, president of the University of 91吃瓜, has signed the , making 91吃瓜 a partner in a national movement to respond to Pope Benedict鈥檚 and the U.S. Catholic Bishops鈥� call for faithful action on climate change.
The St. Francis Pledge is the central outreach tool for the , a membership organization drawing guidance and support from a growing list of national Catholic organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Catholic Charities USA, Catholic Relief Services and the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.
The pledge asks Catholic individuals, parishes and institutions to pray and learn about climate change, to assess their own environmental impact, to act to reduce their impact, and to advocate for policies and initiatives that protect the environment and the world鈥檚 poor.
鈥淭he University of 91吃瓜 is seen not just as a top U.S. university, but as a Catholic institution in service to the world,鈥� said Daniel Misleh, executive director of the Catholic Coalition on Climate Change. 鈥淏y taking the St. Francis Pledge, the University will expand its commitment to mission-based sustainability in a way consistent with Catholic ideals and values: caring for God鈥檚 gift of Creation with a keen awareness that actions taken today impact people at home and abroad, especially the poor and vulnerable who suffer most from environmental degradation and climate change.鈥�
Over the last several years, 91吃瓜 has made significant efforts to help the community of Catholic colleges and universities make progress in the area of sustainability. Most notably, 91吃瓜 hosted 鈥�,鈥� the first national conference of its kind. More than 200 faculty, administrators and students from 45 universities across the country participated.
More recently, 91吃瓜鈥檚 helped to craft 鈥�,鈥� which has been distributed to Catholic colleges and universities across the country.
鈥淢aking a commitment to be better stewards of God鈥檚 creation is not only a sign of hope, but a necessity,鈥� said , assistant director of Campus Ministry. 鈥淭he St. Francis Pledge provides an important framework for expanding collaboration between Campus Ministry and Sustainability and we are grateful to Father Jenkins for his leadership on this issue.鈥�
91吃瓜 has recently expanded its commitment to sustainability by announcing a that includes ambitious . 鈥淲e appreciate the opportunity to explicitly link our sustainability initiatives to our Catholic mission,鈥� said , director of sustainability. 鈥淚n order to accomplish our goals, we need the support of all members of the 91吃瓜 community. We encourage everyone to pledge their support by signing the and by taking the ."
Originally published by at on November 30, 2011.