VIPL Service Learning Project

Resources available for Roman Catholic parishes in Vermont

Were you aware that the United States Catholic bishops generated a public statement at their June 2001 General Assembly meeting called “Global Climate Change: A Plea for Dialogue, Prudence, and the Common Good,” in which the bishops assert that “At its core, global climate change is not about economic theory or political platforms, nor about partisan advantage or interest group pressures. It is about the future of God's creation and the one human family. It is about protecting both ‘the human environment’ and the natural environment.”

This statement asserts the need for a dialogue about global climate change that is not partisan nor scientifically polarizing, but a “distinctively religious and moral perspective to what is necessarily a complicated scientific, economic, and political discussion”; they feel that the response to the challenge of climate change must be rooted in the virtue of prudence. The statement notes that Pope John Paul II has frequently discerned the ethical questions that lie at the heart of environmental degradation and has noted our common responsibility for stewardship of creation. Because inaction to climate change is expected to disproportionately burden the poor, responses to mitigate global warming must be rooted in social and economic justice. Out of respect for God’s creation, and the traditions of the Catholic faith, the statement compels congregations to focus on the needs of the poor and the vulnerable in a debate “often dominated by more powerful interests.” For full text see http://www.usccb.org./sdwp/international/globalclimate.htm.

A couple Catholic parishes in Vermont are currently trying to fulfill this mission. Several interviewed by Middlebury College students in fall 2004 as part of a project with Vermont Interfaith Power and Light, provide suggestions for ways to do this.

The St. Dominic Parish in Proctor acknowledged that the American Council of Catholic Bishops thoroughly analyzes issues relating the Catholic faith to environmental problems. As such and out of inspiration from their Catholic faith, the parish sometimes incorporates issues of water quality, pollution, and global warming in sermons on creation care. While not organized through the church, many individuals are involved in environmental groups within the community. The parish uses compact fluorescents and recycles out of a feeling of collective responsibility as God’s children to take care of the Earth or creation.

The Christ the King Parish in Burlington works in the Vermont Interfaith Action group to campaign for local care for the Earth and bringing speakers in to talk about the environment. The parish also utilizes materials from the National Catholic Education Association, which incorporates curriculum materials about the environmental protection, Earth stewardship, resource use, and more. While the parish has few sermons that touch on the environment, they try to raise environmental consciousness by encouraging energy efficiency in turning off lights, saving heat, and recycling.

See resources for other religious groups:

American Baptist
Episcopal
Jewish
Roman Catholic
Society of Friends (Quakers)
United Methodist
Unitarian Universalist
Zen Buddhist

Questions or Comments? Contact us!