Fossil fuel divestment as an act of faith and justice

By Guadalupe Garcia, Laudato Si´ Movement

Against the background of the UN climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, 27 religious institutions are calling for an end to the fossil fuel era. Among them, the dioceses of Nantes in France and the diocese of Porto-Santa Rufina in Italy have joined forces and their bishops describe what it has meant for them.

This decision constitutes much more than an economic policy: it is an act of faith and a commitment to consistency with Christian values. In the words of those behind this decision compassion and a sense of responsibility towards “the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor”.

The voice of the Diocese of Nantes

Laurent Percerou, Bishop of Nantes, has a clear vision in this decision: to unite faith with social and environmental responsibility. “Our diocese is very aware of the cry of the Earth and the poor.” The prelate, together with those in charge of Integral Ecology, Pénélope and Jean-Baptiste Aubourg, mentioned that their commitment is to carry out the initiative within five years. This decision is also an invitation for each person to examine his or her own finances and consider how they can influence the common good.

“With this action, we wish to be consistent with our faith, as well as to invite the faithful to consider their finances, since this is part of the conversion journey for all of us,” they state. This call is profound: to recognize that every decision, even financial, has an ethical and spiritual dimension.

Porto-Santa Rufina: A gesture of love and care

In Italy, the Diocese of Porto-Santa Rufina, led by Bishop Gianrico Ruzza, has joined the divestment campaign with the purpose of “witnessing the care of creation with a concrete gesture”. For Bishop Ruzza, this decision is an extension of God's love for his creation: “The work of the Creator shines forth the beauty of the Word of God, the Word that in Jesus Christ revealed the face of the good Father,” he reflected.

Divestment is not just an economic action, but an act of love and gratitude for the natural world that God has placed in our hands: “The Gospel calls us to be agents of peace and justice,” he says, and this gesture is a proclamation of hope and a declaration of faith in the Resurrection, an act that speaks of regeneration, change and the possibility of a sustainable future.

Actions as examples to follow

The actions of these dioceses are an invitation to reflection. They remind us that our decisions, both individual and collective, have a direct impact on the world. By divesting from fossil fuels, these religious institutions are setting an example that invites us all to reconsider how our finances can contribute to a world that is more just, sustainable and at peace with nature.

This message is, above all, a call to hope. It invites us to believe that, through unity, responsibility and faith, we can build a future in which creation is respected and all human beings can live in dignity and harmony.