As Christians we are inspired to be good stewards of the earth, to conserve and protect God’s creation and the earth’s resources.
Ever since Pope Paul VI highlighted the damage that was occurring to the natural environment in a letter he published in 1971, the Church has been keen to highlight the importance of our having a harmonious relationship with the natural environment. Though this issue has become more urgent in recent decades in a practical sense, this concern of Christians for the environment has deep theological roots.
As Pope Francis has said, our bodies are made up of the elements of the earth and we breathe and drink the products of the earth. We have an intrinsic relationship with the natural environment, and we should learn to respect and nurture it. But the reasons why we should care for creation go deeper: other creatures, and the natural environment more generally, are created by God. They therefore have a value that we should respect.
We are a people of hope who believe in redemption. We must study the signs of the times and take the action that is needed to repair our relationship with God’s creation. As is made clear in The Call of Creation, the exercise of the virtue of solidarity and the promotion of the common good, which are so needed at this time, are the responsibility of each and every individual and institution in society.
Bishop John Arnold and Bishop Richard Moth
On 4 October 2022, the Feast of St Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecologists and animals, the Social Justice Department of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has launched a new edition of its teaching document on the environment – The Call of Creation. Read more.
Ever since Pope Paul VI highlighted the damage that was occurring to the natural environment in a letter he published in 1971, the Church has been keen to highlight the importance of our having a harmonious relationship with the natural environment.
The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales has launched a new edition of its teaching document on the environment - 'The Call of Creation'.
Laudato si' - On the Care for our Common Home - is the Pope's Encyclical Letter on the environment and human ecology.
The Season of Creation is a global ecumenical celebration of prayer and action to protect our common home, starting each year on 1 September and finishing on the feast of St Francis, 4 October.
Laudate Deum is Pope Francis' Exhortation on the global climate crisis. It follows the 2015 Encyclical Laudato Si' where Pope Francis challenges us to be better custodians of our common home.
When writing ‘The Call of Creation’ in 2002, we, the Bishops of England and Wales, said that “care for the environment presents a major challenge for the whole of humanity in the 21st century.”1
The ‘Guardians of Creation’ project has released guidelines to help Catholic dioceses measure a baseline carbon footprint in an effort to achieve 'net zero'.
Global Healing is a film-based resource to help us to respond to the damage being done to our planet – our common home. It's for parishes, groups and individuals and aims to inform, challenge and equip people to engage with Pope Francis’ vital call to Care For Our Common Home.
These case studies provide examples of how parishes, organisations, academic institutions and other church groups are collaborating to help protect our common home.
Want to know how the Bishops' Conference is responding to the ecological crisis we are facing in England and Wales and, indeed, globally? We have collated a page of news, projects, information, links and downloads.
The 'God Who Speaks' team offers this Novena of readings and prayers as tangible action to respond to the urgent climate change issues we all face.
Pope Francis’ encyclical on care for our common home, Laudato Si’, celebrates its anniversary on 24 May. To mark this, and to reflect on our relationship with the Creator and creation, we celebrate Laudato Si' Week.
The Environmental Advisory Group was formed to support the Bishops' Conference in its important work on environmental issues.
A series of readings and theological resources on the environment and environmental issues.
The Church calls us to consider our role and to question what we are each doing to protect the Earth, this starts with saving energy and recycling at home.
Hints and tips to help schools reduce their carbon footprint and become more environmentally friendly.
Recycling at work is a great way to increase your business sustainability and help to reduce climate change.
Suggestions and ideas to help you reach your aims of reducing your parish's impact on the environment - how can you strive for a green parish?
Edward de Quay, Project Manager for the Bishops’ Conference Environmental Advisory Group, looks at how Catholics in England and Wales have responded to Laudato Si’ and how each of us can be part of that response.
A list of organisations committed to combating climate change and promoting environmental justice.
