Your Eminences, Your Excellencies,

Our offices have received calls from some of you regarding possible follow-up in your dioceses on the various calls for climate change.

As I had promised you in my email this past October 27, I am attaching a copy of the signed and official text (in English) of the appeal by representatives of the world’s regional groupings of Episcopal Conferences to the negotiators who will be part of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris this coming November. The text was signed by the Presidents of the Episcopal Councils which bring together the Episcopal Conferences in each geographical region. Since there is not an equivalent Council for North America, the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and our own President, Bishop Douglas Crosby, O.M.I., were also invited to be signatories.

The text of the above appeal, without the signatures, is available in English and French on the website of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace,

–          in English, https://www.devp.org/en/pressroom/2015/comm2015-10-26

–          in French, https://www.devp.org/fr/pressroom/2015/comm2015-10-26  

 The text is also on the websites of Caritas Internationalis (http://www.caritas.org/) and CIDSE (http://www.cidse.org). Development and Peace is a member of both these international organizations which collaborated with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace in drafting the joint appeal. If you wish to post the text of the appeal, you are asked to use the version without signatures in order to lessen the possibility of their possible fraudulent use.

This past September 30, I had sent you an email to which was attached a message from Bishop Pierre Morissette, Chairman of our Standing Committee for Development and Peace, and Bishop Donald Bolen, Chairman of our Commission for Justice and Peace. They drew your attention to the fall 2015 CCODP Education and Action Campaign, “Creating a Climate of Change”. More information on this fall campaign is available on the CCODP website,

–          in English, https://www.devp.org/en/pressroom/2015/comm2015-08-27

–          in French, https://www.devp.org/fr/pressroom/2015/comm2015-08-27  

In addition, Bishop Morissette and Bishop Bolen pointed out there is a worldwide petition circulating by the Global Catholic Climate Movement which has been endorsed by Pope Francis and by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences. The petition is found at https://catholicclimatemovement.global/petition/.

The Global Catholic Climate Movement is also promoting prayer for the Paris climate change conference. Information on “#Pray4cop21 prayer chain” is available at http://catholicclimatemovement.global/pray4cop21/.

Another possible option for promoting climate change is a national march which Development and Peace is helping to promote. A coalition, involving the Global Catholic Climate Movement, Avaaz.org and other agencies, is organizing a march in the nation’s capital and in cities across Canada on November 29, the eve of the global climate conference in Paris. More information is available 

–          in English, at https://www.devp.org/en/blog/march-climate-change-november-29th

–          in French, at https://www.devp.org/fr/blog/ce-29-novembre-marchons-pour-un-climat-de-changement

Sincerely yours in Christ Our Lord,

(Rev. Msgr.) Patrick Powers, P.H.

General Secretary