Everything changes. Creation is in constant transformation and this process of growth and adaptation also includes human organizations, Movements like ours, do not escape this law.
The Global Catholic Climate Movement begins a new phase, with some changes that will allow us to better respond to the call of Pope Francis to care for creation.
To be more faithful to our mission with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, a new definition of objectives has been prepared: “To inspire and mobilize the Catholic community to care for our common home and achieve climate and ecological justice”.
Dr. Lorna Gold, Chair of the Board of Directors, shares her perspective on the interpretation and meaning of this new mission that will guide the Movement.
What does this mean? Let’s break it down, starting with the first part: “To inspire and mobilize the Catholic community…”.
The creation of a mission must contain words with great meaning and significance, in this case, the word “inspire” literally means “to call to the spirit”. In order to truly inspire, we must first be filled with the Spirit ourselves; in order to inspire others, we must first be inspired or filled with the Spirit.
In this sense, the next important word, mobilization is what happens when people are inspired.
The next part: Caring for our common home… We’ve heard about this before, from Pope Francis in Laudato Si’. But, to review, what does it mean?
Caring for our common home is at the heart of the change Pope Francis invites us to in the encyclical Laudato Si’ where he asks us to care for all of us who inhabit our common home, especially the most vulnerable.
Caring for our home is essential for all of us. Without a home to live in, there is no future for any of us, especially the poorest.
We have to love our common home and, to do so, we have to know it, understand it. We do not destroy what we truly love.
Finally, what is new, “achieving climatic and ecological justice”? What does it mean and how will we know when it is accomplished?
It is important to note two aspects: firstly, the mission is expanding to include the concept of ecological justice, based on the spirit of Laudato Si’, where “everything is interconnected”.
In order to solve urgent problems such as climate change in a just way, it is absolutely necessary to recognize the existence of this problem; for this reason, keeping the word climate in our mission is the way to recognize it.
This transition reflects a broader vision that is consistent with Laudato Si’, which was the spark that motivated the founding of the Movement in the beginning.
In order to achieve justice, it is first necessary to recognize that injustice exists, in relation to climatic and ecological problems.
Mentioning the effort to achieve climatic and ecological justice generates a commitment to the most vulnerable who have the least responsibility in this crisis.
It means telling the truth and working to ensure a just, livable and sustainable future.
The new definition of the Mission of the Global Catholic Climate Movement is part of a broader synodal process that has been undertaken over the past two years.
As part of this process, a new definition of values, structures, and identity has also been addressed and will be published shortly.
The final point of this process will be the formal announcement of the name change which will take place on July 29th at 3 pm (CEST).