Philippine bishops vow to refuse mining firm donations

Philippine bishops vow to refuse mining firm donations

Catholic leaders in the Philippines have vowed never to accept donations from exploitative industries such as mining as part of their efforts to fight climate change.

The vow came in a Jan. 28 pastoral letter issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

They said that church leaders should lead by example in fighting for a greener environment.

“We continue to suffer in an increasingly warming world with an ailing biosphere triggered by exploitative practices that benefit the wealthy few but cause poverty and hunger to many,” the letter said.

One course of action the CBCP could take was to initiate a “non-acceptance policy” of donations from mining firms in the Philippines, it added.

The bishops also vowed to withdraw Catholic Church investment in corporations linked to mining and any activities that contributed to environmental degradation.

Financial resources must be used solely for the common good, integrity of creation and the glory of our creator

“Through efforts by many members of the Church and civil society, we are now more aware that many of the financial institutions in whom we place our trust have been instrumental in the rise of fossil fuels as well as other destructive and exploitative industries like mining and logging,” the bishops said.

“It is unacceptable that finances so graciously provided to us are used for such industries. Financial resources must be used solely for the common good, integrity of creation and the glory of our creator.”

Without clear commitments and policies from these banks to divest from fossil fuels, the bishops commit to withdraw all their resources that are with them by 2025 and to hold them accountable for their fiduciary duties and moral obligations as climate actors, they said.

The CBCP also called on lawmakers and government institutions to push for the implementation of environmental laws.

“We demand transparency and genuine stakeholder involvement from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples in all decisions made relative to ecologically and socially hazardous endeavors including mining, logging, construction or operation of infrastructure and energy or other industrial facilities,” the letter said.

CBCP vice-president Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara said the statement is in line with Pope Francis’ call in his encyclical Laudato Si’ to treat the earth as our common home.