A Memorandum of Understanding for environmental sustainability, in the wake of Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’. It has been endorsed by the Belgian Bishops, who signed a “Paper for the good management of the properties of the Church”, asking all ecclesiastic institutions to only commit to making financial investments that adhere to the ethical criteria mentioned in the social doctrine of the Church. So, Belgium turns into a “green Church”. The Bishops ask all institutions – dioceses, parishes, religious congregations – to give “priority” to “companies that aspire to a sustainable energy future; that are committed to using renewable energy sources; and that, with their efforts, help reduce the demand for energy, thus promoting a more efficient use of energy”.
The release that goes with the Bishops’ statement explains that, “in the Climate Agreement signed in Paris, the world leaders agreed to keep the temperature rise to under 2°C. The Belgian Catholic Church wants to make a contribution” by putting its resources in ethical investments. In the “Paper”, the Bishops actually write: “In the years to come, investments in the exploitation and extraction of fossil energy shall be entirely replaced with investments that pursue a sustainable development, that use renewable energy sources, and that ease the transition to an economy that produces less and less CO2”.
With this initiative, the Bishops respond to the appeal of “Ecokerk et Oikocredit”, the biggest Christian social investment organisation. The Memorandum of Understanding has already been joined by several religious organisations, including: Pax Christi Vlaanderen, the Vicariate of Vlaams-Brabant Mechelen, the missionaries of Scheut, the abbey of ND de Nazareth, the sisters of Barmhartigheid Jesu, Gasthuiszusters Augustinessen Louvain, and the “Justice and Peace” network.