August 14, 2023
Catholic Social Teaching is at the heart of what CAFOD does and of who we are. Find out how our education resources will help your pupils understand Catholic Social Teaching and inspire them to find ways of responding locally, nationally and globally.
Continue reading “It’s as easy as CST”April 4, 2023
CAFOD’s campaign to fix our broken food system is deeply rooted in our Catholic faith and its teachings. Find out how we drew upon scripture to focus on seeds and the plight of farmers around the world.
Continue reading “Sowers and reapers: The struggle for seed sovereignty in Bangladesh”February 20, 2023
On Mother Language Day we celebrate cultural and linguistic diversity around the world. Lucy Jardine, Communications Officer, talked to our partner CENDA in Bolivia on the importance of preserving mother languages, and shares her thoughts on how learning languages enables deep encounters.
Continue reading “A language of encounter”January 4, 2023
Following the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Caroline Stanton from our Theology team reflects on the significance of his teachings on justice and peace.
Continue reading “Reflections of Pope Benedict XVI’s teachings on social justice”October 1, 2021
One year on from the signing of Fratelli Tutti, Francis Stewart from our Theology team reflects on its Franciscan inspiration. As well as its vision for navigating the tensions and conflicts that will come with the challenges of today’s world.
The Season of Creation culminates on 4 October, with the feast of St Francis of Assisi. It is no coincidence that a year ago Pope Francis signed Fratelli Tutti: On Fraternity and Social Friendship in Assisi, standing by the relics of St Francis, patron of ecology.
Continue reading “A reflection on the first anniversary of Fratelli Tutti”August 21, 2020
Francis Stewart, from our Theology team, reflects on what the Church has to say about the injustice of debt. As we begin to rebuild after the coronavirus pandemic he invites us to imagine a new way forward.
Continue reading “Imagining a future beyond debt”September 20, 2019
When climate change protesters create a ‘prayer bridge’ in London in October, our Head of Campaigns Daniel Hale suggests three ways CAFOD supporters can stand in prayer and solidarity.
Continue reading “Bridge of faith: Why are Extinction Rebellion taking over a London bridge?”November 6, 2017
Joy Wanless is a volunteer with CAFOD Salford. She shares about what inspired her to become a prayer-writing volunteer. Find out how you can join her.
Me, write a reflection, write prayers? Not I! I was used to reciting traditional prayers and following liturgies prepared by others. Belonging to the Spirituality Team in Salford diocese changed all that. As I became more interested in following CAFOD stories, learning about the treacherous difficulties of life in many parts of the world and the generosity of CAFOD volunteers, I wanted to fuel their passion by enmeshing the prayer with the stories.
A very moving moment from a story which touched me greatly was at a Water Pilgrimage we planned around the diocese, travelling between the churches. As part of the prayer we gave out pieces of rope and invited people to tie them tightly round their waists. This was inspired by the story of Ayapan who ties string round her waist and drinks hot water to cope with hunger.
August 14, 2015
Maisie, Hollis, Hannah & Theo, of SS John Fisher and Thomas More School, are CAFOD young climate bloggers. They
deliver assemblies to raise environmental awareness in their school community, and blog about what they are doing. Quickly realizing that this was an issue bigger than just the school community, the group invited Andrew Stephenson MP to a Q&A session during which he was asked to outline the government’s plans for minimising damage to our planet. He went away and brought the questions to Prime Minister’s questions. The group was recently honoured as part of Million Minutes’ Celebrating Young People Awards, which celebrated how young people live out Catholic Social Teaching every day through taking social action. They were co-winners of the Caring for the Environment award. Here’s what Hannah and Hollis had to say:
On 1st July, we embarked on our long awaited journey to London. We were ready to take our first steps into the House of Lords, to celebrate our work on climate change as nominees for the Barbara Ward Award for Caring for the Environment.
As only two people were permitted to attend parliament. Hannah and I (Hollis) had to occupy ourselves in London for 5 hours, which certainly isn’t a bad deal! We both agreed we wanted to see Covent Garden, as we’ve heard it’s one of the key places to visit in the capital city. Whilst in Covent Garden, which was amazing, we enjoyed the entertainment and some very much needed ice-cream before freshening up to go and meet Maisie and Theo, for the award ceremony at the Prince Charles Theatre, in Leicester Square.
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And Maisie and Theo talk about their visit to the House of Lords!
January 16, 2015
By Jesy Romero, Water Resources Coordinator for CAFOD’s Church partner CEAS
I have seen first-hand the marginalisation and exclusion of the poor communities we work with, who are constantly defending their lands. My Christian vocation compels me to speak the truth and nothing but the truth for the common good. This is why I travelled thousands of miles from my home in Peru to visit CAFOD supporters and campaigners in London last October for the launch of their campaign, One Climate, One World. I wanted to explain the impact climate change is having in Peru and the conflicts occurring because of water shortages, so that people will better understand the importance of caring for God’s creation.
Water shortages and flooding in Peru
Latin America is one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change, yet some people don’t know about the scarcity of water in Peru. My country has 70% of the world’s tropical glaciers, and in the region where I work I can see how they are melting at an alarming rate. The statistics are catastrophic; the Peruvian government says that by 2030, all the glaciers below 5,000 metres will have melted completely.
Stand in solidarity with climate campaigners like Jesy and sign CAFOD’s climate petition today >>
In addition to the water shortages, which come about because of the disappearing glaciers, there is also an increased risk of flooding, because the displaced ice from the mountains can crash into the lakes. We fear that at any moment there could be another avalanche, like the one in 1970 that killed many thousands of people in my area. Continue reading “Water shortages in Peru: why we should all care for God’s creation”
