Oblates Endorse Climate Justice Ahead of COP30
We, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI), as a Religious Congregation of Pontifical Right, are honored to express our full support for the “Religious Life for Climate Justice: Turning Hope into Action Campaign” in preparation for COP30. We also endorse the commitment of all members of the Religious Life in this campaign, as endorsed by the president of the Union of Superiors General (USG) on June 18, 2025.
We acknowledge the pressing ecological and social challenges facing our world, our Common Home. We stand in solidarity with all religious communities advocating justice, solidarity, and peace for the climate and all of creation. Our commitment lies in taking coordinated action to combat climate change, alleviate poverty, and prevent irresponsible emissions that harm vulnerable communities.
Years ago, we embraced the spirit of Laudato Si’ and were guided by Laudate Deum to amplify the voices of those most affected by the climate crisis. We responded to the Church’s call to care for our common home. In this same spirit, our Superior General, in his letter from August 2023, invites all Oblates to fully commit to making ecological conversion a fundamental aspect of our lives and an integral part of our evangelization efforts.
Through our General Service of Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation, we support all initiatives aimed at caring for our world and for the voiceless and marginalized. In response to the mandates from our last Chapter in 2022, we are developing and sustaining a Congregational Plan of Action inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si’.” This effort involves collaboration with various groups and organizations, particularly the Laudato Si’ Action Platform.
We have created a Laudato Si’ Action Plan Guidebook for all Units, which aligns with the Laudato Si’ Platform and VIVAT International. This guide is a support tool to help and motivate the JPIC animators to develop their LSAP strategies. We encourage each interested Oblate Unit to “take action” to protect our Common Home. Our actions and strategies address social and environmental crises, aiming for poverty eradication, inclusion, and the preservation of the environment.
We collaborate in synodality with animators in the Units and local communities, enhancing our commitments to address climate issues and global challenges. We support their programs and training aimed at caring for the planet, which aligns with the Congregation’s Plan of Action. By sharing stories of the diverse efforts that others are making to protect the Earth, we inspire our communities. We recognize that no action is too small to contribute to our goal of creating a greener world.
Our Laudato Si Action Plan process is ongoing and not yet complete. We continue to value, sustain, and promote programs and activities that align with the LS Action Platform of the Church, following the mandates and recommendations from our 37th General Chapter (cf. PHC, Laudato Si’, nos. 1-5, pp. 42-43). We firmly believe that ecological conversion is not solely a human effort; rather, it results from a grace-filled encounter with God. Laudato Si’ encourages this kind of experience as a way for people of faith to begin moving toward a more compassionate world.
“Everything is interconnected,” said Pope Francis. Pope Leo XIII reminds us that “together with prayer, determination, and concrete actions, we must work to make this ‘caress of God’ visible to our world.” Therefore, achieving climate justice also means addressing the needs of migrants, victims of injustice, and the poor, who suffer the most from climate change.
Due to all the above reasons, our OMI initiatives provide strong and prayerful support for the Religious Life Campaign for Climate Justice. We eagerly anticipate journeying together toward COP30 with hope and action in a spirit of synodality.
Let us walk together as Pilgrims of Hope in Communion!
By Jean-Hérick Jasmin, OMI
Director, OMI-JPIC. Curia Generalizia OMI
Published on the OMI World website
