MEDIA RELEASE – Wednesday March 10 2021

SOUNDING THE ALARM ON CLIMATE EMERGENCY

The bells of St Francis Xavier’s Catholic Cathedral will ring at 11am tomorrow (March 11) as more than 100 local faith communities across Australia take part in a global day of action to ‘sound the alarm’ for the climate.

Churches, synagogues, mosques and other faith groups in 15 countries are taking part in the initiative which supports a statement called Sacred People, Sacred Earth signed by prominent religious leaders including the Vatican Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Turkson.

The signatories demand net zero emissions for wealthy countries by 2030, which is much more ambitious than most nations to date which aim for net zero by 2050, and well ahead of the current Australian Government’s targets. 

The statement also calls for economic recovery money to be spent on low carbon industries including transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables, and that governments ‘must not perpetuate an outdated economic system that relies on fossil fuels and the destruction of the very forests, waters, oceans and soils that make life possible’.

In Australia there will also be multi-faith peaceful vigils outside the offices of Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg as well as on the steps of SA Parliament House.

Catholic Earthcare regional leader SA/NT Philippa Rowland reiterated the call of Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si’ to care for our common home.

Quoting Pope Francis, she said “reducing greenhouse gases requires honesty, courage and responsibility, above all on the part of those countries which are more powerful and pollute the most”.

Mrs Rowland urged people to sign the Sacred People, Sacred Earth statement prepared by Greenfaith, a network of faith groups spanning 14 countries with co-sponsoring organisations across 40 countries.

The Cathedral bells will ring for approximately five minutes at 11am tomorrow.

For more information on the campaign visit www.arrcc.org.au.

Social media tags: #Faiths4climate #SavedPeopleSavedEarth