Radio Veritas Asia to co-organize online roundtable of Asian Church leaders on Climate Justice

As the world prepares for the COP30 Climate Summit in Belém, Brazil, Church leaders, religious congregations, youth, and creation care advocates from Asia and Oceania are set to gather for an online roundtable titled “Prophetic Voices from the Margins: The Way Forward to COP30.”

The virtual discussion, jointly organized by  Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), the Laudato Si’ Movement, Asia Pacific, and the FABC Office of Human Development, will be held on October 30, 2025, at 2:30 PM (India) / 5:00 PM (Manila) via Zoom.

The event will be co-moderated by Fr. Mi Shen, Program Director of Radio Veritas Asia and Executive Secretary of the FABC Office of Social Communications, together with Cheryl Dugan, Asia Pacific Director of the Laudato Si’ Movement.

The two-hour roundtable will reflect on the Joint Statement of Catholic Bishops from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America on Climate Action, released in July 2025. The statement boldly proclaims:

“The Church will not remain silent… Until justice is served, we will keep speaking up with truth and consistency alongside the most vulnerable, civil society, and science.”

The gathering seeks to translate this prophetic appeal into concrete moral and pastoral responses to the climate crisis, exploring how Church communities can promote ecological justice and solidarity with those most affected by environmental degradation.

In his Raising Hope Conference address at Castel Gandolfo on October 1, 2025, Pope Leo XIV called for urgent collective action:

“Everyone in society must put pressure on governments to develop and implement more rigorous regulations. Citizens need to take an active role in political decision-making at the national, regional, and local levels. Only then will it be possible to mitigate the damage done to the environment.”

Church and Civil Society in Dialogue

The webinar will feature bishops and climate advocates from Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Latin America, who will share insights on the Church’s prophetic role in confronting the ecological emergency.

Key discussion areas include the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, just transition frameworks, and the People’s Determined Contribution (PDC), a global civil society initiative that highlights concrete commitments from faith communities and grassroots movements toward climate justice and ecological conversion.

To join or register, visit: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/PD_HH3xyS8qmRqHjBuHIvQ