The Vatican has urged Catholics to stop investing in the fossil fuel industry as well as military weapons and equipment.
In a call for more environmental protection, the Vatican has asked Catholics to disinvest in fossil fuel and armaments industries.
The Vatican has released calls for environmental protection in a 225-page manual for church leaders, workers and Catholics.
In a 225 page manual, The Vatican has encouraged Catholics to quit investing in companies within the fossil fuel industry asking followers to also maintain a close eye on any business that may be damaging the environment. In what appears more on-brand, they have also invited Catholics to quit investing in any business which is related to military weapons and equipment. The manual release marks the fifth anniversary Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical “Laudato Si” (Praised Be) where he critiqued modern consumerism and irresponsible over-development. The Pope also commented on environmental degradation as well as global warming, calling all people to take “swift and unified global action.”
The manual also suggests a number of pragmatic steps that may achieve the goals of the Pope’s encyclical, which supported studies surrounding fossil fuel emissions and their link to climate change.
The manual’s stated that people “could favour positive changes … by excluding from their investments companies that do not satisfy certain parameters.” It listed these as respect for human rights, bans on child labour as well as protection of the environment. It also calls on Catholics “shun companies that are harmful to human or social ecology, such as abortion and armaments, and to the environment, such as fossil fuels”.
While the news does seem unusual, many Catholic faith groups have been pledging to rid their connection to fossil fuel companies over recent months. While it certainly is a good thing, it does leave us wondering, if the Catholics can do it, why can’t Scomo?
