Hagley catholic high school

Eco-schools and our Catholic faith

Our Catholic faith calls us to respect the natural world that God has created, to work for peace, to stand up and fight for justice and to reach out to our neighbour in need.

 

Pope John Paul II, who led the Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005, devoted his pontificate to proclaiming human rights throughout the world. His successor, Pope Benedict XVI has continued this tradition by calling upon all followers of Christ to work for justice and peace, to relieve the plight of the poor and to show concern for the environment. In his message for the start of Lent 2008, Pope Benedict said,

“According to the teaching of the Gospel, we are not owners but rather administrators of the goods we possess: these, then, are not to be considered as our exclusive possession, but means through which the Lord calls each one of us to act as a steward of His providence for our neighbor. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, material goods bear a social value, according to the principle of their universal destination (cf. n. 2404)

In the Gospel, Jesus explicitly admonishes the one who possesses and uses earthly riches only for self. In the face of the multitudes, who, lacking everything, suffer hunger, the words of Saint John acquire the tone of a ringing rebuke: “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?” (1 Jn 3,17). In those countries whose population is majority Christian, the call to share is even more urgent, since their responsibility toward the many who suffer poverty and abandonment is even greater. To come to their aid is a duty of justice even prior to being an act of charity.

Cafod

 

CAFOD is the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development, the official overseas development and relief agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales

 

CAFOD raises funds so that it can promote long-term development, respond to emergencies, raise public awareness of the causes of poverty, speak out on behalf of poor communities, and promote social justice in witness to Christian faith and gospel values

 

CAFOD was born when volunteer members of the National Board of Catholic Women organised the first Family Fast Day on Friday, March 12, 1960

 

Year after year, CAFOD promotes long-term development, responds to emergencies, raises awareness of poverty, speaks out on behalf of poor communities, and promotes social justice

 

Climate change hits the world's poorest communities first and hardest. Find out how CAFOD is responding to "the greatest challenge facing humankind", and how you can get involved.

Scientific evidence shows human activity is changing the climate - and the world's most vulnerable communities already feel a catastrophic impact on their health and livelihoods.

CAFOD is calling on the rich world to shoulder the lion's share of responsibility for tackling climate change, since developed nations have used up far more than their fair share of the Earth's resources.

Supporters can take action on climate change as part of their commitment to simple and sustainable ways of life, living in solidarity with the poorest communities in the world.

Hundreds of thousands of farmers are benefitting through Fairtrade. But many millions more could also benefit if it wasn’t for unjust trade rules that hamper poor countries’ attempts to trade their way out of poverty

When you buy Fairtrade products, you know that the farmer who grew your coffee or tea got a fair price for the crop, plus a little bit extra to help the community’s development.

Millions more people living in poor countries stand to benefit.

Nelson Mandela says: "Trade justice for the developing world and for this generation is a truly significant way for the developed countries to show commitment to bringing about an end to global poverty."