Catholic Church officials and volunteers in Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur Archdiocese have expressed hope that their efforts to protect the environment will contribute to global efforts at tackling climate change. Source: UCA News.
The initiatives started in 2023, when the nine bishops in the country signed an Ecological Diocese Pledge in response to the late Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical Laudato si’, Vatican News reported on Saturday.
The pledge includes actions such as eliminating single-use plastics at Church events by avoiding plastic utensils, bags, and water bottles, while promoting waste reduction and responsible waste management.
The document also asked each diocese and parish to engage in actions focused on reducing carbon footprints and fostering community resilience.
Archbishop Julian Leow Beng Kim of Kuala Lumpur said that “although much has been done, much more is needed locally and globally to tackle this climate crisis.”
He said he is encouraging all parishes in the archdiocese to undergo “an ecological conversion”.
Based on the pledge, Catholic dioceses and churches across Malaysia have initiated actions to reduce waste and promote recycling.
The Church of St Anthony in Kuala Lumpur was one of the parishes that took the pledge to be plastic-free.
Parish priest Fr. Clarence Devadass said the move was not merely a policy change, but a call to action for the entire parish community.
This calling to ecological care is “not an optional or secondary aspect of Christian life,” Fr Devadass said, while adding that it was a “spiritual and moral responsibility shared by all.”
The parish’s move to recycle candle wax generated about 10,000 Malaysian ringgit ($A3645) through the sale of recycled Christmas and Easter candles.
Fr Andrew Manickam, the Ecclesiastical Assistant to the Archdiocesan Creation Justice Ministry, said a tree-planting efforts demonstrated a collective commitment to environmental justice.
The diocese plans to send about 300 volunteers to support a government initiative to plant 100 million trees.
FULL STORY
Malaysian Catholics ramp up efforts to tackle climate change (UCA News)
