The Guardian cites ARC in story on religions and environment

The Guardian newspaper in the UK today published a major feature on the Vatican conference on climate change, being held this week. Correspondents John Vidal and Tom Kington highlighted how the Vatican had added its voice to a rising chorus of warnings from churches around the world that climate change and abuse of the environment is against God's will, and that the Catholic church, with its one billion believers, must become greener.

The article quoted Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, head of the Pontifical Council of Justice and Peace, who said: "For environment ... read Creation. The mastery of man over Creation must not be despotic or senseless. Man must cultivate and safeguard God's Creation," and emphasised how the Pope's message follows a series of increasingly strong statements about climate change including a warning that "disregard for the environment always harms human coexistence, and vice versa".

ARC was invited to comment on how the Catholic church is just one of several faith groups that are rapidly moving environment to the fore of its social teachings.

"Climate change, biotechnology, trade justice and pollution are all now being debated at a far higher level by the world's major religions," ARC's Martin Palmer was quoted as saying.

The conference precedes by just five months the British Catholic Church's first large-scale celebration of the environment to be held at Clifton Cathedral in Bristol at the end of September 2007. Link here for the brochure. ARC has been invited to help with the organisation of this ground-breaking, year-long event, and more information will be available soon on our website.