ROME — Pope Francis has signed an interfaith statement asserting that humanity faces a “global climate crisis” that demands phasing out fossil fuels.
The Abu Dhabi Interfaith Statement for COP28 manifests the signers’ “shared concern for the escalating climate impacts that imperil our cherished planet, as well as our common commitment to jointly address this global crisis.”
“Our faith instills in us a sacred duty to cherish not only our human family, but also the fragile ecosystem that cradles us,” the text states.
The pope signed the Abu Dhabi Interfaith Statement for COP28 — which “recognizes the intrinsic rights of ecosystems, encompassing water, oceans, and seas, to exist, thrive, and rejuvenate” — as fruit of the United Nations climate summit in Dubai.
Activists display banners calling for action against world poverty, climate chanege and other environmental issues as they arrive on St. Peter’s square prior to Pope Francis’s Sunday Angelus prayer on June 28, 2015 at the Vatican. (GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images)
Curiously, the interfaith text makes no mention of God, Jesus, the Creator, or divinity but instead makes repeated references to “Mother Earth,” calling her “a source of life that must be protected.”
As a call to action, signers of the document commit to urging business and policymakers “to adopt a rapid, just transition away from fossil fuels, embracing clean energy sources that nurture the Earth and safeguard its inhabitants unconditionally.”
The signatories also agree to appeal to governments and stakeholders “to recognize the inseparable link between the human-made crisis affecting the climate and biodiversity and adopt comprehensive actions that harmonize the restoration of both systems.”
In a special Kumbaya moment, the signers acknowledge their collective duty to: “Herald the dance of Balance and Harmony, seeking equilibrium within us and with the natural world that cradles us.”
“We uphold the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, defending the ancestral wisdom that is entwined with the Earth’s well-being,” the text adds.
