Mount Joins U.S. Catholic Community in Issuing Climate Change Letter to President Trump and Congress
11/17/2017
Riverdale, N.Y. – University of Mount Saint Vincent President Charles L. Flynn, Jr. has joined the leaders of over 150 Catholic colleges and universities, religious congregations, national organizations, and health care providers in signing a letter to President Trump and the U.S. Congress in support of climate change science, funding, and international policy negotiations. The letter was organized by Catholic Climate Covenant.
“This letter demonstrates a broad, unified Catholic desire for American leadership on climate change,” said Most Rev. Richard Pates, Bishop of Des Moines and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops-appointed Liaison to Catholic Climate Covenant. “Catholic concern for climate change as a moral issue goes back to Pope John Paul II. Faithful to the Church’s consistent teaching, Catholics in the United States will tirelessly urge our elected leaders to address one of the most pressing modern issues.”
In the letter, Catholic leaders outline the Church’s longstanding commitment to care for creation and reiterate the U.S. bishops’ counsel to act on widely-accepted climate change science. The leaders collectively urge President Trump and members of the U.S. Congress to take three specific actions:
- Fund the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC);
- Meaningfully participate in the deliberations of the UNFCCC; and
- Honor U.S. Commitments to the Green Climate Fund
Read the full letter. For more information on the Catholic Climate Covenant, visit: catholicclimatecovenant.org.
About Catholic Climate Covenant
Catholic Climate Covenant inspires and equips Catholic people and communities to care for creation and care for the poor. Through their seventeen national partners, they guide the U.S. Church’s response to climate change by educating, giving public witness, and offering resources.
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of professional accomplishment, service, and leadership in the 21st century.