Prayer and Action for Rio+20 Earth Summit

June 16, 2012: In Brazil, churches are joining together in praying for environmental issues and are inviting others from around the world to join them on 16 - 17 June - the weekend before the start of the Rio+20 summit on 20 June, Independent Catholic News (ICN) reported Friday.

As Christians, we believe that prayer is vital in bringing about change in our world and it helps us to be open to change too. The initiators of the prayers requested all Christians to pray for the people who are affected by climate change, and for those who have the power to make a difference.

Meanwhile Archbishop Francis Chullikatt, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, said that his mission is "to highlight the human person and the social-ecological problems of the poorest countries that often do not have voice in such great conference."
The Church emphasized three aspects of sustainable development in Rio +20, namely, economic, social and environment, Msgr. Chullikatt said.

Regarding the economic side, he said the church has been always concerned with the poorest countries. The Church is also fully involved in the growth of social conditions in the world. And as ecology, Catholics take care of nature because they believe in the preservation of Creation. "We have come, said Archbishop Chullikat, to give prominence to those who have no voice, in particular the people of poor nations.