Church leaders including former Archbishop of York John Sentamu led around 1,400 people across Westminster Bridge last Friday in a march against fossil fuels.
At least seven other bishops also took part in “No Faith In Fossil Fuels” service at St John’s Church, Waterloo, organised by Christian Climate Action, afterwards walking via Shell HQ to Parliament Square, to join The Big One four-day protest. Those taking part included Cafod director Christine Allen, Ruth Valerio of Tearfund and Shanon Shah of the interfaith organisation Faith for the Climate.
A Salvation Army Band played the route with Anthony Cotterill, head of Salvation Army UK.
Lord Sentamu, in a red Christian Aid top as its current chair, tried to deliver a letter into the locked Shell building calling for the multinational oil and gas company, “to stop all new fossil fuel exploration and extraction immediately”. It was signed by Green Christian, Christian Climate action, Operation Noah, Cafod, Tearfund, Christian Aid and A Rocha UK.
As he was turned away by security, Lord Sentamu said: “We want simply to deliver a letter. We’re coming in peace.”
The Bishop of Norwich, Graham Usher, the lead Church of England bishop for the environment, said: “I commend this peaceful, prayer-fuelled service and pilgrimage. Our leaders must seize this moment and deliver real and impactful change for the future of God’s creation.”
The Anglican Bishop of Aston and Acting Bishop of Birmingham, Anne Hollinghurst, said, “it’s time to act on what we know about the effects of burning of fossil fuels and how this continues to accelerate rapidly rising global warming and the environmental disaster that follows, impacting especially the poorest communities across our world.”
Walking immediately behind the church leaders were the justice and peace group of St George’s Catholic School in Maida Vale and the Columban Justice, Peace and Ecology team who did a workshop with them that morning about the impact of climate change on the Philippines. Other justice and peace campaigners in the pilgrimage were from Westminster Diocese – including Chair Fr Dominic Robinson SJ – and Birmingham, Clifton, Southwark, Plymouth, and Wrexham. Cafod supporters were alongside representatives of Pax Christi England and Wales, the Archbishop Romero Trust, the Laudato Sí Movement and the Young Christian Climate Network.
A Mass was celebrated on Saturday, Earth Day, by Fr Joe Ryan, parish priest of West Green, at the “faith hub” in Parliament Square, one of 10 hubs. More than 100 people gathered round with the congregation growing during the Mass. Fr Ryan had a copy of the encyclical Laudato Sí on the altar and referred to “the pope who inspires us”. He said afterwards, “It was a privilege to be able to celebrate Mass in such a public place and in sight of the seats of power.” Also on Earth Day, many thousands took part in a “march for nature” to raise awareness of biodiversity loss.
Other prayer and worship activities included worship led by black majority churches on Saturday and worship led by young people and another by the Iona Community on Sunday. The Franciscans led a prayer walk on each day of The Big One, organised by Extinction Rebellion, from 21-24 April. The Coat of Hopes – a patchwork coat made for COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 and displaying peoples’ griefs, remembrances, prayers and hopes of people – was displayed throughout.
There were peaceful pickets at government departments across Westminster. Peace campaigners placed words of Bruce Kent on a gate outside the Ministry of Defence: “We did not make the planet, we do not own the planet and we have no right to wreck the planet.” Passionist priest and peace activist Fr Martin Newell said, “I invite my fellow Christians to stand alongside me as we say no to fossil fuel exploration.” Quakers called for demilitarisation and the money saved to be spent on care for people and planet.
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