In a statement, nine bishops, including representatives of the Latin American Bishops Conference (CELAM), the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC), and the French and Brazilian bishops’ conferences, said: “Put an end to the fossil fuel era, phase out fossil fuel emissions and phase in 100 per cent renewables with sustainable energy access for all...

“We express an answer to what is considered God’s appeal to take action on the urgent and damaging situation of global climate warming.

“The main responsibility for this situation lies with the global economic system, which is a human creation. In viewing objectively the destructive effects of a financial and economic order based on the primacy of the market and profit, which has failed to put the human being and the common good at the heart of the economy, one must recognise the systemic failures of this order and the need for a new financial and economic order.”

‘Avoid the media’s sins’

Speaking to the managers and workers of TV2000, an Italian Church television broadcasting company, Pope Francis said:

“The Catholic media have a very difficult mission in relation to social communication: seeking to preserve it from all that distorts and twists it for other purposes. Often communication is subject to propaganda, ideologies, political ends, or for the control of the economy or technology. The first thing that is beneficial to communication is parrhesia, or rather the courage to speak directly, to speak frankly and freely. If, instead, we are worried about tactical aspects, our words become artificial and we communicate nothing.

“Freedom also means freedom from fashions, clichés, pre-packaged formulas. We must re­awaken words. But every word has a spark of fire and life within. Reawaken that spark, so that it comes out. So this is the first task of the communicator: to reawaken the word.

“[Authentic communication] is not concerned with attention-grabbing. …It is necessary to speak to people as a whole: to their mind and their heart, so that they know how to see beyond the immediate, beyond a present that risks being forgetful and fearful of the future. The most insidious [sin] is disinformation, as it leads to mistakes and to believing only a part of the truth”.

Christian leaders’ plea to Islamic leaders

The leaders of the Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist churches in Kenya have united to implore Islamic leaders to “move beyond merely condemning the spate of attacks targeting non-Muslims to initiating practical steps to the sympathisers of terror and helping us to build bridges between faiths and communities”. So far this year over 200 people have been killed in the frequent attacks by the terrorist group Al Shabaab, made of Muslim fundamentalists.

Fast for Iraqi refugees

Patriarch Raphael Louis Sako, head of the Chaldean Catholic Church, has asked members of the church to fast in the pre-Christmas period for the needs of Christian refugees in Iraq. He suggested fasting from December 22 to Christmas Eve, and avoiding “worldly celebration” on Christmas and New Year’s days, in solidarity with “displaced brothers and sisters, who are going through indescribable suffering”. He said the fasting should be accompanied by prayer and charity for refugees.

“We fast for the liberation of Mosul and the villages of the Nineveh plains, so that peace and security will return, and everyone will be able to return to his or her home, job and school,” the Patriarch said.

(Compiled by Fr Joe Borg)

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