Religions get together to promote climate protection but forget to invite God in any of His Persons
Religious kick-off event for the climate demo on Friday in Vienna - Bishop Cilerdzic: Climate protection has top priority for all churches in Austria
All religions must stand together on climate protection. This was the tenor of the interreligious kick-off event for the climate strike in Vienna on Friday. Representatives of various churches and religions gathered at noon in the courtyard of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Vienna-Landstraße. The Serbian Orthodox Bishop Andrej (Cilerdzic) spoke on behalf of the World Council of Churches in Austria (ÖRKÖ) and emphasised the common concern of responsibility for creation. All 17 churches represented in the WCCÖ would not only stand behind the concern of climate protection, but would also give it the highest priority. They are ready to cooperate with all religions and people of good will, said the bishop in his short address.
In his statement, Abbot Nikolaus Poch of the Schottenstift in Vienna emphasised the importance of religious orders and monasteries for climate protection. For many years, religious have been making special efforts to adopt a climate-friendly lifestyle. Such a lifestyle is also written into the DNA of many religious orders, said Poch.
The opening event in the Armenian church was organised by "Religions For Future Vienna". In addition to the two Christian speakers, representatives of the Muslims, Buddhists and Bahai also took the floor.
From the church side, participants included the Viennese Protestant Superintendent Matthias Geist, the Reformed Regional Superintendent Thomas Hennefeld, the Methodist Superintendent Stefan Schröckenfuchs, Fr Franz Helm of the Steyler Missionaries and Sr Anneliese Herzig of the Austrian Conference of Religious Orders. After the speeches, the participants of the religious rally joined the general climate demonstration through the centre of Vienna.
Side by side with children
In a joint statement in the run-up to the climate strike, representatives of the domestic churches and "Religions for Future Vienna" had called for participation in the strike. "As religious leaders, we call on you to participate in the global climate strike and together, side by side with the young generation, to send a clear public signal for climate protection," read a statement literally, signed among others by Catholic Youth Bishop Stephan Turnovszky, Bishop Andrej (Cilerdzic) and Armenian Apostolic Bishop Tiran Petrosyan.
The dangerous global warming is not destiny, the statement says. If governments around the world pull the big levers and begin decisive, rapid climate protection, warming can be contained. In the global climate strike, numerous people, different environmental and climate protection movements, religious communities, youth organisations and many more are standing up for an ambitious climate protection policy. In doing so, they would send a public signal "that achieving the Paris climate goals is absolutely urgent".
The members of the churches would also emphasise the ethical dimension of the climate crisis, they would stand up for climate justice and take their responsibility for creation seriously. They want to show the rightly concerned youth: "We support your demand for a climate-friendly future! We care about you!
Cathcon: Not one reference to the God, Father Son or Holy Spirit in this press release. The greatest catastrophe imaginable is the loss of souls. Eternity is long.
.jpeg)
Comments