Conference of European Churches - Office of Communications

Press release No. 08-48/e

Geneva, 26 September 2008

Churches can contribute to reducing impact of climate change by proposing new lifestyles
The 7th Assembly of the ECEN opened in Triuggio near Milano, Italy

“The risks connected with climate change have dramatically increased since 2001. Nevertheless, there is no fatalistic view of the future. There are ways to reduce emissions, and churches can contribute to solutions by proposing changes in lifestyle and behaviour patterns”, said Prof. Jean-Pascal van Ypersele to the participants in the 7th Assembly of the European Christian Environmental Network (ECEN), meeting from 24-28 September in Triuggio near Milano, Italy. Prof. Van Ypersele is the vice-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Nobel Prize winner in 2007.

One hundred delegates from 27 countries and from all Christian traditions are participating in the ECEN Assembly on the theme “The true challenge of climate change”. A network connected with the Conference of European Churches (CEC), ECEN celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Rev. Peter Pavlovic, ECEN Secretary, indicated that among recent achievements of the network was its involvement in the preparation and running of the 3rd European Ecumenical Assembly (EEA3) in Sibiu, in September 2007: “The environmental part of the EEA3 was prepared jointly by ECEN and the environmental commission of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences. The outcomes of the Sibiu Assembly are a strong impulse to the further strengthening of the churches’ involvement in the protection of creation”, he said.

The EEA3 recommended that all churches in Europe should mark a special “Creation Time” in September, a time of prayer and action for the integrity of creation. In her opening welcome, Rev. Letizia Tomassone, vice-president of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (the Italian member of ECEN) underlined that all Italian churches, including the Roman Catholic, are co-operating on environmental issues and celebrate the “Creation Time”.

“God mocks the creatures that deplore the effects of the causes they continue to love”, said the Italian architect and urbanist Roberto Ferrero quoting a Catholic theologian from the 17th century, Jacques Bossuet. In order to solve the problem of climate change a “holistic view” is needed, “an ethical and professional reformulation which involves all the aspects of production”. The Swedish biologist Stefan Edman challenged the churches to “transform their gloomy moralism” and to link the environmental question to the issues of human rights and solidarity.

The contribution of churches to the debate on climate change was dealt with in a panel discussion with voices from different traditions: Orthodox (Dimitri Oikonomou), Reformed (Otto Schaefer), Roman Catholic (Karl Golser), Evangelical (Alfredo Abreu) and from Earth Charter International (Michael Slaby).

The ECEN Assembly continues today with working groups and a visit to Milan, where they will meet with local churches. The results of the working groups and the final recommendations will be adopted on Saturday. A closing worship service will be held on Sunday morning in the Methodist Church of Milan.

The final press release will be published on Monday 29 September.

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The Conference of European Churches (CEC) is a fellowship of some 120 Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Old Catholic Churches from all countries of Europe, plus 40 associated organisations. CEC was founded in 1959. It has offices in Geneva, Brussels and Strasbourg.

For more information:
Luca Negro
CEC Secretary for Communications and Information
Phone +41 22 791 64 85 or 791 63 25
Fax +41 22 791 62 27
e-mail: Luca.Negro@cec-kek.org
ECEN Website: www.ecen.org