Église Verte (Green Church)
Gn 1:1[….]31 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth [….] And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good”
God creates the earth for mankind to dwell in. How do people inhabit this earth that God has entrusted to them?
What is Église Verte?
Église verte is a label created in 2017, a movement that grew out of COP 21 and the publication by Pope Francis of the encyclical Laudato si'.
Learn moreÉglise verte is a label created in 2017, a movement that grew out of COP 21 and the publication by Pope Francis of the encyclical Laudato si'. This label is a tool for parishes as well as Christian charities, movements, monasteries and institutions that wish to commit to a process of ecological conversion.
Since 2020, the label has been run by the association “Église verte”, which stems from the Council of Christian Churches in France (the body that coordinates ecumenism). The three presidents of the association are the presidents of the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF), the Protestant Federation of France and the Assembly of Orthodox Bishops of France (Archbishop Éric de Moulins-Beaufort, Christian Krieger and Metropolitan Dimitrios Ploumis). Obtaining this label should not be seen as an end in itself but as an invitation to set out together and learn to care for Creation. It has to be renewed every year. Saint-Maurice parish included obtaining this label in the parish project presented in September 2022. Besides reflecting on how parish services can move towards greater simplicity and moderation, various events (talks, Climate Fresk workshops, discussions…) will be offered to all those who wish to take part.
- Because we believe that God reveals himself through his work, which he has entrusted to mankind so that it may be cultivated and preserved
- Because life on earth is a blessing that shows us God's love, and so acting to preserve it is a way of loving our neighbour and working for justice
- Because the ecological crisis calls us to hear the cry of the earth, which is “groaning in travail” (Rom 8:22), and to choose, in hope, ways of life that would be the first fruits of a new creation reconciled in Christ
- Because the people of God can pray and act to bring this hope to the world
- Because we are aware that it is by being converted together that we will help to build the fairer and more ecological world needed for the survival of humanity
https://www.egliseverte.org/le-label-eglise-verte-2 (in French)
Why is Saint-Maurice parish taking part?
Saint-Maurice parish lies alongside the Loire, the last wild river in France, which, through the seasons, reminds us of both the strength and the fragility of nature. It is also the cathedral of Saint Martin… a towering figure who turns our attention once and for all towards the most vulnerable.
For a harmonious world where, according to God's plan, mankind and nature work together for the good of all.
Following Pope Francis's two encyclicals, Laudato si' and Fratelli tutti, several reasons led our parish's pastoral team to join this initiative:
- Creation is a gift that God entrusts to us: as Christians, it is our responsibility to say so at a time when we can see the dangers that threaten it.
- “Everything is connected”, Pope Francis reminds us. Respect for nature and respect for people go hand in hand… This is in keeping with the Gospel that our community is called to live.
- More and more Christians, especially among the young, care about these questions.
Ecology should not be a philosophy or an ideology… but a very practical way of living here and now, in keeping with the convictions of our faith. Our Christian community should be able to become a seed of “better living” here in Touraine, by taking up the human challenges we face here today.
Together with the diocesan office for ecological questions, we have set up a parish team to put forward ideas and initiatives in this direction. Since autumn 2022 its work has been growing steadily.
“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God” Rom 8:19.
How to get involved?
We are all concerned, individually and collectively, and we are invited to reflect by learning, keeping informed and then taking action.
Learning
Things on offer: talks, training sessions, film screenings... Find here the upcoming events offered in the parish.
