Editorial: US bishops must leave 'apathetic middle' on fossil fuel investment
Pope Francis has repeatedly called for "a gradual replacement, but without delay, of fossil fuels with clean energy sources," urging investors to "commit themselves to the integral care of our common home, excluding from investments those companies that do not meet the parameters of integral ecology while rewarding those that work concretely during this transitional phase."
This contrasts with the position of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which last updated its investment guidelines in 2003. A review of that document, which outlines financial principles related to human rights, racism, economic justice and the environment, has been underway.
"Catholic financial experts say the outdated bishops' conference guidelines have allowed investors to avoid the difficult issues raised by investing in industries related to fossil fuels — the primary driver of climate change — including whether to divest," we write in our editorial. "Catholics cannot continue to be apathetic bystanders, profiting at the expense of communities suffering from environmental damage and climate change."
Read more of our editorial here.
More background:
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The NCR Publishing Company has separated its multimillion-dollar investment portfolio from financial holdings in the fossil fuel sector.
Cardinal Gregory 'saddened' by divisions in the church
After taking possession of his titular church in Rome — a longstanding tradition meant to symbolize the unity of the pope with his cardinals around the world — Cardinal Wilton Gregory of Washington said he is "saddened" by the tensions in the U.S. church and sees it part of his job to bolster Pope Francis' ministry.
"Francis has provided extraordinarily generous, kind and sensitive leadership to the church throughout the world," Gregory told NCR. "And I hope in whatever way I can to assist him in that, to support him in that, and to be available to whatever he might ask me to do, and buttressing and supporting his papal ministry."
You can read more of the story here.
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