John Carroll University Committs to St. Francis Pledge

 

BY ISN STAFF | December 19, 2013

12/19/13 – John Carroll University became the fifth U.S. Jesuit university to sign the “Saint Francis Pledge” to Care for Creation and the Poor, led by the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change, making the university a partner in the national movement for faithful action on climate change.

John Carroll joins twenty-one other Catholic universities as a partner.  This list includes four Jesuit universities: Creighton University, Gonzaga University, Loyola University Chicago and Seattle University.  According to the university release regarding the pledge, John Carroll has recently implemented several sustainability initiatives that address environmental issues on campus and in the Greater Cleveland area.

The pledge asks individuals to make a difference in five areas: prayer and reflection on the duty to care for God’s Creation and protect the poor and vulnerable, learning about climate change, assessing one’s own environmental impact, acting to reduce their impact, and advocating for policies and initiatives that protect the environment and the world’s poor.

More information on the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change is at: http://catholicclimatecovenant.org/

The Ignatian Solidarity Network (ISN) endorsed the “Saint Francis Pledge” in April 2013, joining a growing list of national Catholic organizations supporting the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change as partners.

The announcement is consistent with recent statements from Pope Francis on care for creation.  On October 4, 2013, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis called said, “St. Francis of Assisi bears witness to the need to respect all that God has created…Let us respect creation, let us not be instruments of destruction.”

Links to Institutional Announcements:
Creighton University
Gonzaga University and Gonzaga Preparatory School
John Carroll University