Bishop Martin Hayes of Ireland is making history at the United Nations 26th Climate Change Conference in Glasgow: He is the first Irish bishop to attend a UN climate change conference.
In the latest Laudato Si’ Movement podcast, we talk with Bishop Hayes about his thoughts on the vital UN summit so far and what he’s hearing from developing countries in the various meetings he’s attended.
Listen to the Laudato Si’ Movement podcast below
Bishop Hayes, the coordinating bishop for Laudato Si’ for the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference, also opens up about his ecological conversion journey and when he felt compelled to act and speak out against the harm the climate crisis is causing God’s creation.
“We’re not here to dominate creation and to use it and abuse it as a resource which is will gone on forever,” he said.
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What he’s heard from developing countries in meetings
“I heard loud and clear that the developing world are most affected by climate change and they are very anxious to enter into arrangements with those of the developed world so as to cope with the effects of climate change, to repair the damage and to ensure that they can develop, in particular, their agriculture, so as to be able to supply their own home countries.”
Why have hope in the face of the climate crisis
“I think Pope Francis always gives us a sense of what each one of us as individuals can contribute and all of us holds out a sense of hope.”
Let us care for our common home, and also for ourselves, trying to eliminate the seeds of conflict: greed, indifference, ignorance, fear, injustice, insecurity and violence. Humanity has never before had at its disposal so many means for achieving this goal #COP26 #EnvConflictDay
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) November 6, 2021
On the historic Global Day of Climate Justice Action march
“I was very tired and very worn out but the people around me, they kept me going. And in a way it was a metaphor for the whole enterprise of trying to restore our environment and God’s creation. That all of us have a contribution to make, no matter how small our contribution, be it using less power, planting a tree, stop using plastics, whatever. All of us have and can contribute to restoring God’s creation to what it was.”
🌐 Our #GlobalDayOfAction in Glasgow for the #COP26 while soaked in torrential rain and winds alongside the #Faiths4Climate #Faiths4COP26 movements, was really powerful and meaningful. 👉 Follow us for more: https://t.co/S3g3N8tKTV as we enter into the 2nd week of COP26! pic.twitter.com/XiEznZLHXo
— Laudato Si' Movement (@LaudatoSiMvmt) November 7, 2021
Listen to the Laudato Si’ Movement podcast below
Read and watch more about COP26:
- What is COP26?
- Why Catholics are about COP26
- Catholic Church and climate change: Why Catholics care about climate change
- Faith institutions announce largest-ever divestment from fossil fuels ahead of COP26
- Faith activists at COP26: ‘We are a small part of something much bigger’
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