June 25, 2009

Greetings friars and friends,

May the Lord give you peace!  The USCCB recently issued a statement calling on President Obama and congressional leaders to enact comprehensive immigration reform legislation this year.

Franciscan Action Network (FAN), the USCCB, and many environmental organizations are encouraging us to contact our Representative about the Climate Bill, The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, HR2454. It may come to a vote as early as tomorrow. Though it's not a perfect bill by any means, it's a step in the right direction. FAN and the USCCB ask us to contact our Representatives urging them to support the bill but to make some changes to improve it first. You can read more from the USCCB and send a letter at FAN's website.

I was recently made aware of an excellent PowerPoint on the economic and environmental "hazards" of using bottled water. You can find it online.

Paul Hawken, environmental activist and author of Blessed Unrest, gave an inspiring Commencement Address last month in which he challenged graduates to respond to the needs of the planet saying, "The Earth is hiring." He points out that though the planet is in dire straits, the many people in the world working to save it and to assist the poor give him hope.

In another article the author, James Hansen, urges President Obama to end Mountaintop Removal coal mining, which our friars in Appalachia continue to challenge. Mountaintop removal provides merely 7% of U.S. coal at the cost of clear cutting forests, destroying mountain tops and clogging streambeds with debris. The author is a well-respected NASA scientist who was arrested this week for peacefully demonstrating near a West Virginia coal mine. You can send a message to the Obama Administration urging them to end this destruction by going to the Sierra Club's website.

Greetings friars and friends,

May the Lord give you peace!  The OFM General Chapter, as reported in the Chapter reports friars have been receiving, wrote a letter to the Treasury Ministers of the G8 (the major industrialized countries) while they were meeting in Italy . The Chapter asked the Treasury Ministers to work for policies that are sustainable, promote human dignity and the common good of all nations, and protect the environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency is accepting comments on their efforts to address greenhouse gases that impact climate change and endanger public health. You can send a letter supporting their findings. Deadline is June 23.

James McGinnis of the Institute for Peace and Justice has authored a wonderful book of prayers called, "Praying for Peace Around the Globe."  It includes brief descriptions of the situations in a number of countries, prayers for their needs, often written by citizens of that country, as well as action steps one can take to help. You can purchase it from Amazon.com or Liguori, the publisher. But you also support the Institute for Peace and Justice by purchasing it from them.

Greetings friars and friends,

May the Lord give you peace!  Catholic Relief Services is encouraging us to send a letter to our Congresspersons, asking them to support House Resolution 278, the Global Security Priorities Resolution, which would reduce nuclear weapons and direct a portion of the savings towards child survival, food security and education. Read more and send a letter at the CRS website.

A way to implement the 2008 Chapter Resolution on migration is to send a letter to your Senators, asking them to co-sponsor S. 1085, the Reuniting Families Act, which will address the decades-long backlogs in our immigration system. People today often wait 14 years to be legally reunited with a parent and up to 22 years to get a visa to reunite with a sibling! You can read more and send a letter at NETWORK's website.

NETWORK also asks us to contact our Senators about the Healthy Families Act, S. 1152, which would allow workers to earn paid sick days.  You can thank Senators who are already co-sponsors and ask those who are not to become a co-sponsor at NETWORK's website.

And finally, the May 18 edition of Americamagazine has an excellent article on racism, Why Race Still Matters. You can read it online by providing login information.

- We are a people who believe God entered into creation as a creature. How deeply do we value creation and savor its beauty?
Are we noticeably concerned about ecology, resources, conservation, recycling and
pollution?

- Am I walking gently on the earth? Do I live simply, mindful of how my life affects the Earth and her resources?

- Do I honor the sacredness of life in all living things, and do I seek the holiness which God has placed in these things and the measure of light which God has lent them?

- What am I doing to teach others, including children and members of my community, to cherish each strand of the intricate web of life?

- What actions am I taking to reverse the destruction of the earth's eco-systems and to promote her healing?

- As I consume material goods, am I mindful of the extent to which I consume the earth's resources? Do I reciprocate by nursing the earth's resources and giving back to the earth?

- Am I aware of what happens to the waste products I generate? Do I dispose of that waste in ways that are regenerative or at least in ways that do no harm?

 

We are Franciscans men and women who are followers of St. Francis of Assisi.
We believe that all of creation, from the smallest organism to human beings, is interdependent relationship on planet earth.
We are aware that this relationship is threatened by a refusal to admit this interdependence, by exploitation and by domination.
We commit ourselves to encourage awareness of this interdependence so that all creation may live in harmony. We will do this by service to our own members and those of the United Nations, as well as other NGO’s, through collaboration end education, and action regarding:

CARE OF CREATION - PEACE MAKING - CONCERN FOR THE POOR

We see these concerns as congruent with the goals expressed by the United Nations in its Charter and its declaration on Human Rights.

 

There are several environmental organizations that make it easy to write to Congress in support of legislation that protects the environment. Some recommended ones are:

Earthjustice, www.earthjustice.org/action;

Union of Concerned Scientists, www.ucsaction.org;

Natural Resources Defense Council, www.nrdc.org/action/default.asp;

Sierra Club, whistler.sierraclub.org/action/actionindex.jsp.

NETWORK, a National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, has an easy way to stay updated on the issues in Congress and let your Congresspersons know how you want them to vote.You can go to the NETWORK web site, www.networklobby.org, click on Legislative Action Center and get information about bills and issues and also NETWORK’s position on each.You can then directly write your senator or representative, even if you’re not sure who they are. All you need is your zip code. You can go directly to the letter-writing site at capwiz.com/networklobby.

Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) has a similar site at capwiz.com/fconl/home/.