Sustainable Life

European Church bodies: COVID highlights need for conditions of sustainable life throughout the earth.

The presidents of CEC, the Conference of European Churches, and CCEE, the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences, have released a joint statement ahead of the Season of Creation 2020.

Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, CCEE President, and Rev. Christian Krieger, CEC President, are inviting the continent’s Christians to celebrate the Season of Creation this year under the heading of Jubilee for the Earth.

The season is celebrated globally from 1 September to 4 October.

“The concept of Jubilee is rooted in the Bible and underlines that there must exist a just and sustainable balance between social, economic and ecological realities.

“The lesson from the biblical concept of jubilee points us towards the need to restore balance in the very systems of life, affirming the need for equality, justice and sustainability and confirming the need for a prophetic voice in defence of our common home.”

The presidents stress the interconnectivity of the world – particularly in light of the global COVID-19 pandemic:

“We realise more than ever that we are not isolated from each other and that conditions related to human health and well-being are fragile.

“The impact of the pandemic forces us to take seriously the need for vigilance and the need for conditions of sustainable life throughout the earth. This is even more important when considering the environmental devastation and the threat of climate change.”