Pope Benedict XVI appealed for the success of the climate talks that are opening tomorrow in Durban, South Africa. Speaking to the faithful gathered in St Peter’s Square for the Sunday Angelus prayer, Pope Benedict expressed the hope that “all members of the international community might reach agreement on a responsible, credible response,” to the phenomenon of climate change, which he described as “complex” and “disturbing”.
The Holy Father also asked that leaders’ response be consonant with the spirit and requirements of solidarity, taking into account the needs of the poorest people and future generations. The Holy Father’s appeal came after the traditional prayer of Marian devotion, ahead of which he spoke about the new liturgical season of Advent, which began this weekend with First Sunday Vespers. It was a theme to which he returned in his English-language remarks, as well:
I offer a warm welcome to the English-speaking pilgrims and visitors present at this Angelus prayer. Today, the Church begins the celebration of Advent, which marks the beginning of a new liturgical year and our spiritual preparation for the celebration of Christmas. Let us heed the message in today’s Gospel by entering prayerfully into this holy season, so that we may be ready to greet Jesus Christ, who is God with us. I wish you all a good Sunday. May God bless all of you!
Advent is the first season of the new liturgical year. It is a period of penance and preparation for the Second Coming of Christ, and for the celebration of his Nativity, on Christmas Day.
Catholicism Pure & Simple 
The Holy Father is right about the complexity of climate change. However, I do remember somewhere on this site a worrying post or article about this topic. It’s also a shame to read the very cautious and careful criticism of the Pope here on this forum, by people who should know better. Those who are so careful should back the Pope, in all humility.
I find that climate change deniers are often linked to the mad right wing, especially, but not only, of the US. They have irresponsible allies in India and China – the three greatest polluters of my planet. CO2 emissions have risen last year.
I say that it is unChristian, at the very least, to damage our shared planet and then to deny it. I find that this is linked to gross commercialism and will be the death of us all, if Israel and the US don’t do it quicker. Professor Lovelock of the Gaia Hypothesis says that it is now too late for the planet, for politicians have ignored the issue for so long, despite warnings from scientists, a group much maligned by mediaevalists.
I’m with the Holy Father on this one – are you?
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May I say that when I referred to “climate change deniers” I was not referring to a grade of stocking?
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Advent is just the time for us to be following the Holy Father’s lead on climate change. Turning down the central heating, avoiding using the car unnecessarily,walking the children to school, boiling just enough water for coffee – we can do our bit. We can also get the parish to do things together and the parish priest to take the lead. We can press our Bishop to set the diocese on a sustainable, low carbon path. What’s more we can write to our MP and to th Prime Minister to demad that the UK lead in Europe and at Durban. We Catholics must not let the moment pass.
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It’s very sad that well intentioned people should be so misled by bad science and those who make extraordinary sums of money from the ‘carbon’ business on the backs of the poor and least capable. I’ve no idea who Wall-eyed whippy has in mind when talking of ‘climate change deniers’, perhaps the same type of extremist who believes that we’ll all be submerged within a generation or starving. The science is very complicated, but the small part of that it is agreed upon shows that the world is not changing very quickly, and is not likely to either. We need to adapt to the climate as we have always done throughout the thousands of years we have been here. The current ‘green’ scare is making the traders, the bankers, the industrialists enormous fortunes at the expense of the poor. That is the big problem that needs to be addressed.
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