(GoRealNewsNow.com) – In a move that has shocked Catholics in the United States of America and worldwide, the official newspaper of the Vatican — widely known to speak for the Pope — is calling on Catholics to “fast from gas” during Lent.
Specifically, the Vatican’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, has urged Catholics to participate in “fasting from gas” and other fossil fuels during the Lenten season as a way of showing solidarity with those suffering from the cold in Ukraine.
The paper suggests that Lent is a time for reflection and action and that “fasting from gas” and limiting the use of heating is a sign of solidarity with those in Ukraine and a way to defund the war economy.
The Italian program director of the Laudato Sí environmental movement, Cecilia Dall’Oglio, was interviewed in L’Osservatore Romano last week and emphasized that using heating gas means financing a war economy, which is something that should no longer be tolerated.
Dall’Oglio suggests that the Lenten season is an opportunity to change lifestyles, even if it requires effort, and to involve families, communities, and parishes.
She also recommends divesting from fossil fuels during Lent as a way of showing proximity to the Ukrainian people.
Currently, more than 350 Catholic institutions have committed to divesting from fossil fuels, with an estimated total of between 10 and 20 billion dollars lost in investment in the fossil fuel industry.
Dall’Oglio believes that finance experts within the Church should share their knowledge and be open to the questions of their community, the Earth, and the poor.
The Laudato Sí movement is using Lent as an opportunity to raise awareness and encourage leaders to divest before Easter.
Dall’Oglio believes that the time is right to build an economy of peace through ecological and energy transition. She also announced that the movement will make a global ecumenical announcement of divestment on the occasion of the next Earth Day – World Earth Day 2023.
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