Raising Hope Conference an ‘historic moment’

The recent Raising Hope conference in Italy was an historic moment for all involved in the global Laudato Si’ Movement, said Jane Mellett, part of a large Irish group at last week’s international conference at Castel Gandolfo organised by the movement.

The church manager at Trócaire and based at Maynooth contributed to organising the spiritual moments of the conference, including an interfaith prayer service at the Borgo Laudato Si’ gardens nearby.

“It highlighted the strength of all working together and in unity in order to care for our common home as we reflected on the sacred texts across many faiths and traditions which speak of caring more deeply for our common home as one family,” Mellett told The Tablet.

“In Ireland, we will continue to support and mobilise the Laudato Si’ network and beyond to respond to the cry of the earth at this time. This involves each of us making pledges but most importantly it involves each of us calling on our leaders to urgently address the climate and biodiversity crises.”

The COP30 Climate conference in Brazil next month gives another opportunity to do that, as does support of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, she said. “Raising Hope celebrated all that has been achieved over the last ten years of Laudato Si’, but there is much more to do and it leaves us energised and inspired for that task.”

Bishop of Kilmore Martin Hayes, episcopal coordinator for Laudato Si’ in Ireland, said the Irish Catholic bishops Conference have made a commitment that by 2030, 30 per cent of all church grounds in Ireland will be returned to nature. This initiative, “reflects growing ecological awareness, and restores green space to protect habitats and native species, as well as enhancing local climate adaptation and resilience”, he said. Yet most people in parish communities “do not grasp the urgency of the climate emergency”, he added.

Bishop of Salford John Arnold, lead bishop on the environment, told The Tablet that Raising Hope was “an important achievement” and that the sharing of best practice and knowledge was to be welcomed.

Cafod director Christine Allen found the conference “a very inspiring few days and really encouraging”, especially in the UK context of aid cuts and a concern that climate change is moving down the political agenda.  “I was in South Sudan recently and people told me about weather extremes of drought and floods happening now. We see Cafod’s development work being washed away,”  she said, adding that “it was powerful to hear Pope Leo urge us all to continue on the path of caring for our Earth and our neighbour as one task.” She was speaking on 3 October, Cafod’s Family Fast Day. She said, “This is a day when we remember and stand in solidarity with vulnerable people around the world and we continue to be inspired and humbled by them.”

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Women of faith leading the way to COP30

‘Spiritual challenge’ of climate crisis demands ‘conversion’ says Leo

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