Commentary 26/05/08 Church moves climate engagement from global advocacy to parish lif

[성기화 요셉]

At Santa Marta, the Church’s intervention was institutional, theological and deeply local

The Laudato Si’ Movement brought a clear message from the Catholic community to the Santa Marta Conference: the time has come to put faith into action and move decisively toward a just, orderly, and equitable transition beyond coal, oil, and gas. (Photo: laudatosimovement.org)

By Umar Manzoor Shah

Published: May 08, 2026 12:22 PM GMT

Updated: May 08, 2026 12:23 PM GMT

The Catholic Church has reframed the global issue of energy transition as an ethical and spiritual responsibility by bringing bishops, parish networks, grassroots believers, and interfaith activists into the heart of the first International Conference for the Progressive Elimination of Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia.

The gathering, from April 24 to 29, brought together governments, scientists, indigenous communities, social movements, and civil society actors to discuss pathways to move beyond fossil fuels in line with the Paris Agreement.

Among the most striking participants were Church leaders from Latin America, Africa and Asia, who argued that climate change is not only an environmental crisis but also a profound question of justice, human dignity and faith.

For the Church, Santa Marta was an extension of Pope Francis’s call in Laudato Si’ and subsequent papal teachings to defend “our common home” and to place the poor at the center of climate action.

Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa of Panama captured this clearly when he said that abandoning fossil fuels is “not only a technical decision, but also a moral and spiritual decision.”

Church’s intervention was deeply local

Climate diplomacy often remains trapped in the language of economics, investment, and state negotiations. By contrast, the Church introduced a language of conscience. It insisted that energy choices must be judged not only by efficiency but by their consequences for vulnerable communities already living with droughts, floods, displacement and pollution.

This moral framing matters especially in the Global South, where communities contribute the least to global emissions but bear the heaviest burden of climate destruction.

In Santa Marta, the Church’s intervention was institutional, theological, and deeply local.

Monsignor Juan Carlos Barreto, president of Caritas Colombia and bishop of Soacha, stressed that the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy must be discussed not only in diplomatic halls but inside parishes, dioceses and local communities. He argued that care for creation should become a regular part of pastoral reflection and community action.

One could infer from the prelate’s statement that the Church is trying to shift climate engagement from international advocacy to parish life.

Barreto says that ecological conversion must happen “ad intra,” within the Church itself. That means bishops, priests, seminarians and parish communities must undergo formation so climate justice becomes part of evangelization, not an optional side issue.

Unlike governments, which change with elections, the Church has enduring local structures. A parish in a remote rural community may have more influence over daily behavior than a distant ministry. If ecological teaching becomes embedded in sermons, catechism, and parish practice, climate action moves from policy debate to lived culture.

The Church’s role in Santa Marta also extended into political advocacy. Catholic conferences from Latin America, Africa, and Asia issued a joint manifesto supporting the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty and calling for a global phaseout of fossil fuels. This was a direct intervention in international climate diplomacy.

The manifesto aligned with broader demands from civil society groups seeking stronger commitments from governments. It also strengthened the legitimacy of climate action by connecting policy demands with moral authority.

For many faith leaders, supporting such a treaty is necessary. They see the continued expansion of fossil fuels as incompatible with the defense of life.

Interfaith collaboration

The Church’s intervention was also strengthened by interfaith collaboration.

Sulman Hincapié, representing the Christian International Service of Solidarity with the Peoples of Latin America and the Oscar Romero network, described how faith-based organizations spent months preparing a shared manifesto through what they called the “Fridays of Santa Marta.” These meetings gathered voices from territories, experts, grassroots communities, and religious organizations to build a document presented to the governments of Colombia and the Netherlands, the summit organizers.

The significance of this interreligious work lies in its ability to bridge local suffering with global negotiations.

Community testimonies at the summit highlighted how mining and extraction directly damage water systems, contaminate the air, and destroy livelihoods. One participant described how excavation changes mountain water flows, while coal dust pollutes oxygen, harms people, and affects animals and plants.

By placing these voices alongside bishops and diplomats, the Church helped create a climate conversation rooted in human experience rather than technical abstraction. This is perhaps where the Church’s credibility is strongest.

Its message resonates because it speaks from communities already experiencing the crisis. In Latin America, Africa, and Asia, climate justice is inseparable from land rights, indigenous survival, migration and poverty.

The phrase repeated throughout the summit, “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor,” reflects that connection. It is both theological and political.

Church leaders repeatedly stressed that climate action must begin inside the institution itself. This honesty may be critical if the Church wants to maintain moral authority in climate politics.

Church leaders insisted that governments alone cannot decide the future of energy systems. Civil society must be part of the process, and transitions must be equitable, gradual, and adapted to the realities of both producing and consuming nations.

Santa Marta, therefore, became a test of whether moral leadership can influence global transition. The Catholic Church entered that space as an actor trying to reshape the terms of debate.

And if climate justice is to mean anything, it must begin where faith meets daily life, in the parish, in the village, and in the voices of those already paying the price for a warming world.

*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official editorial position of UCA News.