Leaders of Christian faith issue joint statement about climate change

Newsweek points out this is the first time the Pope of the Catholic Church, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the leader of Orthodox Christians came together like this for a joint statement.

The outlet also mentioned that the statement was dated for September 1st, and didn’t respond to comment as to why it came out almost a week late.

(The full statement text can be found here.)

In the opening paragraphs the Christian leaders made note about how the pandemic was an opportunity to reset the world market.

But then they get into how there’s going to be a U.N. climate summit this November in Glasgow.

"As leaders of our Churches, we call on everyone, whatever their belief or worldview, to endeavor to listen to the cry of the earth and of people who are poor, examining their behavior and pledging meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the earth which God has given us," the statement says.

In their "The Importance of Sustainability" section they interpret passages of the Bible to mean that it’s important to be tactful in how resources are spent, and making sure the foundation of society in itself is stable and not easily eroded.

In a tour of Hurricane Ida’s storm damage in New Jersey, President Biden remarked that climate change was already here.

The statement from the world’s religious leaders condemns our current situation.

"But we have taken the opposite direction. We have maximised our own interest at the expense of future generations. By concentrating on our wealth, we find that long-term assets, including the bounty of nature, are depleted for short-term advantage. Technology has unfolded new possibilities for progress but also for accumulating unrestrained wealth, and many of us behave in ways which demonstrate little concern for other people or the limits of the planet."

The next portion of the statement says there’s societal inequalities on the division of labor, and that in itself has a ripple effect on the responses by nature. In turn, they allude to the damaged goods of an ecosystem that the current generation is leaving for those who succeed them.

Both Pope Francis and US envoy John Kerry are slated to attend the climate talks in Scotland this November. It’ll be the first time such an event has taken place since America rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement.