5 December. This Wave of Hope reflection for Advent comes from Bishop John Arnold, our Lead Bishop for the Environment and Bishop of Salford.
This Wave of Hope reflection for Advent comes from Bishop John Arnold, our Lead Bishop for the Environment and Bishop of Salford.
Despite the disappointment of COP30 and the lack of agreement on the phasing out of fossil fuels, Bishop Arnold actually takes heart from the number of individuals and groups in the UK keen to combat climate change:
“This year, what gave me the most hope was the growing interest, learning, and actions among so many groups of people concerning the reality of climate change and its increasing impact in our world, particularly in the poorest nations which have done least to cause the climate change.”
Wave of Hope offers 25 short multimedia reflections for the season – one a day – as our contributors share a moment in 2025 that has led them to a place of hope.
Hello, I’m John Arnold, the Bishop of Salford. This year, what gave me the most hope was the growing interest, learning, and actions among so many groups of people concerning the reality of climate change and its increasing impact in our world, particularly in the poorest nations which have done least to cause the climate change.
There are so many groups in the United Kingdom who are learning about the causes of climate change and what we, as individuals, families, and parish communities can do to improve our local environment. People are recognising Pope Francis’s insistence that each and every one of us has our part to play. And that everything is connected.
There’s a groundswell of good work being done, which should be alerting politicians and industry as to the importance of urgent change. Internationally, the greatest encouragement has come for me, rather ironically, in the very vocal expression of disappointment by so many governments and nations at the failure of COP30 to specify the phasing out of fossil fuels. How good it would have been if COP 30 had made radical decisions. But now, how important it is that there has been such a united voice criticising its failure.
That gives me hope.
Nikki Dhillon Keane is a therapist, trainer, author, activist and founder of 'Safe in Faith'.
Bishop Richard Moth is the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton and Lead Bishop for Prisons for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales.
Canon Chris Vipers is Director of the Diocese of Westminster's Agency for Evangelisation.
Fr Issa Thaljieh is a Greek Orthodox priest from the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem.
