USCCB Chairmen and President of Catholic Relief Services Urge Trump Administration to Care for Creation

February 17, 2017
By Ss. Peter & Paul

WASHINGTON— In a letter to
the United States Secretary of State today, chairmen of the U.S.
Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and
Committee on International Justice and Peace, along with Sean Callahan,
President of Catholic Relief Services, urged the Administration to do
everything they can to care for creation both domestically and
globally.

Building upon Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato si’
the letter emphasizes the importance of adaptation policies and
specifically calls for continued U.S. support of the Paris climate
agreement as well as the Green Climate Fund, which provides poorer
nations with resources to adapt to and mitigate changing climate
realities.

“The Judeo-Christian
tradition has always understood the environment to be a gift from God,
and we are all called ‘to protect our one common home,'” said Bishop
Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Bishop Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces,
New Mexico and Sean L. Callahan, President of Catholic Relief Services
(CRS). The call to care for the environment echoes Pope Francis’ call to
help poor and vulnerable people adapt to the effects of climate change.

The message also recognizes
that “uncompromising support for adaptation policies in no way excludes
efforts to mitigate the anthropogenic contributors to climate change”
and called for an “energy revolution” to deliver “not only sustainable,
efficient and clean energy, but also energy that is secure, affordable,
accessible and equitable.”

The full text of the letter can be found here: https://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/environment/upload/USCCB-CRS-Letter-to-Secretary-Tillerson-on-Care-for-Creation-02-17-2017.pdf

Keywords: U.S. Conference
of Catholic Bishops, USCCB, Pope Francis, Bishop Frank J. Dewane, Bishop
Oscar Cantú, Sean L. Callahan, Catholic Relief Services, Laudato si, Paris
Climate Agreement, Green Climate Fund, climate change, Domestic Justice
and Human Development, International Justice and Peace.

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MEDIA CONTACT:
Judy Keane
O: 202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops