Clonskeagh Parish Newsletter
Publishedon Thursday 8th May 2025
A few words from Fr Joe…………………….
Pope Francis had many concerns about the world we live in, high on his list of priorities was the care of the earth. He addressed this reality in his Apostolic Letter, Laudato Si, and did all in his power to encourage everyone to see the earth as our common home, to motivate the citizens of the world to address climate change. He was a man who believed in the small efforts made by many and encouraged Catholics to be innovators for change. No action, however small, is wasted if that action does something to achieve progress in addressing better use of the world’s resources. Underpinning his concern was a realisation that the poor suffer the most from devastating effects of climate change.
This week Europe is experiencing temperatures more associated with the deserts of Asia and Africa and the middle East. Numbers like 35, 40, 42 degrees reflect a searing heat that withers crops, dries up water sources, cracks the earth and makes day to day life unbearable. In some places people can retreat indoors, turn on the air conditioning and sit out the heatwave in some comfort. Needless to say, there is little air conditioning in the homes of the elderly, the poor and those on the margins. Their suffering is real and getting worse with every extra degree, as the world warms to new highs, many struggle to survive.
We live at a moment in history with endless threats to peace, with outrageous persecution of peoples and cruel loss of life reported daily. It would be easy to try and blank out that which we feel powerless to change. Yet we know that Christian discipleship is always an invitation to action, to prayer and solidarity. By addressing climate change, following the invitation of Pope Francis, we actually learn and practice the methods of engagement which are informed by the Gospel and are effective. It’s always best to do something, however small, rather than give into despair.
Fr Joe Mullan, Moderator of Clonskeagh, Kilmacud & Mount Merrion Parishes
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