Text: COP-24 Prayer cards
The prophetic words of St John Paul II feature on a prayer card which has been distributed across Poland to all of the 10,000 Catholic parishes, to coincide with the UN climate conference meeting in Katowice from December 3 - 14. The card was published in Polish. An English version is also being distributed to participants. The full text follows:
As St John Paul II said in 1990: The 'greenhouse effect' (climate change) has now reached crisis proportions as a consequence of industrial growth, massive urban concentrations and vastly increased energy needs. Industrial waste, the burning of fossil fuels, unrestricted deforestation … are known to harm the atmosphere and environment… I wish to repeat that the ecological crisis is a moral issue.'
Leader: Let us pray as Pope Francis taught us in Laudato Si':
Assembly: Creator God, please guide us.
Help us act in love and courage
To honour You, O Creator,
And to fulfil our role as protectors of
The Earth, our common home.
The poor and the earth are crying out.
O Lord, seize us with your power and light,
Help us to protect all life,
to prepare for a better future,
for the coming of your Kingdom
of justice, peace, love and beauty.