Bristol: BBC producer to offer green challenge to Catholics

A challenge for the Catholic Church to take a leading role in promoting a sustainable and diverse world will be presented at a unique event in Clifton Cathedral, Pembroke Road, Bristol on Friday 14 October. 'The Pope and the Iceberg' by Mary Colwell, a producer in the BBC Natural History Unit, will illustrate why the environment should be at the heart of Catholic teaching and action.

Film from unit's archives will be projected onto the walls of the Cathedral to illustrate the presentation.

But is concern for the environment a Catholic issue? Mary argues strongly that it is: There are one billion Catholics in the world; they all use the earth's resources for food, fuel and raw materials. The largest Catholic country on earth, Brazil, has stewardship of the Amazon. How we treat the earth is a Catholic issue.

Mary said: "The most important message I want to get across is that the way we treat the earth is a moral issue. It is morally wrong to exploit the earth's resources for greed and selfish profit, to be wasteful and disrespectful. Catholics believe that God created a good world; it should be a place for harmony and mutual benefit. If the way we treat the earth becomes a moral issue then recycling one can is as important as saving an acre of rainforest. I want to see the Church take a leading role in protecting the earth on which we all depend"

Canon Robert Corrigan, Dean of Clifton Cathedral said: "I'm looking forward to Mary's talk. The superb work of the BBC Natural History Unit has helped many people to explore the mystery of creation which surrounds us. By combining its images with her knowledge, I am sure that Mary will give us a lot to think about and challenge us to ask whether we really care enough for the world which surrounds us." 'The Pope & the Iceberg' begins at 7.30 pm on Friday 14 October. It is open to all and entry is free. Further details from www.cliftondiocese.com