By Jason Giovannettone, Climate and Sustainability Director
There was a new addition at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP28, which took place from November 30 to December 12 in Dubai. Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed Al-Tayeb, inaugurated the first Faith Pavilion to offer a place where anyone from any faith could go for meditation, prayer and hope. Because Pope Francis was unable to attend the event, he sent the following video to introduce this new concept.
The importance of the Faith Pavilion as part of international talks on climate change did not go unnoticed by national media outlets.
Establishing a venue through which individuals of different faiths can come together and focus on their similarities (e.g., caring for the Earth) rather than their differences represents an important step toward effectively addressing concerns related to climate change and sustainability.
Mercy Tip: During this time of year when Christians of various denominations come together to celebrate Christmas, try to also engage your non-Christian neighbors by learning how their own faith traditions view and act upon concerns for the Earth related to climate change and sustainability.