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Life Issues and Spiritual Adoption |
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Immigration Reform |
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 Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Catholic Social Action Office
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Archbishop Schnurr Calls for Immigration Reform!
Archbishop Dennis Schnurr has released a statement calling for a comprehensive reform of our immigration laws and sharing the Church's moral principles on this issue. "It seems," the Archbishop concludes, "that only comprehensive immigration reform can simultaneously restore both order and human dignity."
"It is my hope that Catholics in particular answer this call to support our migrant brothers and sisters during these difficult times," he states. Furthermore, he encourages "priests, teachers, religious and lay leaders do what they can to offer educational opportunities for Catholics of this Archdiocese to hear the stories of immigrants in our communities and to understand the Church's rich teaching on this matter."
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Climate, Energy and Environment |
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November 9, 2011 |
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From A Bishop
BISHOP BLAIRE RECOGNIZES CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ENVIRONMENT, HUMAN LIFE/DIGNITY AND POVERTY
On November 7, Bishop Stephen Blaire of Stockton, CA, and chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, addressed the Christian vocation to cultivate and care for God’s good gift of Creation in a speech to an ecumenical gathering in Louisville, Kentucky. Bishop Blaire identified how this commitment connects to Catholic concerns for human life and human dignity – particularly of the poor and vulnerable.
Bishop Blaire said that God’s generous gift of creation demands a response back to God and a duty to steward what God has given to us for the good of all the human family. The bishop highlighted how environmental degradation compromises human life and dignity, especially of the poor and vulnerable. A prime example, he continued, are the adverse impacts which mercury, toxic air pollution and climate change have on human life, particularly on the unborn, in the case of mercury pollution and future generations in the case of climate change.
Read the Catholic News Service story here (scroll to the bottom of the page).
Read the entire text of the speech here.
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From An Archbishop
Archbishop of San Salvador says climate change is 'most serious problem confronting humanity'
From Independent Catholic News: Archbishop Jose Luis Escobar Alas of San Salvador said that climate change is the most serious problem confronting humanity at the present time. He said urgent steps are needed to reduce to reduce global warming, but the causes are so directly linked to economic interests, he thinks will be very difficult to deal with the problem - not only in El Salvador but throughout the world.
Mgr Escobar said El Salvador should do its part, however, it is the industrialized countries that are causing the most harm.
The Archbishop welcomed a request made by President Mauricio Funes, calling for countries that most affect the climate to accept responsibility and act to prevent future catastrophes. The statements by the President were made during the summit that took place in the Central American country after a tropical storm tore through the region for ten days. Torrential rains caused more than a hundred deaths, thousands of homeless and severe damage in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
"Events like the storm that hit us this time are repeated year after year, and the people are always affected, the poorest people", said the Archbishop of San Salvador. Mgr Escobar Alas concluded his usual press conference on Sunday saying that El Salvador should take an active part in solving the problem and not just wait for other countries to act.
Read the report here.
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From a partner
Catholic Health Association of the United States
The Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) recently sponsored a webinar titled "Climate Change: Health Impact and Catholic Mission," which featured Stephanie Chalupka, a nurse researcher and environmental health expert, and Dan Misleh of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change.
The webinar considered how the adverse impacts of climate change and environmental degradation – which include increasing severity and frequency of extreme weather events around the world, including heat waves, floods and droughts – is of particular concern for the Catholic health care ministry. The presenters pointed out that [t]he young, the elderly and the poor are at particular risk of adverse health consequences related to weather extremes.
In light of this, Chalupka asserted that [c]limate change is both a moral and a health issue and in fact it may be a greater health care challenge. In addition, Misleh reaffirmed that for Catholics, Climate change is a life issue. This is really important for us, because it talks not just about lives today, it's also about future generations.
Read more here.
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FROM AN ARCHDIOCESE
Boston Considers Environmental Justice
The Archdiocese of Boston’s newspaper The Pilot reported on the recent Annual Justice Convocation. There Coalition Project Manager, Dan DiLeo offered a workshop on Environmental Justice and demonstrated the idea of stewardship over creation as part of the Catholic calling. He also created his session based on a framework of the worldview of St. Francis. He pointed to the effects of environmental degradation on the lives of poor people around the world --who contribute the least to the problem, but suffer the damages from it the most.
The article also quotes attendee Eileen Hannon, a parishioner at St. Catherine of Siena in Norwood: I was interested in the term 'environmental justice' and trying to figure out: what does that mean? What took me by surprise, I think, is that it really has been part of the Catholic faith agenda.
Read the entire article here.
REMEMBER: if you would like to schedule a Catholic Climate Ambassador to speak at your parish, school or diocese, visit here.
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FROM AN ARCHDIOCESE
Portland’s Business Leader Tom Kelly: Promoting Green and Giving Back
The Archdiocese of Portland’s (OR) Catholic Sentinel shared a story about Tom Kelly, owner of Kelly Remodeling. Tom Kelly is a longtime supporter of Catholic education in the Archdiocese and one of the first people to see that businesses and environmentalists can be partners to mutual benefit.
The story recounts that Kelly, a graduate of Portland’s Jesuit High, has become known as the “Dean of Green”: utilizing green technology to remodel buildings throughout the Northwest. His Catholic upbringing taught him the value of treating all people equally and that those with means should give back to the benefit of all of society. For example, he supports increasing taxes on the wealthy. Tom was lead fundraiser for a history-making classroom building at Holy Redeemer School in North Portland. Built in 2005, it was the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified Catholic school construction project.
Additionally, the story says that [r]ecently, Kelly was honorary co-chair of a project to renovate the community center at St. Andrew Parish in Northeast Portland. He is chair of Loaves and Fishes, which delivers meals to homebound seniors and people with disabilities. He has been president of Rotary Club and chair of Volunteers of America.
Read the entire story here.
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Air Conditioners in Winter!
Remove window air conditioners in winter; or at least cover them tightly, and make rigid insulation covers for the flimsy side panels. |
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