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“We
must recognize our grave duty to hand the earth on to future
generations in such a condition that they too can worthily inhabit
it and continue to cultivate it. This means being committed to
making joint decisions…aimed at strengthening that covenant
between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the
creative love of God….”
Benedict XVI
Caritas In Veritate, 50
Earth
and the life it sustains are precious gifts of God, now radically
threatened by
climate
change and ecological exploitation. Safeguarding these sacred
gifts for future generations is a moral responsibility integral to
the mission of the Family of Holy Cross.
Climate
change is already destroying Earth’s life-support systems, and
endangering
human health and security. Those least responsible and most
affected are poor people and nations. For people of faith,
response to this crisis is not an “option”; it is a matter of
justice and solidarity.
Therefore,
we
Marianites of Holy Cross,
Priests and Brothers of Holy Cross,
Sisters of Holy Cross, and
Sisters of the Holy Cross
will
work together to:
-
Foster an ethos of care for God’s creation in our
members, colleagues, institutions, and those we serve.
-
Resist
the culture of consumerism and foster models of development
that respect the rights of the whole Earth community.
-
Reduce energy consumption, increase efficiency, and
employ renewable technologies to achieve carbon neutrality in
our congregations by 2050.
-
Ensure
that ecological sustainability is integral to our
congregational planning, decision-making, and practices.
-
Utilize
our financial and human resources to support the development
of an ecological economy.
-
Urge
governments and industries to adopt policies that successfully
mitigate climate change and reduce its impacts on those most
vulnerable.
-
Promote
interdependence, right relationship and commitment to the
common good, countering a culture of individualism, greed,
exclusion and exploitation.
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