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/topic/cop28/
• 9 December: Day of Action for COP28 – *Save the Date*

Keep up to date with Key Dates on the webpage here

*To share events please email – Colette Joyce: colettejoyce@rcdow.org.uk

11 September 2023 – World Youth Day Report: Diocese of Brentwood

10 July 2023 – Preparation for the Season of Creation

Presentation:  Maureen Thompson  (Portsmouth)

Introduction to Seasons of Creation – how to encourage take-up in 2023.

1^st Sept – 4^th October. Season of Creation resources – https://seasonofcreation.org/

• People are used to talking about harvest time, thanksgiving, but maybe aren’t used to bringing everything together under the Season of Creation.
• Season of Creation is time to renew our relationship with our Creator, and all creation through celebration, conversion and commitment together.
• During the Season of Creation, we join our sisters and brothers in the ecumenical family, in prayer and action in our common home.
• You could start by telling people of its history. It started in 1989, with Patriarch Dimitrius from the Orthodox Church.  September is when they start their new year.  Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew developed the relationship in 2015.
• Link with Christian Unity Week – come together to mend some broken links.
• Global advisory group, meets fortnightly throughout the year.  Dr Celia Deane Drummond is the Catholic lead.
• Resources from the Seasons of Creation Website.  A lot of prayer and worship material.
• Read, reflect and be discomforted by Amos Ch5: ‘let justice flow like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.’
• Joint action, ‘people of god’ from all different denominations.
• Theme is ‘world changing rapidly, biodiversity in diminishing, the future of young people is threatened, the climate changing and wealth unequally distributed.  There is an urgency to create a visual peace with the earth. Justice calls for repentance, a change in attitude and action.  Instead of despair, hope can be created by working together as people of God.  An economy of peace can be built instead of an economy of despair.’
• Isaiah 43:19 ‘Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.’
• Sister Alessandra Smerilli – image is dynamic justice, a moving reality.  Integral vision of life recognising everything is connected. Invited to join the river of peace.
• Practical – creative actions – three themes, prayer, practical advocacy and sustainable action.  Individual actions are not enough.  Need a global response from people of God, together, forming a river of justice and peace. 
• Prayer: Lots of prayers in the workshop.  Encouraging outside worship.  Thanksgiving, lament, repentance, intercession, petition, joint worship with other Christians, creation walks and pilgrimages.
• Practical Actions: live simply award, childrens liturgy, recycling, gardening.
• Practical advocacy – campaigning. Global debt, loss and damages, universal declaration of the rights of rivers.
• Popes message for World Day of Creation: Pope Francis’s Message for Season of Creation.

Paula Wild – Ideas from Live Simply Award

• Started 18 months ago by showing a CAFOD video. Raised money for the village.  The group studied Laudato Si together. Eight in the small group.  50 people in a wider network.
• Small plants being given out ot parishioners for free.
• Some parishioners who had allotments gave advice to parishioners how to grow.
• Parishioners brought veg back for a Harvest meal, where they made a vegetable terrine, supported by a chef.
• Over 100 parishioners attended the meal.
• Novena, Taize & Walk events.
• Supporting Hope into Action homes – prison leavers, domestic abuse survivors. helping in their gardens, showing residents how to do their garden.

Jenny LeLean from Caritas Portsmouth – lots of individual projects.

Foodbank. Children come in to grow bee hotels and places for hibernation.

Looking to introduce community action rather than individual action, helped by Live Simply.

Sian Thomas-Cullinan – Caritas Brentwood. 

Is offering resources the following resources. Happy for others to brand and use for their diocese.  Email her: sianthomas@brcdt.org

• Daily reflection for whole of Season of Creation for schools and parishes.

For individual reflection, or as a prayer group.

• Novena to St Francis – falls at the last 9 days of Season of Creation.

For parishes and schools.

Suggestions for individual actions.

• Parishes are busy doing projects, including gardens, soup kitchens, etc. 
• Diocesan Group talking about the environment.  Meeting regularly to discuss the Season of Creation.

Breakout Rooms: Share what we are already doing? Where do we want to go? 

Feedback

• Some found that even though they had an active parish, the mission was to reunite parish after Covid.  They aren’t looking outwards.
• Advice is to start small.  Only 2 people is fine.  Can grow from there.  Start with a film like The Letter.
• Ecumenical group around Bath Abbey – speaker, exhibition, a film (the letter?).
• J&P and Live Simply group
• Some groups are just getting going, having not heard of it previously.
• Fr Tom says ‘let creation speak to us.’  Open ourselves to that presence.  Gives us that sense of hope that we all need.

Events/Actions

• 21-23 July: NJPN Annual Conference, the Hayes, Swanwick, Derbyshire. ‘Sustainability: Survival or Shutdown?’ Speakers – Christine Allen (CAFOD) & Brian O’Toole (Presentation Sisters Justice Desk). Conference report – https://westminsterjusticeandpeace.org/2023/07/24/justice-and-peace-network-is-needed-more-than-ever-before/
• 1 September – 4 October: Season of Creation Theme ‘Let Justice and Peace Flow’  https://seasonofcreation.org/
• 17 September: Fossil Fuel Finance Action Day
• 23 September: Loss and Damage Action Day Faith for the Climate
• 30 November – 12 December 2023: COP28 – United Arab Emirates https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/topic/cop28/
• 9 December: Day of Action for COP28

Keep up to date with Key Dates on the webpage here

*To share events please email – Colette Joyce: colettejoyce@rcdow.org.uk

SDEN Future Meetings

Second Monday of every month, except April and August.

Mon    11 Sept          12.45-2.00pm           World Youth Day Feedback
Mon    9 Oct              12.45-2.00pm           Synodality & Care of Our Common Home
Mon    13 Nov           12.45-2.00pm           Money          
Mon    11 Dec           12.45-2.00pm           Advent Prayer & Christmas Party

12th June 2023 – Great Big Green Week

Presentations from Dr Shanon Shah (Director, Faith for the Climate) and Andy Atkins (CEO, A Rocha UK) for Great Big Green Week

Presentation: Dr Shanon Shanon Shah, Director, Faith for the Climate

• Shanon shared his personal story of what he did before joining Faith for the Climate
• He was born and raised in Malaysia and still has Malaysian nationality.
• Relocated to the UK in 2010 for postgraduate studies in the social scientific study of religion at King’s College London.
• Awarded a PhD in the sociology of religion in 2015.
• Before coming to the UK, he juggled careers in journalism, activism and the performing arts. He was a singer-songwriter, a playwright and involved in numerous human rights campaigns on a variety of issues – HIV/AIDS, refugees and asylum seekers, the right to housing, media independence and freedom, the rights of religious minorities, violence against women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer (LGBTQ) people.
• He was the first Muslim Executive Director of the Malaysian section of Amnesty International.
• He is the first male associate member of Sisters in Islam, which is an Islamic feminist organisation based in Malaysia.
• But before all this, worked with the Malaysian state-owned oil and gas corporation, Petronas. Received a full scholarship offer from Petronas to study for his A-levels and then for a degree in chemical engineering in Australia.
• Studying chemical engineering in Australia was quite traumatic. He was discovering his sexuality and coming to terms with the fact that he was gay. Around this time, the deputy prime minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, was sacked and jailed under accusations of sodomy and corruption, triggering a political crisis that has ramifications until today. Anwar has since made a political comeback and is now the prime minister of Malaysia, so this is one indication of just how politically motivated those accusations of sodomy were.
• It was a difficult time, navigating spaces where he felt he was hated either for being gay or Muslim.
• One month before starting work at Petronas, the 9/11 attacks happened. He was now working as a Marketing Executive at the Crude Oil group. Heard one colleague say, “I wish Bush would just bomb Afghanistan already and get it over with so that I can sell my cargo.” The unspoken assumption was that this was a war about oil. And we as Petronas crude oil traders needed to ensure our profitability was not jeopardized.
• He escaped to a new post as a credit risk analyst in the same department. He was glad not to have to buy or sell crude oil but now had to assess the creditworthiness of the companies that wanted to trade in crude oil with Petronas.  He wrote reports evaluating mostly their financial indicators – liquidity, profitability, capital investments, and so on – and any other legal risks, such as their payment track records. There was, however, a section in the reports that dealt with “reputational risk”. While most other colleagues kept this section brief, he spent most of his time on this! His recommendations were usually ignored by the management committee.
• After about three years, he just snapped and left the job in March 2005. Luckily, by this time, he had signed a record deal for his first full-length album, and was already volunteering with numerous human rights organisations.
• This was followed by several career changes. After his PhD, he thought he would go into traditional academia full-time, but that was not to be. The Covid-19 pandemic also changed things a lot.
• He now works as Director of Faith for the Climate part-time – 2 days a week – and the rest of the week teaching and conduct academic research in Religious Studies.
• For those familiar with what used to be Heythrop College – he teaches at one of the distance-learning Divinity programmes that got absorbed by Senate House at the University of London. He is aTutor in Islam there and also teaches a module called Religion and Science.

“This is a rather long story about me, but I tell it because I often struggle with how to define “faith” or why it motivates me to take climate action. I get quite nervous when I attend events and there are ordained or high-profile representatives who speak about what “Christianity” or “Islam” or “Judaism” or any other religion supposedly “says” about climate change and why we should protect the planet. My experience as a gay Malaysian Muslim, who once used to work with the oil and gas industry, is that the supposed custodian of the two Holy Mosques in Islam – the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – is also one of the most horrible climate wreckers and violators of human rights in the world. Saudi Arabia doesn’t operate in isolation, of course, and shouldn’t be taken as a pristine model of Islam. It can only do what it does with the collusion of Western governments, especially the US and the UK, and the rest of the fossil fuel industry.

Working with Faith for the Climate, however, I don’t just meet wonderful people from faith traditions different to mine, including many of you wonderful people here today. I also get to meet Muslims who are very much not like me. Some of them might even have a much more positive view of regimes like Saudi Arabia compared to me. Many of them are nervous when they realise I am openly gay. The beautiful thing about what we do as a network, however, is that by and large, people just get over it. One of my colleagues, Kamran Shezad, who is based in Birmingham and works with grassroots mosque communities to make them more environmentally sustainable, said to me once that he is increasingly working with younger British imams who receive training in Islamic seminaries here in the UK and who are keen to do more on the climate and ecological crisis. He said when some of them find out he works with me, they ask him, “You work with Shanon?” He says yes. They say, “Is he Muslim?” He says yes. “And he’s gay”? He says yes. “And you keep working with him?” he says yes. And they say, “Oh, alright then.” “

• This is the kind of network I hope we can be and grow.

• Photos at the end of the presentation are a selection of in-person interfaith climate justice events organised by Faith for the Climate – from protests to prayer and meditation to the picnic we had for the Great Big Green Week yesterday.
• It is especially lovely to be speaking alongside Andy Atkins having worked together in the run up to COP26 and other occasions.

Faith for the Climate

Presentation: Andy Atkins, CEO of A Rocha UK

• Also sharing his personal life-story before joining A Rocha UK
• Son of ‘£10 Poms’ – Anglican missionaries who emigrated to Australia to minister to the indigenous peoples in the Torres Strait Islands.
• His upbringing informed his views on both the climate crisis and social justice.
• Hi parents found themselves standing up against a lot of racism, although they were not inherently political, but just thought it was the right thing to do as Christians living among indigenous people.
• He was the youngest of 5 white children living among a community of 500 indigenous people on the island, 3 days sail from the nearest ‘white’ Australian city.
• His parents later moved to the East End of London, again very formative for the huge amount of racism they encountered. Felt bereft of nature when the only wildlife were pigeons and sparrows.
• Worked in his early career for Catholic organisations CAFOD and the Catholic Institute for International Relations.
• Significant impact of being sent to El Salvador for the 10 anniversary of the assassination of Archbishop Romero.
• Now CEO of A Rocha UK
• ‘A Rocha’ means ‘The Rock’ in Portuguese.
• It began as a pioneering mission by an Anglican Vicar and his wife (Peter and Miranda Harris) to set up a study centre for nature on the Algarve coast of Portugal.
• It was at a time when to be an Evangelical Christian and to care about the environment was seen as total anathema. Christians regarded you as a weirdo for caring about the environment, and environmentalists regarded you as a weirdo for being a Christian.
• Evangelicals from around the world visited the nature centre and set up their own branches of A Rocha to protect nature.
• A Rocha UK set up 23 years ago.
• Aiming to have a national impact and contribute to global efforts.
• A growing but small organisations – 20/21 full-time-equivalent staff.
• Work through partnerships with others.
• Four streams of work (non-denominational)
  • Eco-Church – Bronze, Silver, Gold Award Scheme. 6,000 churches registered.
  • Partners in Action – Churches and church projects that have land, taking responsiblity for conservation.
  • Wild Christian – Enjoyment and protection of nature. A network of individuals and families. Integrating campaigning. Working closely with others such as CAFOD, Tearfund or Climate Coalition when they lead on a campaign to add greater Christian weight.
  • Events – Collaborate to take part in actions such as ‘Make COP Count’, led by Shanon and Faith for the Climate two years ago.
• Catholics are welcome to join Eco-Church scheme, but steered also towards CAFOD’s Live Simply Award, which is tailored for Catholic Churches.
• Overall aim is to create a voice for Christians who care about climate and nature, which are intimately connected so that we can campaign together more effectively.
• A Rocha UK is a member of the Churches Environmental Issues Network which meets once a quarter.
• Worked together on the Climate Sunday campaign for September 2021 that brought together 31 different denominations across the four nations of the UK and the Repulic of Ireland.
• A lot going on behind the scenes!

A Rocha UK

Events/Actions

• 10-18 June: Great Big Green Week
• 11 July, 6pm: Faith for the Climate – Fossil Fuel Finance and the EACOP Pipeline. Find out how UK groups can contribute a faith response in solidarity with communities in the Global South affected by the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline. With Anna Lewis and Meryne Warah.  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlc-ivqzIrGdcdDNIMptRbu72WJ0_MpfMo#/registration
• 21-23 July: National Justice & Peace Network Annual Conference. Theme -‘Sustainability? Survival or Shutdown’. Speakers: Christian Allen, Brian O’Toole. The Hayes Conference, Swanwick, Derbyshire. Book now
• 6 May – 30 July: St Francis of Assisi Exhibition. National Gallery, Trafalgar Square. Presenting the art and imagery of Saint Francis (1182–1226) from the 13th century to today. Paintings from the National Gallery Collection by Sassetta, Botticelli, and Zurbarán with international loans including works by Caravaggio, Josefa de Óbidos, Stanley Spencer, Antony Gormley, Giuseppe Penone, Andrea Büttner, and an exciting new commission from Richard Long. Saint Francis of Assisi
• 26 July, 11am: Westminster Justice and Peace visit to St Francis of Assisi Exhibition, National Gallery, Trafalgar Square. Join us to explore the art and imagery of Saint Francis. Book your own (free) tickets online and meet in front of the Gallery at 10.45am. Contact Colette on colettejoyce@rcdow.org.uk / 07593 434905 to let her know you are coming. Details

• 1 September – 4 October: Season of Creation Theme ‘Let Justice and Peace Flow’  https://seasonofcreation.org/
• 23 September: Loss and Damage Action Day Faith for the Climate
• 30 November – 12 December 2023: COP28 – United Arab Emirates https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/topic/cop28/

Keep up to date with Key Dates on the webpage here

Next Meetings

Monday          10 July            12.45-2.00pm             Preparation for Season of Creation
Monday          11 Sept           12.45-2.00pm             World Youth Day Feedback

15th May 2023 – Update from the Guardians of Creation

Presentation by Edward de Quay, Integral Ecology Project Officer, Laudato Si’ Research Institute

• The Guardians of Creation is a partnership between the Laudato Si’ Research Institute based at Campion Hall, Oxford, the Diocese of Salford and St. Mary’s University, Twickenham.
• We started thinking about what ‘net zero’ means for Catholic dioceses and the Guardians of Creation project was initiated. It is a common frame of reference for dioceses to deal with decarbonization issues.
• There are 22 dioceses in England and Wales, with 1000 buildings in each diocese. This results in a 1000,000-tonne carbon operational footprint. This doesn’t include travelling to church.
• The project is mostly aimed at diocesan management, supported by the diocesan environmental leads network.
• Via the Inter-Diocesan Fuel Management (IFM) scheme, all dioceses have access to a centrally procured green accredited energy scheme which makes carbon accounting easier. However the diversity of buildings still makes it a challenge.
• It focuses on what  we are really responsible for emitting and this is counted in 3 ways; fuel burnt on site, fuel bought and everything else (difficult to quantify) 
• We need to understand parishioners’ response to the climate crisis- involved a lot of surveys, deanery day workshops lead by Bishop Arnold, academic paper. The conclusion was that Catholic parishioners are slightly more engaged in the crisis than national average, but this tends to be decoupled from their faith. Some believed diocesan leaders should be taking the lead. Apathy is a major factor holding churches back.
• For schools – six lesson plans were created to help children going into Sixth Form think about their relationship with the earth.
• New from Diocese of Salford – a guide to reducing carbon footprint. This was a National Lottery funded interfaith project. Aims to help groups reducing heating use, and promote greener forms of travel to place of worship.
• What have we seen dioceses do in this timeframe? 7 dioceses have set a carbon target, 14 have a set environmental policy.
• You don’t have to have a carbon footprint per building it helps. Majority of emissions are in schools.
• Environmental Stewardship in Places of Worship Guide

Resources

*NEW* Allot Me – online scheme to match people with green spaces in need of tending https://www.allotme.co.uk/greenfingers

Let Us Dream https://journeyto2030.org/let-us-dream/

Parish packs – Journey to 2030 https://journeyto2030.org/parish/ Please let JP know if you use the resources.

Parish as Oasis – https://www.ecojesuit.com/new-book-on-practical-environmental-care-the-parish-as-oasis/

Lots of updates on Guardians of Creation. Carbon accounting paper updated, and ‘Laudato Si’ Champions’ research papers released. https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/research/areas/theology-and-ethics/showcase.aspx

Stockholm Institute a guide for caring for our living planet https://www.sei.org/publications/ourcommonhome/

LSRI online Library https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/research/excellence.aspx

Events & Actions

• 1 June 11am-4pm: Kew Gardens Visit with Farm Street Parish & Colette Joyce, Westminster Justice & Peace Co-ordinator. See the ‘Plants of the Qur’an’ art exhibition in the morning and the gardens in the afternoon. All welcome. Details
• 8 June, 10.30am-3.30pm: Northern Dioceses Environment Group (NDEG) Next Meeting in person at Wheeler Hall, St Anne’s Street, Leeds LS2 8BE. An open meeting of the Northern Catholic Dioceses’ Environment Group exploring the ‘Journey to 2030’ resources and other climate actions. Plus an insight from the Executive Member for the Climate Emergency with Leeds City Council. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/northern-dioceses-environment-group-tickets-629999193547
• 10-18 June: Great Big Green Week
• 11 June, 11am: Interfaith Service, Picnic and Eco-Festival at St. John’s, Waterloo, with Faith for the Climate. https://faithfortheclimate.org.uk/events/
• 15 June, 6.30 pm: Investments as a Force for Good – online seminar with Liverpool Social Action Network on Environment. Special event from the Archdiocese of Liverpool, focusing on how church funds are used in relation to the climate debate. All welcome from around the country. Speakers: Stephen Barrie, Deputy Chief Responsible Investment Officer at the Church of England Pensions Board & Bokani Tshidzu, Bright Now Campaign Officer, Operation Noah Bookings  https://Archdiocese_environment_network.eventbrite.com 
• 21-23 July: National Justice & Peace Network Annual Conference. Theme -‘Sustainability? Survival or Shutdown’. Speakers: Christian Allen, Brian O’Toole. The Hayes Conference, Swanwick, Derbyshire. Book now
• 1 September – 4 October: Season of Creation Theme ‘Let Justice and Peace Flow’  https://seasonofcreation.org/
• 30 November – 12 December 2023: COP28 – United Arab Emirates https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/topic/cop28/

Next Meeting – 12th June 2023 – Great Big Green Week

13th March 2023 – The Things That Give Us Joy

Presentation 1: Is Lent a Joy-fast? – John Paul de Quay

Challenging the perception of Lent as a miserable time. 

Joy is very personal and means different things to different people. Lent is an opportunity for taking positive action as well as for going with less, an opportunity for greater action on climate issues.

Presentation 2: The Things That Give Us Joy – David Ko & Richard Busellato

IPPC AR6 report Sixth Assessment Report — IPCC–  the input proposed ideas for a campaign around the things that give us joy with a focus on what is personal to us.

We listened to a clip taken from Morris and Matare. The focus is on connecting people and sharing stories and inspiration about tackling climate change.

Resources: John Paul de Quay

Let Us Dream https://journeyto2030.org/let-us-dream/

Parish packs – Journey to 2030 https://journeyto2030.org/parish/ Please let JP know if you use the resources.

Parish as Oasis – https://www.ecojesuit.com/new-book-on-practical-environmental-care-the-parish-as-oasis/

Lots of updates on Guardians of Creation. Carbon accounting paper updated, and ‘Laudato Si’ Champions’ research papers released. https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/research/areas/theology-and-ethics/showcase.aspx

Stockholm Institute a guide for caring for our living planet https://www.sei.org/publications/ourcommonhome/

LSRI online Library https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/research/excellence.aspx

Ignatian Solidarity Network ‘No Buy Lent’ 2023. https://ignatiansolidarity.net/no-buy-lent-2023/

Brentwood Lent Giving Calendar with a foodbank list

Events/Actions from Colette Joyce:

• 21 April – the Big One Christian Climate action are also making plans for the Big One 21-24 April  https://christianclimateaction.org/2022/10/22/the-big-one/
• 24 May 2023: 8^th Anniversary of Laudato Si’
• 10-18 June 2023: Great Big Green Week
• 21-23 July: National Justice & Peace Network Annual Conference. Theme -‘Sustainability? Survival or Shutdown’. The Hayes Conference, Swanwick, Derbyshire. Book now
• 1 September – 4 October: Season of Creation Theme ‘Let Justice and Peace Flow’  https://seasonofcreation.org/
• 30 November – 12 December 2023: COP28 – United Arab Emirates https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/topic/cop28/

Closing Prayer – Maureen Thompson (Portsmouth)

Happy 10^th Anniversary to Pope Francis!

O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,
look favourably on your servant Francis,
whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd;

Grant, we pray, that by word and example
he may be of service to those over whom he presides
so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,
he may come to everlasting life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

13th February 2023 – Living Laudato Si’ in 2023

9th January 2023 – Looking Ahead to 2023. Joint Meeting with The Northern Dioceses Environment Group

A Brief Update on Where We Are: Southern Dioceses – Colette Joyce

• Colette Joyce is the Justice and Peace Co-ordinator for the Diocese of Westminster.
• The Southern Dioceses Environment Network (SDEN) was launched one year ago, inspired by the work of the Northern Dioceses Environment Group (NDEG).
• The SDEN now includes 8 Dioceses; Arundel & Brighton, Brentwood, Clifton, East Anglia, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Southwark and Westminster.
• It grew out of the London Care of Creation network, set up by Colette Joyce, John Woodhouse and Maria Elena Arana (CAFOD) in 2021, in preparation for COP-26. The group originally comprised of the four Dioceses with parishes in London (Arundel & Brighton, Brentwood, Southwark and Westminster.) Portsmouth joined fairly soon after. The Care of Creation group met weekly on Monday lunchtimes for a year.
• We have a mailing list of 100 people with monthly meetings attended by an average of 15-25 people.
• After COP-26 we decided to meet monthly, to make the meetings slightly longer (an hour and a quarter instead of 45 minutes) and to include more Dioceses in the South of England. We relaunched in January 2022 as the Southern Dioceses Environment Network.
• We were happy to welcome many members of the NDEG to that launch meeting, so it’s great to welcome you back with us today. (48 people attending today!)
• We held 10 meetings last year and covered a wide range of issues. We realise how complex the issues of climate and environment are, once you start looking into the details, so we try to have something for everyone.
• Highlights last year included: John Paul de Quay on Biodiversity, Paul Chitnis (Jesuit Missions) on preparation for COP27, Neil Thorns (CAFOD) reporting back from COP27, Shanon Shah (Faith for the Climate), our first Muslim speaker, giving input on Loss and Damage.
• The aim is to offer one another support and encouragement – whether you are a full-time member of staff working on climate all year round, someone for whom this is part of your remit (e.g. Diocesan or CAFOD staff) or parish activist.
• A great way for us to get together once a month to share information, knowledge, support and above all, prayer.
• 2 of the 10 sessions were devoted just to prayer.
• So important to take time for prayer that we will doing that again in the year to come.
• Delighted to have support from Bishop John Arnold who has given input at several of our meetings and attended several more.

A Brief Update on Where We Are: Northern Dioceses – Mark Wiggin

• Northern Dioceses Environmental Group started in 2017.
• Bringing people together in-person for meetings in Salford around 4 times a year.
• Last year was the exception when they only met once.
• Felt spurred on by the Southern Dioceses to catch up, so have recently formed their own steering committee in order to plan ahead for the future, decide what the agendas are and consult more with the wider membership.
• Northern Dioceses take in Leeds, Liverpool, Lancaster, Shrewsbury, Salford, Hexham and Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Hallam.
• Very active individuals in all those Dioceses who were nipping at the heels of bishops years ago, wondering where their Environmental Policies were and what they were doing about it?
• More recently, people have been part of consultation groups e.g. Cumbrian coal mine.
• They have relied more on internal speakers, focusing on local issues such as fracking and feel it is important for people to have more dialogue to learn from each other. 
• Plan to move to a more input-led style of meeting going forward into this year.
• What is really important is that people need to be talking about a variety of issues and problems, what they are doing about them, how they are communicating them and persuading other people to get involved.
• Northern Dioceses are fortunate to have John Arnold who is so active and supportive. He has developed the Laudato Si’ Centre and is heading up the decarbonisation agenda for the Church.
• Looking to engage with schools and parishes on larger policy development and influences they are capable of delivering.
• Next steering committee meeting takes place after this meeting.
• Looking forward to working more alongside the Southern Dioceses.

Guardians of Creation Update: What was Achieved in 2022, What to Look for in 2023 – Dr Emma Gardner & Edward de Quay

Dr Emma Gardner (Diocese of Salford Environment Lead)

Guardians of Creation project started in 2020 December but was being talked about for quite a long time before that.

Four work streams:

1. Integral Ecology. Working with Laudato Si’ Research Institute (LSRI) in Oxford – began with a theological underpinning.
2. Framework. Developing Guidance for all Dioceses.
3. Communications. Sharing the research.
4. Schools. Programmes supporting Laudato Si’ leadership.

• Launching all the work in March 2023, open to anyone who would like to attend.
• Worked with St Mary’s University, Twickenham.
• Ran an online symposium on ecological education.
• Worked with a number of schools to support a transition to ecological learning.
• Model: Planting seeds, taking root, growing branches, bearing fruit.
• New pieces of work include supporting behavioural change for more sustainable lifestyles.
• Seeking funding to embed the response to the ecological crisis for lasting change.
• Understanding opportunities and barriers.
• Main questions are: 1) What do I do if my boiler breaks? 2) How do I do it, where is the funding?

Edward de Quay

Works with Emma on the Guardians of Creation project. Based at LRSI, Oxford. Also a trustee of John Paul’s Journey to 2030 work.

Overview of what went well last year. It was an awful year BUT, on the environmental front, we have quite a lot to be pleased about!

• Lots of political engagement.
• Laudato Si’ Animators group in correspondence with Jacob Rees-Mogg and Michael Gove.
• CCA group lobbying outside the Bishops Conference meeting.
• Bishop John Arnold opposed the Cumbrian Coal Mine and lifting the fracking ban.
• Bishops updated ‘Call of Creation’ document.
• Bishops Autumn Meeting made four resolutions: 1) Friday abstinence from meat; 2) All Dioceses to state their carbon targets by Easter 2024; 3) Promotion of the Live Simply Award; 4) Dr Carmody Grey to speak at the next Bishops Meeting, Easter 2023.
• Westminster is first diocese to publish carbon statistics in their 2021 annual report.
• 14 Dioceses have formally published environmental plans.
• Laudato Si’ Centre at Salford. Lots of activity. Featured on Songs of Praise.
• New materials produced by Journey to 2030.
• Diocese of Nottingham – Pioneer Parishes.
• Trials of Guardian of Creation projects with schools in Salford Diocese.
• The film ‘The Letter’ has been a huge success.
• Decarbonisation work occurring in Dioceses of East Anglia, Birmingham, Salford and Westminster.
• Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle published environmental ‘Small Things Guide’.
• Heat pump installation at an independent school in Surrey.
• Jesuit novitiate in Birmingham had an environmental make-over with heat pumps and solar panels.
• New Catholic school in Derby being designed as UK’s first purpose-built ‘biophilic’ primary school with net-zero emissions.
• Best examples are taking place in schools because that’s where the government funding is.
• Hope that 2023 will be the year we start to see improvements in the parish estate.
• COP15 set a target of protecting 30% of the planet by 2030.

Questions for Discussion

What is your personal focus for 2023?
What should this network be focusing on in the coming year?

KEY CLIMATE DATES

12th December 2022 – Feedback on COP27, Advent and Planning for 2023

Presentation by Neil Thorns, Director of Advocacy and Communications, CAFOD

Neil was a delegate for the Holy See (the Vatican) to COP26 and COP27. He told us that what was different about COP27 was that the Holy See had acceded to the Paris Agreement (2015) and so are now a party to the COP for the first time (as a State). This happened toward the end of October 2022 and it is worth noting that signing up comes with difficulties and challenges. It requires commitment. Preparation was minimal in terms of time, so the Vatican was not able to prepare this time in the way they probably will in future.

COPs have a direct impact influence on countries’ economies and policies, unlike e.g. The Sustainability Goals, which are voluntary. There are accountability and transparency mechanisms which is vital for the principles behind the COP and the impact it will have moving forward. What happens at COP matters because it has to be taken back to countries domestically.

The fault lines are clear between the countries that caused the climate crisis through historic emissions (UK, US, France, Germany etc.) and those that didn’t (Saudi Arabia, China, Brazil, India etc.) The common, yet differentiated, responsibilities between the two groups are held by some as a matter of principle and have political consequences.

At a COP there are actual negotiations and political signals (found primarily in the cover text).

THE GOOD

• The cover text included food, rivers, nature-based solutions and right to a healthy environment for the first time.
• Innovative financing options were part of the discussions and included in the cover text.
• Negotiating streams dealt with:
• Averting the climate crisis (mitigation) 
• Minimising the harm from climate change (adaptation) 
• Addressing the harm already done (loss and damage) 
• A fund for loss and damage (compensation) has been agreed in principle and a transition group has been set up to work out the detail of how this is to be done.
• Excellent expert report presented on reaching net zero and calling out greenwashing.
• Sharm El-Sheikh Programme of Work established to take forward issues on food.

COP27 could have been worse – the first pavilion was a HUGE Saudi Arabian pavilion. Egypt was the president of COP27 and this first pavilion told a story of the influence the Saudi Arabians had on them.

THE BAD

Best expressed by Alok Sharma (UK COP26 President) in his closing remarks at COP27:

“Emissions peaking before 2025, as the science tells us is necessary.

Not in this text.

Clear follow-through on the phase down of coal.

Not in this text.

A clear commitment to phase out all fossil fuels.

Not in this text.

And the energy text, weakened, in the final minutes.

Friends, I said in Glasgow that the pulse of 1.5 degrees was weak.

Unfortunately, it remains on life support.”

Alok Sharma, COP27, Closing Remarks

• The Climate crisis continues to hit people hard and fast.
• The influence of fossil fuels companies took over.
• No strengthening of 1.5 targets or phasing out fossil fuels, even though UK government strong stance on these negotiations. 
• Climate finance – targets still not met from 2009 – big disappointment.
• From CAFOD and Holy See point of view – disappointment with the narrow, productionist, approach to food systems. Nature/people outlook didn’t get a look in.

CAFOD, Holy See, and the Future 

The Holy See made a number of interventions.

• Pressed for a comprehensive view of food systems, as found in Laudato Si’.
• https://twitter.com/CAFOD/status/1592434466479542272 
• Asked for separate financial mechanism for loss and damage. Taken notice of by other states. Thanked by the small island states for doing it.
• Positive as a Catholic family for our voice to be heard.
• In the build-up CAFOD had done work with partners. African Climate Dialogues. Brought partner voices into the COP.
• Hope to be stronger and better prepared for the next COP. Early preparation is important.
• It is important for us to think about pushing the UK Government.
• We need to push on loss and damage, the food system as a national discussion (also the next CAFOD campaign.)

Q & A:  

• What is the best way to push the UK government? Contacting MPs and being consistent is strong and don’t be afraid to send evidence. The more who speak the better – especially if they are Conservative. 
• How does the work of the Holy See filter down through the Diocese level? If only – Being a part of the Holy See is seen as a government. A report will be done for the Bishops Conference of England and Wales by Neil Thorns and a suggestion has been made that the Holy See themselves do this but it is not simple. 
• Was there a presence of other faiths? There are various groups recognised such as Indigenous groups, there is a strong representation of faith groups which is great to see. 
• How influential are the side groups? Not one answer to this but if you see COP in the two ways – political/negotiating but then also the conversation that happens outside such as deals and agreements making traction.  
• Has there been writing following COP27? Formal writing is not shared from my knowledge. Church globally sees this as important enough to take action – Bishops/Cardinals can be asked how we are translating the Paris agreement into our local realities. A bottom-up approach. 

Question: What is your response to Neil’s presentation? Where do you think we are now and what do you think will be important in 2023? 

Next Southern Dioceses Environment Network Meetings

Monday, 9 January  2023, 12.45-2.00pm  – Joint meeting

To start the year, the Northern Dioceses Environment Group and Southern Dioceses Environment Network will be meeting together to reflect on the challenges that lie ahead in 2023.

The meeting will hear from the Diocese of Salford that has been carrying out extensive surveys of all parish and diocesan buildings to develop a decarbonisation pathway and to help prioritise decarbonisation projects.

We will also get an update on the Guardians of Creation initiative with a focus on the engaging parishioners in the ‘ecological conversion’ we all need to make if we are to respond with urgency to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”

Monday          13 Feb             12.45-2.00pm            
Monday          13 March        12.45-2.00pm            
Monday          15 May            12.45-2.00pm         
Monday          12 June           12.45-2.00pm
Monday          10 July            12.45-2.00pm            
Monday          11 Sept           12.45-2.00pm
Monday          9 Oct               12.45-2.00pm
Monday          13 Nov            12.45-2.00pm
Monday          11 Dec             12.45-2.00pm

Resources

Journey to 2030 Updates:

‘Let Us Dream’ Activity Workshops

Advent resources to try and let us know your thoughts

New Journey to 2030 School Page

From the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW):

Bishops Conference Environment Resolutions – Autumn 2022

Bishop John’s Podcast on ‘Call of Creation’

Revised document: ‘Call of Creation’ (October 2022)

Advent with Jesuit Missions

17-24 December: ‘See Beyond the Headlines’ – Sign up or login to help create a more just world this Christmas.

KEY CLIMATE DATES 2022
LINKS TO EVENTS & ORGANISATIONS

14th November 2022 – Prayer and Reflection for COP27

Rebekah O’Keeffe from the Diocese of Southwark, led us in a time of prayer and reflection for our November meeting, which took place during the second week of the UN Climate Conference, COP27.

We entered a time of first lamentation and then of celebration for creation, taking plenty of time of quiet to reflect and deepen our intentions.

We prayed for all those who were participating in Egypt and for ourselves as we renewed our commitment to hope and action going forward into another year.

10th October 2022 – Preparation for COP27

Paul Chitnis, Director, Jesuit Missions

• Jesuit Missions is the Mission and Development Office of the Jesuits in Britain.
• Based in Wimbledon.
• Work in countries in Southern Africa, parts of India and Guyana.
• Paul was previously Director of SCIAF, the development agency in Scotland, sister agency to CAFOD.
• He was present at COP26, along with his colleague Colm Fahey.
• He is not attending this year.
• COP27 (6-18 November 2022) is taking place on the African continent for the first time.
• One of the main drivers of hunger in Africa is climate change.
• Seeing the impact of climate change everywhere, floods in Pakistan, droughts in Africa, fires in Australia.
• The political context this year is significant. Attention of the world has been diverted by the war in Ukraine. The bandwidth of our political leaders for climate change has been reduced.
• On the agenda for COP27 – as usual ‘adaptation’ and ‘mitigation’ measures.
• There will also be an emphasis this year on’ loss and damage’ – compensation for losses due to climate change for which adaption is not possible.
• World leaders were in attendance at COP26 which had an impact on the country negotiators and the civic society activists present. There are likely to be fewer world leaders present this time.
• Finance will be key. The conference will succeed or fail depending on funding. ‘Follow the money’ – that is where the answer will be.
• Has to work quite hard personally to remain optimistic after many years working for climate change. Only have to watch ‘Frozen Planet’ on a Sunday night to see the impacts. Faith communities have a role to play because they offer hope and he is hopeful.
• Final question: What happens if we do not meet these targets from the Paris Agreement?

Bishop John Arnold, Bishop of Salford

• Diocese of Salford Website
• Evidence is overwhelming in terms of the climate damage that is happening.
• Great damage being reported today from storms in Venezuela.
• In September a climate disaster seemed to be reported every day.
• Good news from some governments speaking up in the last few months Australia, New Zealand, US (although not consistently), Denmark, Singapore.
• Encouraging because governments have to take the lead, industry has a part to play, and each of us individually must do our part.
• Pope Francis is consistently encouraging.
• Our government has not been helpful. During process of whittling down candidates for conservative party leader from 11 to 2 there was one mention of the environment by one candidate. Obsession with growth for the economy is misplaced. Helps neither the poor nor the environment. Hopefully restarting fracking will not happen. Local resistance in Lancashire.
• First activity in Glasgow last year was a multi-faith prayer service in George Square. Each of 9 major faiths, including Pagans, led a prayer and he couldn’t disagree with any of it. All major faiths have a concern for the world in which we live.
• 85% of the world population adhere to one of those faiths. Presents a real opportunity for faith leaders to conjure more enthusiasm.
• Young people are so much more enthusiastic and learned. Schools love visiting the Laudato Si’ Centre in Salford. Over 100,000 turned up for the young people’s rally in Glasgow.
• Deforestation Agreement was good but even as Brazil was signing the promise it was increasing deforestation of the Amazon by 15%.
• Loss and Damage – $100 million sounds a lot but it is not. It is vital life-saving money. Up to 1 billion people might migrate by 2050 because of the loss of agricultural land and heading to the places that are able to produce food. Very short-sighted not to care for people already affected by climate change.
• Disappointed that the Prime Minister has told King Charles not to go to COP-27. His long-standing commitment and experience would be helpful.
• Haven’t seen much evidence that best intentions have been implemented. IPCC say at the moment we are heading for 3.2 degrees increase.
• Good things – increasing understanding of the environment. More and more groups are aligning. Pope Francis film ‘The Letter’ gives a very clear appeal and should be recommended far and wide.
• ‘We are jogging along but we need to be sprinting.’

Small Group Discussions…

Question: “Sam Baker’s Walk2COP27 has started. It is a journey to gather people for a common cause. What would you talk about with a stranger to bring people together?”

The Letter: Laudato Si’ Film Released 4^th October 2022

We watched the trailer together on YouTube:

The full movie can be watched for free online: https://theletterfilm.org/watch/

Resources: Shared by John Paul de Quay

Read
‘Call of Creation’ (October 2022 Update) from the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/the-call-of-creation

World Wildlife Fund Expectations for COP27:
https://wwf.panda.org/discover/our_focus/climate_and_energy_practice/cop27/

Watch
‘The Letter’ Movie: https://theletterfilm.org/watch/

Campaign
Bishop John Arnold calls for rethink on reversing fracking ban: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-63062304

Organise
https://journeyto2030.org/let-us-dream/ Order ‘Let Us Dream’ activity packs from Journey to 2030 to use with your church group / parish.

12th September 2022 – Loss and Damage and COP27

We were delighted to welcome Shanon Shah, the Director of Faith for the Climate, as our guest speaker for the first meeting this term of the Southern Dioceses Environment Network.

Faith for the Climate is a network that aims to equip, inspire, and encourage faith inspired action on issues of climate change across the UK. All faiths and spiritualities are welcome.

Shanon Shah is a Malaysian Muslim who came to the UK in 2010. He joined the team at Faith for the Climate in 2020.

The organisation aims to unite those of faith together in the environmental justice space and to encourage learning from the different faith traditions. It was a way to target the UK government and show solidarity with those who suffer the worse impact of climate change despite doing the least to contribute.

The group meet regularly online with two priorities in the lead up to COP-26: new and additional money for loss and damage, ending fossil fuel subsidies. The UK government has made some progress with the second focus, therefore, most energy was focused on loss and damage.

Loss and Damage is part of the architecture of the Paris Agreement which includes three main pillars of climate action; mitigation of climate emissions, adaption to live with the impact of climate change, loss and damage. Loss and damage is when the impact of climate change is so severe that adaption/mitigation is not possible e.g. as a result of sea level rises, extreme weather events.

The UK government has historically blocked negotiations on loss and damage.

At COP-19, in 2013, the Warsaw international mechanism for Loss and damage was established in response to the typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. At COP-25 in Madrid, the Santiago network on loss and damage was established to implement the Warsaw mechanism. It called for richer countries to offer compensation. At COP-26, there was a push for clarity on how the Santiago network would be implemented.

The Glasgow Dialogue on Loss and Damage was established post COP-26. Many questions on how to address the issue are undecided, but it is climbing the agenda with the first awareness day last year. This is largely due to the efforts of faith communities.

The UK has faced financial difficulty this year due to the war in Ukraine, cost of living crisis etc. which has made it more difficult to talk about loss and damage. Despite our own issues we must not forget countries such as Pakistan which is now 1/3 under water with the displacement of 50 million people and 10 billion US dollars’ worth of damage. These poorer countries are suffering the worst effects of climate change despite contributing the least. The impacts of extreme weather events are far greater for them and they are still struggling with debt.

It seems only fair that the big polluters have the most responsibility to pay compensation for loss and damage. It is a moral issue that lies at the centre of many faiths; we are all interconnected.

The next Loss and Damage Awareness Day will be on the 22^nd September; including a walk of witness to Parliament Square via the Shell headquarters. Gathering at St. John’s Church, Waterloo, 10.30am. It will join those doing an interfaith fast for loss and damage.

22 September – Loss and Damage Awareness Day
10.30am Meet at St John’s Waterloo
11.30am Walk to the Shell headquarters for a vigil
12.00pm Walk to Parliament Square
Loss and Damage Day of Action London

We then broke into small groups to consider the question: “In what ways does the topic of Loss and Damage resonate with this year’s theme for the Season of Creation – Listen to the Voice of Creation?”

Links

Faith for the Climate
Loss and Damage Day of Action London
Key Climate Dates in 2022

The Journey to 2030 website has been revamped with several sections for new resources. Check it out at:

https://journeyto2030.org new homepage
https://journeyto2030.org/let-us-dream/ let us dream activity*
https://journeyto2030.org/getting-started-2/ The new getting started and resources page
https://journeyto2030.org/poster-activity/ – The ‘building a caring community’ activity poster page

*You can order packs of the ‘Let Us Dream’ activity to use with your church group / parish.

3rd September 2022 – Mass for the Season of Creation

All photos by Raluca Costache

Members of the Southern Dioceses Environment Network gathered for their first-ever Mass for the start of the Season of Creation on Saturday 3rd September, 4pm, at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Farm Street, Mayfair on Saturday. The celebrant was Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, Parish Priest and Chair of the Westminster Justice and Peace Commission.

The Mass was followed by refreshments in the Arrupe Hall, with a chance to view displays and resources on the care of creation.

Homily given by Fr Dominic Robinson SJ

11th July 2022 – Preparation for the Season of Creation and COP27

Speaker: Chris Driscoll, Community Participation Co-ordinator CAFOD Brentwood, on CAFOD’s Fix the Food System Campaign, Summer 2022

*Chris has kindly shared his slides with us as an attachment with these notes.

1. Introduction

Climate change, the Covid-19 pandemic and the rising prices of food and agricultural products such as fertilisers as a result of the Ukraine crisis, have together revealed the fragility of our current global food system.

At a time of crisis these impacts are mostly felt in low-income countries, but they also have serious repercussions at home, where earlier this year it was reported that 9% of the UK population didn’t have enough affordable and nutritious food in spite of living in the fifth-largest economy in the world.

2. Slide 2

Paradox – there’s enough food in the world to feed everyone, but millions still go hungry, including those who grow the food. Profits come before people, and large scale commercial agriculture dominated by a few big businesses is accelerating the climate crisis.

Clearly, our current global food system is not working for both people and planet. But together we can play our part in re thinking it, challenging its imbalance of power and supporting alternative ways of producing food where communities have access to land, can

choose what they grow and can make a dignified living by producing food in harmony with nature.

3. Video

Station 1

Community land is taken away. Between 2006 and 2016, almost 500 such ‘land grabs’ took place in 78 countries. Nearly half of these had no consultation at all with local communities before the land was taken by a big business. Because big businesses are very powerful, the fight of local communities to retain their ancestral land is highly unfair.

Communities cannot decide what crops to grow; a few big businesses, powerful interests and the market do. This is based on what will make the most profit. For instance, as much as

80% of all the soya grown across the world is fed to animals that are being reared to provide meat. The UK imported about 3.5 million tonnes of soya beans in 2019 and over half of that ended up in chicken feed.

Communities have to buy seeds. Rather than being able to choose their own seeds to plant each year, due to the way the system operates many farmers have little choice but to buy seeds produced by a few big businesses. Just four of these businesses control over 60% of the global seed market.

Communities are trapped into using chemicals. Only four big businesses control 75% of the pesticide market, promoting the overuse of these chemicals, which takes away not only significant amount of small farmers’ income but also their health: over a million people per year are killed or have serious health problems from being exposed to these chemicals.

Station 4

Alternative visions – stories from Bangladesh and Zimbabwe

Station 6

At COP26, countries signed up to ambitious commitments on food and agriculture, as part of the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use, which was signed by 141 countries and covers over 90% of the world’s forests. This was supported through other associated financial and policy commitments, producing an ambitious package of development, environmental, climate, trade and finance commitments. These commitments go wider than just food and agriculture, covering forest and ecosystem protection, support for indigenous peoples and local communities, among other issues.

1. The UK government’s International Climate Finance prioritises agroecology to tackle poverty and support communities to adapt to climate change
2. No more UK aid flows to agricultural programmes that harm the environment or fail to show their impact on tackling poverty
3. Countries report concrete progress at COP27 on their commitments under the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use, including redesigning agricultural programmes and subsidies, and increasing land tenure for indigenous peoples and local communities.
4. New initiatives to support agroecology and repurpose harmful agricultural subsidies are announced as part of COP27, including Agroecology Transition Partnerships.
5. The Global Biodiversity Framework to be agreed in Kunming supports the role of agroecology in poverty reduction, climate action and biodiversity protection.

Station 7

We need a rebalancing of the power of big businesses in favour of local communities so such alternatives can flourish.

Meat

Between 2016 and 2018, an area of land almost the size of the UK was used to produce food for us, including cocoa, palm oil and beef. In the UK, the amount of meat eaten per person now is around 10kg higher than the annual average in the early 90s.As we heard earlier, huge areas of land in the Amazon are being used to produce soya to feed animals. So the more meat we eat, the more land is needed.

Pesticides

Each year the UK exports thousands of tonnes of pesticides to low-income countries which are banned in the UK.19 meaning that our government considers them too harmful to human health to be used on our fields. And yet we are selling them to low-income countries to use on their fields.

Waste

In the UK we throw away 9.5 million tonnes of food per year, and three quarters of that food was fine to eat. Lots of food gets wasted in production, and is also wasted by hotels, restaurants and shops, but households are responsible for 70% of the waste. Overall, 19% of lettuce grown and 9% of strawberries ended up as waste.

At a global level the figures are staggering too. The world produces enough food to wipe out hunger but one-third of it goes to waste. That’s 1.3 billion tonnes of food every year being thrown away. The land it takes to provide just the food that we throw away is bigger than the size of India, and the water it takes is equivalent to 300 million Olympic swimming pools!

• Plan your meals so you only buy the quantity of food that you will eat.
• When possible choose organic, fairtrade and/or local produce.
• Reduce the amount of meat that you eat.

CAFOD Follow-Up

The following documents provide more detail about the campaign:

Supporter briefing
Policy briefing
Participants leaflet

Prayers on Food and Hunger

https://cafod.org.uk/Pray/Prayer-resources/May-we-reach-out-in-love
https://cafod.org.uk/Pray/Prayer-resources/Comfort-and-protect-prayer
https://cafod.org.uk/Pray/Pray-the-rosary/Rosary-for-an-end-to-hunger

Schools

In schools the campaign has different branding and is called Step up to the Plate. Here is more information on the campaign is primary schools and secondary schools. The secondary school video is particularly worth watching as it summarises the main aspects of the campaign in a very accessible way.

Parishes

If anyone in the network would like support on running the ‘Fix the Food System’ activity in their parish, I would ask them to contact their local CAFOD representative in the first instance:

Arundel & Brighton – Jenny Finlayson jfinlayson@cafod.org.uk
Brentwood – Chris Driscoll cdriscoll@cafod.org.uk
East Anglia – Jane Crone jcrone@cafod.org.uk
Portsmouth – Jo Lewry jlewry@cafod.org.uk
Southwark – Celeste Iyinbo ciyinbo@cafod.org.uk or Sarah Cadwallader swestrap@cafod.org.uk
Westminster – Tony Sheen tsheen@cafod.org.uk

Resources for the Season of Creation

Join the English Language Season of Creation Facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/176079929597903

Use the hashtag #SeasonOfCreation

13th June 2022 – Sustainable Summers

Introduction to Sustainable Summers – Rebekah O’Keeffe

Rebekah invited us to consider the merits of holidays from home – also known as the staycation – but, to many, just ‘a holiday’! 

With the country in a cost of living crisis, people having to wait weeks for passports and airlines cancelling flights at the drop of a hat more and more of us will be looking to holiday at home this summer. Add to that, those of us choosing not to fly or drive for environmental reasons, SDEN invite suggestions for day trips in the local area or reasons to visit places a little further from home this summer…

Consider whether places, attractions or venues can be reached by public transport, the costs, facilities, accessibility, what is on offer, opening times and website. Think Trip Advisor for the environment.

Last Sunday’s reading for Trinity Sunday reminds us that the Holy Spirit is always ready to delight in us. So, too, may we take time to delight in these beautiful places!

We split into small groups by Diocese for 20 minutes to discuss and promote our favourite places. Here are the ones we chose...

Arundel & Brighton and Portsmouth (joint group)

Place: The South Downs Way

A 100-mile walk, starting in Winchester (Diocese of Portsmouth) and ending up in Eastbourne (Diocese of A & B)

There are hostels from the Youth Hostel Association for cheap accommodation. You can also camp there. There are lots of National Trust properties to see along the way.

The South Downs Way

Place: The Isle of Wight

It is also easy to get to the Isle of Wight by taking the train to Portsmouth then ferry. It is possible to circumnavigate the island by bike, road sign blue route takes you off the major roads onto smaller paths. Notably hilly! Also great for a beach holiday and has dinosaurs.

Brentwood

Place: All of the Diocese!

The Diocese is very blessed for walks in woods, fields, beaches, lucky to have a bit of everything, The Brentwood environment document includes a map of many places of natural beauty.

The group would like to expand what we discussed to create a guide for the Diocese, to update the Diocesan Environmental Policy with something for everyone – kids, dogs, churches to visit etc. 

Diocese of Brentwood Laudato Si’ Document

Clifton

Place: Cleeve Hill

Highest point in Gloucester, set in a 1000-acre public park. Includes pubs along the way to get good things to eat and drink. Easy to reach from Cheltenham by bus to Winchcombe.

https://www.visitcheltenham.com/things-to-do/cleeve-hill-p395953

Place: Bristol

You could easily have a week’s holiday in Bristol without going out of the city’s bounds; lots of theatres, various festivals, visit the SS Great Britain, Bristol Suspension Bridge, Aquarium, Gallery. There is a good, cheap Youth Hostel.

Plymouth

Place: Buckfast Abbey

We would like to recommend a venue with a religious theme. Buckfast Abbey in Devon is free to visit and has beautiful gardens, shops and a café, as well as the Abbey itself and an interactive display about the Benedictine way of life. Buckfast Abbey is a model of green energy generation. It hosts the hair shirt relic of St Thomas More and hosts regular music concerts.

https://www.buckfast.org.uk/

The Abbey is within walking distance of the South Devon steam railway and the otter and butterfly farm, so lots to do for the children. There are buses to Newton Abbot and Totnes from the Abbey, and those towns both have great railway stations with regular trains to a range of destinations.

Shrewsbury

Place: Bollington

Known as the Happy Valley. Lovely place to be based to explore nearby South Cheshire and Macclesfield. Can stay at Savio House Retreat Centre or other local accommodation.

Savio House

Southwark

Place: The South Bank

The south side of the Thames is very accessible by public transport. You probably want to bring your own lunch as food options are expensive! As well as walking along the river, there is an outdoor second-hand book store, street-theatre, art displays, St George’s Cathedral, the Imperial War Museum and Peace Garden. It is a little further to Crystal Palace Park, which also has dinosaurs.

Kent has Leeds and Hever Castles.

Westminster

Having just celebrated Feast of The Holy Trinity, Fr Tom O’Brien proposes a holiday trinity of ‘education, relaxation, exercise.’

Place: St Albans

The town itself is good for walking around, with many Tudor buildings of interest. Then there is the Roman town Verulamium – the ruins are free to visit if you live in St Albans. The Abbey is free to everyone and has a Tapestry showing the origins of the cathedral, plus models of how it was constructed, video shows about the Abbey and a café. There is a Learning Centre for children. If you have the energy, you can go shopping in the nearby massive shopping area. You might need 2 days to visit! 

Book Recommendation:

Pope Frances on rest and relaxation:

“On Sunday, our participation in the Eucharist has special importance. Sunday, like the Jewish Sabbath, is meant to be a day which heals our relationships with God, with ourselves, with others and with the world. Sunday is the day of the Resurrection, the “first day” of the new creation, whose first fruits are the Lord’s risen humanity, the pledge of the final transfiguration of all created reality. It also proclaims “man’s eternal rest in God”.168 In this way, Christian spirituality incorporates the value of relaxation and festivity. We tend to demean contemplative rest as something unproductive and unnecessary, but this is to do away with the very thing which is most important about work: its meaning. We are called to include in our work a dimension of receptivity and gratuity, which is quite different from mere inactivity. Rather, it is another way of working, which forms part of our very essence. It protects human action from becoming empty activism; it also prevents that unfettered greed and sense of isolation which make us seek personal gain to the detriment of all else. The law of weekly rest forbade work on the seventh day, “so that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your maidservant, and the stranger, may be refreshed” (Ex 23:12). Rest opens our eyes to the larger picture and gives us renewed sensitivity to the rights of others. And so the day of rest, centred on the Eucharist, sheds it light on the whole week, and motivates us to greater concern for nature and the poor.”

 (Laudato Si’, 237)

Ethical Travel Advice

• Journey to 2030 travel page – Intended for how we get to church but with many reflections on our faith and being conscious how we travel:

• The ECG magazine on travel – and what happens when you take the scenic route:

How to get there

• The Man in Seat 61 is the greatest and most useful geek website in the world ever! This man loves trains to a level you never will. This means he has compiled all your journey plans for you:

• Eco-Passenger – for working out the most economical way to get somewhere:

9th May 2022 – All Creatures Great and Small: Reflecting on Biodiversity

‘Biodiversity’ was the theme for the May meeting of the Southern Dioceses Environment Network on Monday 9th May 2022.

John Paul de Quay

Guest speaker John Paul de Quay from the Journey to 2030 project spoke on the need to safeguard nature to ensure the future and diversity of all life on earth which is essential for the health, wellbeing and prosperity of humanity.

What is biodiversity? It is the diversity of all living things which includes genetic diversity within and between species, and of ecosystems. This ensures the stability of the natural world.

Evidence shows that there has been on average 68% decrease in wildlife population sizes between 1970-2016 with some areas such as South America being affected more. Why is this happening? Changes in land due to farming, over-fishing, pollution and climate change. Loss of biodiversity happens due to these constraints on species.

Laudato Si’ states that we are dust of the Earth, as we breathe air and need water, nothing is indifferent to us. In Acts 6:26 it shows that nature provides everything we need to survive, not only healthy air and water, but our happiness and wellbeing. Throughout scripture nature is continually mentioned showing God’s immense care for biodiversity. If we hold the attitude that we are more important than nature, we have forgotten that we are ‘dust of the earth’. This connection with faith is essential and it is important to spread this knowledge especially in schools to give confidence that we can do something to change the situation.

Mary Colwell

We were also very fortunate to be joined by the environmentalist, Mary Colwell. Mary has been campaigning for 11 years for a UK GCSE in natural history which has now been agreed upon and is set to take effect in 2025. This is essential so children are able to learn about how wildlife relates to us, to fall in love with nature again, to encourage them to make the right decisions in the future.

She runs a charity called Curlew Action which aims to help protect the curlew population, which is a flagship species for conservation.

She has now begun writing her 4^th book.

See http://www.curlewmedia.com/ for more information.

14th March 2022 – Nourishment for Lent

Rebekah O’Keefe chaired the meeting and began by reflecting on words from Bishop John Arnold given at the previous meeting, especially when he said that 85% of the world’s population are men and women of faith who believe the environment is an important aspect of their faith. This is very encouraging.

We were asked last time to reflect upon what we will have liked to achieved by this time next year with regards to protecting the environment. What one thing has spoken to us personally and what steps do we need to take to make this achievable?

We invited to enter into a time of reflection used a 20-minute guide from the Pray-as-you-go website, Session 1 – The Providence of God:

The reflection provides nourishment for our Lenten journey. It was taken from the ‘Pray as you go’ earth sessions and entitled ‘the providence of God’. It started with a reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans: ‘Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?’  Do we share in Paul’s certainty that nothing can come between us and the love of Christ? Do we believe in everyday miracles?

We were given the consoling message of how ‘hope’ is to become aware of God’s providence shaping our lives and guiding us amid all that is happening in our world and unwanted experiences. As love is at the heart of divine providence, so we should love one another especially those in need; this is the essence of the season of Lent. We should listen to Him in prayer, choosing to do without what is superfluous in our lives.

28th February 2022 – Leaving Something on the Table

The Southern Dioceses Environment Network were pleased to welcome Dr David Ko and Richard Busellato to our first online evening event, discussing their recently published book, ‘The Unsustainable Truth’ (2021), how investing for the future is destroying the planet.

They demonstrate how, by seeking comfort and security, we end up with an economic system that exhausts our resources. Instead they propose a model of ‘Transformational Ownership’ to safely steward harmful resources to their end of life.

Arising from over thirty years’ personal experience of the investment industry, Richard and David’s presentation forms a powerful contribution to the debate surrounding the ethics of investment and sustainability.

15th February – Bishop John Arnold

Bishop John Arnold, Bishop of Salford, was the guest speaker at the second meeting of the Southern Dioceses Environment Network, held at lunchtime today, 14th February 2022.

He talked to us about his experiences as the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales spokesman on the Environment and his attendance at the UN Climate Conference, COP26, in Glasgow. While much was achieved in that meeting, he was disappointed that there wasn’t a sense of commitment from the world leaders to make the changes needed for 1.5C and we could still have scenarios of 2C, 3C or even 4C. We’ve got to look to COP27 (in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, 7-18 November 2022) to make more courageous efforts to introduce the changes that should have happened at COP26.

However, he told us as we look at the Church we should be pleased with the efforts of Pope Francis. “It was Laudato Si’ that really engaged so many people this time, pointing out real dangers and, as with everything he writes, it’s always a reminder that this isn’t for just institutions and bishops, it’s for each and every one of us. We, all of us, have got our part to play and he brings that gospel down to the individual level.” Our choices each and every day can make a difference.

Real interest has grown among our church members in the last few years, especially in our schools. He is pleased that Salford has started the Guardians of Creation project which will be helpful to all Dioceses, especially in matters of property where we can make changes in energy use as a large property owner. We all play a part in caring for our common home.

As it was Valentine’s Day, we also shared our Green Hearts and messages of hope on-screen during the meeting as part of The Climate Coalition’s annual #ShowTheLove campaign!

The next meeting of the Southern Dioceses Environment Network will be on Monday, 14th March 2022, 12.45-2.00pm. All welcome.

To register in advance with Eventbrite please visit:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/255432404197

For more details please contact Colette Joyce on 07593 434 905 or colettejoyce@rcdow.org.uk

See More: Key Climate Dates