A statement from the
Federation Leadership
Council

public statements

Statement of the U.S. Federation Sisters of St. Joseph On Climate Change

As the U. S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and Associates, "we live and work that all may be One." We are concerned for all of God’s creation and our sisters and brothers everywhere. Earth, which reflects God’s glory, is in great peril. We accept scientific evidence that climate change is happening and is caused by human activity. The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its February 2007 report states: "Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea level." We accept our responsibility to find solutions to this devastation of Earth, and to act accordingly and immediately.

Pope John Paul II wrote, "Faced with the widespread destruction of the environment, people everywhere are coming to understand that we cannot continue to use the goods of the Earth as we have in the past . . . a new ecological awareness is beginning to emerge."(The Ecological Crisis: A Common Responsibility, Dec. 1989)

Climate change is a global issue which affects all creation. The United States alone adds almost six billion tons of carbon dioxide every year to the atmosphere. This seriously contributes to climate change. All creation suffers the consequences.

Our Church reminds us: "The consequences of climate change . . . will impact first and foremost the poorest and weakest who, even if they are among the least responsible for global warming, are the most vulnerable because they have limited resources or live in areas of greater risk." (Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Vatican Representative to the United Nations, May 10, 2007)

We urge our government officials to join the world community to enact legislation which will reduce the emissions of global greenhouse gas (GHG) and to immediately sign the Kyoto Treaty as a sign of our nation’s commitment to reducing global warming. We call on all people of the U. S. – and we commit ourselves – to reduce carbon emissions by our activities and life styles so that all God’s people, particularly the poor and vulnerable, will not suffer the devastating consequences of climate change. We recognize that what we do to Earth, we do to ourselves! Therefore, as the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and Associates, we commit ourselves to support ALL life on Earth.

The Leadership Council of the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph:

The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph is comprised of more than 6,500 women religious and 2,500 associates. Members of the Federation work through collaborative programs, interaction, prayer, and ministry toward a vision of all people united in one earth community of love, unity and reconciliation. The Federation was formed in 1966 to deepen relationships among its 19 member congregations/provinces in the United States and to unify efforts to address spiritual, social and environmental issues locally and globally. The Federation has NGO (non-governmental organization) status in the United Nations.