The Dominican Sisters ~ Grand Rapids (DSGR) signed the Catholic Leaders’ Faith Letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio “calling on the United States to honor its commitments to the Paris Agreement and participate in the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil.”
We sign this letter in keeping with our mission to preach truth, seek climate justice, and care for creation. Our Direction in Ministry — Relationship with Earth — calls us “to seek right relationships with Earth, its creatures, and climate through conversion of mind and heart, understanding that the Universe is sacred and interconnected.” As a community grounded in faith and committed to the principles of the Earth Charter, we believe in a just and sustainable future for all. By endorsing the Charter in 2005, we committed ourselves “to deepen our commitment to its principles and place ourselves in solidarity with people throughout the world who seek to live the values these principles embody.”
COP30, taking place in the heart of the Amazon, is a crucial moment for the global community to come together to protect creation, address the realities of the climate crisis, and ensure that the most vulnerable are not left behind. The poor and vulnerable are, in fact, those who suffer the most from the effects of climate change.
We are deeply concerned by the decision of the United States to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, stepping away from the shared global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for a changing climate. We urge the United States to reconsider the decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and participate in COP30 this November. With 2024 recorded as the hottest year on record and extreme weather events such as Hurricane Melissa continuing to devastate communities around the world, the need for moral and just leadership could not be more essential to the care of our common home.
Dear Mr. Secretary,
As people of faith and as leaders in the Catholic community, we write with both prayerful concern and hope as the global community prepares to convene at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Situated in the heart of the Amazon, this summit represents more than a diplomatic meeting — it is a pivotal moral moment that calls us to a conversion of heart and to bold, collective action for the care of our common home.
As Catholic leaders, we must express our deep regret that the United States has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and, consequently, will not be participating in the climate negotiations at COP30. In this crucial moment, we respectfully ask you to reconsider this decision. Re-engagement would demonstrate moral leadership, affirm the nation’s commitment to the common good, and honor the deep values of justice, solidarity, and responsibility that have long defined our nation. COP30 offers an opportunity for the United States to lead the way in fostering a just transition to a sustainable future and economy, financing adaptation and resilience for the world’s most vulnerable.
The Church teaches that creation is a gift entrusted to our care, not a possession to be exploited without regard for its integrity. As Pope Leo XIV stated at the recent Raising Hope Conference in Rome: God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that he created (cf. Gen 2:15), for the benefit of all and for future generations, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters (cf. Gen 4:9; Jn 13:34).”
Around the world, in dioceses, parishes, and Catholic ministries, we witness firsthand the human face of the climate crisis: families displaced by floods and fires, farmers whose livelihoods are threatened by changing weather patterns, children forced to migrate from lands their ancestors cherished, and vulnerable people everywhere who are ill from unclean air and water. At the same time, we also witness the resilience of communities who, inspired by their faith, work tirelessly for sustainable livelihoods, care for forests and waters, and protect the dignity of workers, Indigenous peoples, and the most vulnerable in every society. These efforts are beacons of hope — signs of life rooted in Gospel witness.
Please know of our prayers for you, and for all who will gather in Belém, for the courage to act together for the common good. May the Holy Spirit guide your words and decisions, so that they may reflect the truth that we are one human family, entrusted with one common home by the Lord God of all creation.
Link to Letter and Opportunity for Faith Leaders to Sign
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc6M7U4f1yndQClm9cYkUPUpZ2Xdv2cOAfG-DPd6rV43qWH8A/viewform
