KR Flowers enys (6)The Church of England’s lead Bishop for the environment, the Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam is calling on congregations to join Pope Francis, Patriarch Bartholomew, members of the global Anglican Church and Christians around the world to fast and pray for the care of creation on September 1.

Bishop Nicholas said: “It will do us all good to stop, fast, think and pray about the need to care for God’s good but fragile creation. We live at a time when human activity has caused a dramatic reduction in the earth’s biodiversity and when people are causing climate change through our profligate use of fossil fuels. A consensus has emerged about the need to move to a low carbon economy.

“Whatever the scientific, economic and political difficulties at root this is a spiritual problem. Prayer helps clarify what we want and strengthens our determination for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. On September 1, join the prayer for the care of creation.”

The latest commitment by the CofE to transition to a low carbon future seeks to join with other denominations including the Orthodox Church, which has celebrated a Day of Prayer for the Environment on September 1 since 1989; and with the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Francis established a ‘’World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation’ for the Catholic Church which will be held annually on the same date.

Other members of the Anglican Church across the world have pledged their support for praying on September 1 for climate justice, including the Archbishop of Cape Town and Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, the Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba who made the following commitment:
“I fast in solidarity with children who will go to bed hungry tonight because their parents cannot afford the rising prices of food;
I fast in solidarity with climate refugees who have lost their homes and livelihoods due to climate change;
And I fast in solidarity with people of faith around the world because we know that hope is rising.”