Vatican Asks Catholics To Stop Investing In Fossil Fuels, And Care About Earth

On the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si” (Praised Be), the Vatican urged Catholics not to invest in weapon and fossil fuel industries.?

The 225-page manual for church leaders and workers asked Catholics to invigilate companies in sectors prone to damaging the environment.

AFP

The second encyclical of Pope Francis, Laudato Si highlights the need of a unified global action to protect the environment and the life in it.?

Released on Thursday , the manual lists practical steps that can be employed to accomplish the goals mentioned in the encyclical Laudato Si.

Action Points In The Manual

A view of St. Peter's Square after the Vatican reports its first case of coronavirus (screengrab: Reuters)

The manual comprises sections covering various aspects of sustainable living. One such directed towards environmental protection is called ‘Journeying Towards Care For Our Common Home.’ An action point in it, as quoted by a Reuters report, urged Catholics to “shun companies that are harmful to human or social ecology, such as abortion and armaments, and to the environment, such as fossil fuels”.

Another section on finance directed people that they “could favor positive changes ... by excluding from their investments companies that do not satisfy certain parameters.” These parameters were to ensure respect for human rights, no child labor and protection of the environment.

One section urged a close monitoring for any contamination being caused by extraction industries, especially in fragile ecosystems. In such a scenario, it asks Catholics to ensure that the local populations are able to exercise their rights in deciding whether their lands can be used for oil or mineral extraction or not.

Leading By Example

Pope Francis greets faithful after reading his "Urbi et Orbi" ("To the City and the World") message from the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square at the Vatican (April 21, 2019, Reuters)

On May 21, the head of the Institute for the Works of Religion or the ‘Vatican bank’ verified that the institution does not have any investments in the fossil fuel sector as per National Catholic Reporter. The verification is in response to calls from environmental activists, asking the Vatican’s stand on the topic.

The Reuters reports of “more than 40 faith organizations from around the world, more than half of them Catholic” having pledged to divest from fossil fuel companies.