Holy See to COP29: Indifference is an accomplice to injustice

By Francesca Merlo

Representing the Holy See at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, Cardinal Pietro Parolin stressed that “the scientific data available to us do not allow any further delay and make it clear that the preservation of creation is one of the most urgent issues of our time and we have to recognise that it is closely interrelated with the preservation of peace”.

The selfishness of individuals and groups

Speaking on behalf of Pope Francis at the United Nations' 29th Climate Conference (COP29), the Cardinal Secretary of State emphasised that COP29 takes in a context conditioned by “growing disillusionment with multilateral institutions and dangerous tendencies to build walls”. He described the selfishness, both individual and that of power groups, as feeding a climate of mistrust and division.

Cardinal Parolin warned that the globalistation that brings us closer to one another has not managed to make us feel like brothers and sisters. "Economic development has not reduced inequality", he stressed. "On the contrary, it has favored the prioritisation of profit and special interests at the expense of the protection of the weakest, and has contributed to the progressive worsening of environmental problems”.

This trend, he continued, must be reversed, and in order to do so - so as to create a culture of respect for life and the dignity of the human person - “it is necessary to understand that the harmful consequences of lifestyles affect everyone”.

The danger of ecological and foreign debt

Cardinal Parolin went on to stress that efforts should be made to find solutions that do not further undermine the development and adaptive capacity of many countries that are already burdened with crippling economic debt. “When discussing climate finance, it is important to remember that ecological debt and foreign debt are two sides of the same coin, mortgaging the future”.

In light of this, the Cardinal reiterated Pope Francis’ appeal, in which he asked more affluent nations to “forgive the debts of countries that will never be able to repay them”. He recalled the Pope’s words when he said that “more than a question of generosity, this is a matter of justice”.

Cardinal Parolin then appealed for a new, human-focused global financial system that supports equitable, sustainable development, especially for vulnerable nations and called on COP29 to drive political will toward inclusive growth.

We cannot pass by and look the other way

In this endeavour, Cardinal Parolin reiterated the dedication of the Holy See, “especially in the field of integral ecology, education and in raising awareness of the environmental as a human and social problem on any number of levels." We cannot “pass by and look the other way”, he said, before warning that "indifference is an accomplice to injustice".

Bringing his address to a close, the Cardinal Secretary of State appealed to all those present to ask themselves: what can I do? How can I contribute?

“There is no time for indifference today", he said, "we cannot wash our hands of it, with distance, with carelessness or with disinterest." And this, he concluded, “is the real challenge of our century.”