Over 45,000 march in Sydney
Youth from across Australia and several Brothers joined 45,000 Sydneysiders on Nov. 29 in marching to appeal for strong action at the United Nations Climate Change Conference currently taking place in Paris.
The Marist Youth Ministry team for the Province of Australia organised a group of Young Marists to participate in these manifestation.
Over 600,000 people have taken to the streets in thousands of cities in 175 countries worldwide to call for a transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
According to Brothers Daily News, the news bulletin of the Australia Province, the youth “have been inspired by the message of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si, which calls each of us to care for our common home and for all creation.”
“As young Marists, we are attentive to the urgent needs of our time, future generations, and those of young people, especially the poor who are most impacted by climate change,” it added.
The UN’s Conference is being held in Le Bourget, a northeastern suburb of Paris, from Nov. 30 – Dec. 11.
The youth’s action was in response to a statement made by Cardinal Peter Turkson, the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
“The message of ‘Laudato Si’ needs to be integrated into the active commitment of citizens who organise to make the Pope’s message resonate in the halls of power and who demand courageous action on the part of leaders and negotiators in favour of the poor and of the planet,” affirmed the Cardinal, the most prominent of Francis’s advisers on climate issues.
The Australia Province underscored that that message has been delivered clearly, and with the joy and enthusiasm of people whose hearts have been stirred.
Brother Justin Golding was featured on the television programme “9 News”, where he noted “the climate injustice was also the reason for Marist religious brother Justin Golding’s attendance along with students from Marist high schools.”
“I’m here looking for a change in the heart of people,” he told another news outlet, Australian Associated Press. “I work with young people who are passionate about climate justice (and) as a community we need to take action, on a personal level, in our homes.”