Catholic members of CCA (Christian Climate Action) have set up a new group within CCA to engage Catholics at every level of the Church on the urgency of the climate emergency. Following Pope Francis’ strong lead, particularly with his ground breaking Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ as well as his many other statements and actions, we felt the need to act. As a new group, we have started small but are growing. As of October 2020 there are about twenty of us, laity, religious and clergy, in Catholics for Christian Climate Action.

CCA members have always organised talks and events within their own churches, encouraging them to get involved in CCA and to act with the kind of urgency we feel is needed. CCA has also been part of the successful campaign for the Church of England Synod to adopt an internal 2030 net zero emissions target. Catholic members of CCA now want to focus some of our energy on engaging with Catholic parishes, groups and leadership. Therefore, we felt a specifically Catholic working group was needed.

As members of the Catholic Church, inspired by the Holy Spirit to follow Jesus in reading the Signs of the Times, and in response to the call of Laudato Si’, we focus on engaging the Catholic Church, that is to say, Catholics generally, Bishops and Dioceses, Religious Orders, and other organisations. Our starting point is the climate and ecological emergency and our belief that the UK needs to aim for zero emissions by 2030 at the latest. This is a matter of climate justice, and the good of the poorest and most vulnerable must be a priority in all our efforts.

We seek to act as a witnesses to our faith and love for the God of Jesus Christ, who created all Life, and calls us to respect and protect it. We seek action that reflects the need for justice in our relations with God’s creation, God’s poor, and future generations. The climate emergency requires political action and engagement, including action within Catholic organisations. We hope to energise this collective Catholic political response to the climate and ecological emergency in the public space, as an effective witness to our faith in our Creator God. 

If you’d like to know more about Catholic CCA or get involved, contact us: catholicscca@gmail.com