On the 11th August, we held a prayer vigil outside the headquarters of Catholic development agency CAFOD. We were praying for and with the charity as they consider their banking arrangements going forward. The core plea of our prayers is that CAFOD are able to drop their bank account with Barclays, the biggest funder of fossil fuels in Europe. This followed a similar vigil outside Christian Aid, which led to that charity recently closing its Barclays account.

The vigil, is part of a series of vigils taking place in the coming months at charities that bank with Barclays. Other Christian organisations that currently hold a Barclays bank account include World Vision, BMS World Mission, Tearfund, Leprosy Mission and Greenbelt Festival.

We were joined on the vigil by members of the Laudato Si Movement. We held up signs such as ‘Praying for CAFOD to stop banking with Barclays, who fund climate chaos’ and ‘Barclays, the ecoside bank’. Some members of CAFOD came out and joined vigil and CAFOD volunteers also stopped to talk. CAFOD currently have a Barclays account as a secondary bank account, with RBS and Co-op accounts being their primary ones.

Barclays bank continues to fund fossil fuel expansion projects, despite that In 2021, the International Energy Agency said that exploitation and development of new oil and gas fields must stop if the world is to stay within safe limits of global heating.

Holly-Anna Petersen from Sheffield, explains why she is taking part in the series of vigils: “If we donate to a charity that banks with Barclay’s, our money is channelled into fossil fuel expansion. When a charity chooses Barclays, this also gives Barclay’s social licence and political influence, as it is presenting itself as a bank associated with positive causes – instead of one which is bankrolling climate collapse. In this critical time for life on our planet, it is important that charities put their money where their mouth is. If they are declaring their positive impact, they need to move away from this destructive bank.”

The next vigil in the series is due to take place at Greenbelt Festival – a Christian festival that takes place across 24th -27th August at Boughton House Estate, Northamptonshire. Christian Climate Action is holding a vigil there on Saturday 26th August, 2:30pm. Greenbelt Festival has expressed their intent to move away from Barclays bank, following protest regarding this, and so the vigil will be praying for the Greenbelt team in this process. It will also be praying for the other charities present at Greenbelt who still bank with Barclays.