Filipino Bishop calls for ‘serious’ action against climate crisis

By Zeus Legaspi

The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has appealed for “more serious action” against climate crisis.

“Please let us be one in declaring a state of climate emergency,” said CBCP head Bishop Pablo Virgilio David in a video message.

The bishop made the call to welcome the annual Laudato Si’ Week from 21 May to 28, with the theme “Hope for the Earth, Hope for Humanity”.

He emphasized the importance of taking immediate and proactive measures to address the climate crisis that has been affecting "our beautiful but endangered earth — our common home."

Further, Bishop David invited Catholic communities across the Philippines to take part in the week-long global event commemorating the eighth anniversary of Pope Francis' encyclical on taking care of the environment.

"Our hope is that Catholics on all six continents of the world will learn to walk not just with fellow Catholics, but with every fellow human being in this world," the bishop added.

"And our objective is to bring the entire human family together. This includes all fellow Christians from other traditions and denominations, as well as all fellow believers from other faith communities, to protect the earth, our common home," he said.