Hong Kong environmental group the Catholic Messengers of Green Consciousness has launched a four-month campaign to pray for the success of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December. The group launched the campaign on Aug. 15, the feast of the Assumption. It runs until Dec. 31, during which time Catholic individuals and groups are invited to say a special prayer for the success of the UN conference in Copenhagen, fast and attend special lectures, UCA News reports.
The Dec. 7-18 UN Climate Change Conference is expected to gather governmental delegates from 170 countries as well as concerned NGOs.
According to Catholic Messengers, the prayer they distributed reminds people to respect and appreciate God’s creation. It also calls for repentance for destruction done to nature and urges people to reduce carbon emissions.
The group will hold two lectures and a forum on issues related to the conference that will include Buddhist and Taoist perspectives. These events are scheduled in September and October.
Those who join the campaign are also asked to consider “fasting” on Fridays by eating vegetarian food and abstaining from alcohol and soft drinks.
“A vegetarian diet is healthy for the body and environmentally friendly,” explained Fr Anthony Chang Sang-loy, director of the Catholic-run Centre for the Re-Search of Faith.
Catholic Messengers is based at the center, which was established in 1997 to study faith issues in the 21st century and promote ecological awareness.
Fr Chang, a longtime environmental activist, said he has also called for a “green” timetable to be set by the local Church, because he does not think it has a sense of urgency about environmental protection.
The local Church should add in “green elements” when building or renovating premises and schools, such as using solar power, he suggested.
“This may be expensive as the start,” he admitted, “but with a timetable, we could plan and implement it.”
Catholic Messengers is one of 12 groups that have banded together as the Hong Kong Combat Climate Change Coalition.
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