Christian climate change activists are inviting people to take part in a Lenten 40 day prayer vigil outside parliament in London as part of a campaign of prayer and demonstration calling for urgent action against the climate crisis.
It will begin with an Ash Wednesday Vigil outside Westminster Cathedral at 12 noon; protesters will receive a cross marked in crude oil on their foreheads, symbolising humanity’s continued dependence upon fossil fuels that harm the environment. The demonstration will then proceed to Westminster Abbey, and from there to Parliament Square, where a non-stop vigil will take place for the remainder of lent.
Sr Katrina with 83 year old Catholic activist Phil Kingston on a recent climate change protest
A Sister of St Joseph of Peace, Sr Katrina Alton CSJP, says: “It is a journey of the heart: a time for personal penance, reconciliation and conversion. With Jesus we enter the solitude and temptation of the desert, wrestling with our own complicity in the devastation of creation. It is also a collective journey of diverse actions in solidarity with our crucified earth, and especially the poorest people in the poorest countries already paying the price of the climate emergency.”
Sr Katrina cites ‘Querida Amazonia’ the Pope’s latest exhortation, as helping inform her commitment to the protest: “Pope Francis has defined ‘ecological sin’ not only as 'actions', but also 'inaction' that crucifies the poorest and the environment. The Pope goes a step further and says, "It is a sin against future generations." Our presence in Parliament Square for the 40 days of Lent will be a sign of our personal and collective commitment to make the sacrifices required to put pressure on our government to tell the truth and act now.”
Sr Katrina believes the Church could be doing more collectively, to put this issue at the top of the political agenda: “There are great examples of some dioceses, such as Middlesbrough, many parishes, and some religious orders who are leading the way on this. Good practice is out there, so we have no excuses! 2019 was the year of declaring a "Climate Emergency", 2020 has to be the year we see the transformative action needed to tackle it by our government, and by our Church.”
Christian Climate Action
The Church of England recently committed to reaching net carbon neutrality as an organisation by the year 2030 rather than 2045, the date suggested by the Church’s official working group on the question. Christian Climate Action were active in campaigning for the more ambitious 2030 timescale. The campaigning group have called for the Catholic Church in England and Wales to adopt the same 2030 target, beginning their Ash Wednesday vigil at Westminster Cathedral for this reason.