Pope Francis and faith leaders on pilgrimage to COP26, listening to the cries of the earth, the poor, and future generations - Photo:canva.com
Prayer during COP26
God, you uphold us always.
Free us from ignorance about your gifts of Creation
so we can relate to earth’s rhythms with humility.
Inspire us to welcome the truth when scientists speak of climate change and death of species, rejecting false pathways designed to confuse.
Strengthen our resolve to respect life in all its forms, choosing
‘to eat, travel, spend, invest and live differently’, as wrote
Pope Francis and faith leaders on pilgrimage to COP26,
listening to the cries of the earth, the poor, and future generations.
Help us urge our politicians to take urgent action
in negotiating sustainable living.
Ground all our thoughts in your revealing Scriptures
and the wisdom of holy women and men who have gone before us
to help grow a new creation promised in your Cosmic Son.
Give us a discerning spirit to work with the ecological and the human,
the political and the economic realities of this world,
and instil in us a spirit of respect, compassion and friendship
able to imagine pathways of harmony.
Amen.
This prayer was written in the light of the 2021 IPPC Report, the 2021 UNEP report on Biodiversity, and the Joint Statement by Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican Leaders.
