VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 133
DATE 15-07-2015

Summary:
- The commitment of cities against modern slavery and climate change
- Other Pontifical Acts

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 The commitment of cities against modern slavery and climate change
 Vatican City, 15 July 2015 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office
Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of
Sciences, presented the meeting "Modern slavery and climate change: the
commitment of the cities", and the symposium "Prosperity, people and planet in
the cities", to be held in the Casina Pio IV (Vatican, 21-22 July). These
events
will be attended by the mayors of major cities, local administrators and
various
representatives of the United Nations, and the speakers will include expert
communications consultants Michael Shank and Alessandro Gaetano.
 "The Pontifical Academy of Sciences is in agreement with the Holy Father in
perceiving a clear link between these two emergencies: the crisis of climate
change and the social crisis, both of anthropic origin", explained the prelate.
Our commitment, following the Encyclical, is to ensuring that all society is
made aware of these phenomena and of the human responsibilities for these
crises, and reacts with firmness, as a new moral imperative for all humanity in
favour of the common good".
 "In this fundamental moral context, cities and their mayors play a key role",
explained the prelate. "Currently, most of humanity is concentrated in formal
and informal urban settlements and this trend is set to increase. Each of our
cultural traditions also affirms the inherent dignity and the social
responsibility of each individual in relation to the common good. They
emphasise
the importance of living together in the polis for the fulfilment of the
social,
cultural and religious identity of every human being and for the beauty, wonder
and inherent goodness of the world, recognising it as a precious gift that
supports life and is entrusted to our stewardship. It is not a matter of
preserving it as in a museum, but of developing it according to its potential,
following the very laws of nature. Respecting and developing "our common home"
rather than devastating it is a moral imperative".
 Bishop Sanchez Sorondo noted that, as the Pontifical Academy of Social
Sciences
has remarked, although the poor and the excluded have the least effect on
climate change and often live on the outskirts of the city, they are the most
exposed to the terrible threat posed by human-induced climate disruption.
However, the world now has within reach the scientific knowledge, technological
tools and financial means to reverse anthropogenic climate change, while ending
extreme poverty at the same time through solutions that include renewable and
low carbon emission energy sources. "Financing the initiative in favour of this
'integral ecology', including the decisive containment of human-induced climate
change, could also be based on the relentless pursuit of peace, which would
allow a redistribution of public spending from military expenditure towards
urgent investments for the benefit of social inclusion and the effective
monitoring of carbon emissions, particularly in the cities".
 With reference to the presence of mayors at the events on 21 and 22 July, he
emphasised that the intention of the Pontifical Academy was for them "to commit
to promoting the empowerment of the poor and of those who live in vulnerable
conditions in our cities and in our urban settlements, reducing their exposure
to extreme weather events caused by radical environmental, economic and social
instabilities, which create fertile ground for forced migration and human
trafficking".
 "At the same time", he added, "we would like the mayors to commit to put an
end
to abuse, exploitation, human trafficking and all forms of modern slavery
within
their communities. These tragic occurrences, which Pope Benedict and Pope
Francis termed 'crimes against humanity', also include forced labour,
prostitution, organ trafficking and domestic servitude. We would also like the
mayors to commit to developing resettlement and social integration programmes
for the victims, at the national and local levels, in order to avoid their
involuntary repatriation".
 "In short", he concluded, "we would like our cities and urban settlements to
become more socially inclusive, safe, resilient and ecologically integrated".
 The studies of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences on the impact of
climate change can be consulted on-line at
www.pas.va
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 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 15 July 2015 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
 - accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Passo
Fundo, Brazil, presented by Archbishop Antonio Carlos Altieri, S.D.B., in
accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
 - appointed Fr. Dominicus Meier. O.S.B., as auxiliary of the archdiocese of
Paderborn (area 14,750, population 4,900,000, Catholics 1,581,343, priests
1,008, permanent deacons 173, religious 1,647), Germany. The bishop-elect was
born in 1959 in Heggen, and was ordained a priest in 1989. He holds a doctorate
in theology from the University of Salzburg, as well as a licentiate and
professional diploma in canon law from the University of Munster. He has served
as ordinary professor of canon law at the Philosophical-Theological High School
of the Pallottines in Vallendar, judge at the diocesan tribunal of Salzburg and
defender of the bond and promoter of justice at the tribunal of the archdiocese
of Paderborn. He was elected abbot of the abbey of Konigsmunster at Meschede in
2001, for a twelve-year mandate. He is currently judicial vicar of the
archdiocese of Paderborn. He succeeds Bishop Manfred Grothe, whose resignation
from the office of auxiliary of the same archdiocese upon reaching the age
limit
was accepted by the Holy Father.
 - appointed Fr. Laurent Camiade as bishop of Cahors (area 5,216, population
395,000, Catholics 170,700, priests 66, permanent deacons 8, religious 96),
France. The bishop-elect was born in Agen, France in 1966 and was ordained a
priest in 1992. He holds a degree in philosophy and a doctorate in theology
from
the Institut Catholique de Toulouse, and has served as parish vicar, diocesan
director of youth pastoral ministry, and parish priest. He is currently vicar
general of the diocese of Agen and parish priest of Laverdac, and teaches
spiritual theology at the Institut Catholique de Toulouse.
 - appointed Fr. Udo Bentz as auxiliary of the diocese of Mainz (area 7,692,
population 2,891,000, Catholics 749,583, priests 504, permanent deacons 124,
religious 447), Germany. The bishop-elect was born in 1967 in Rulzheim, Germany
and was ordained a priest in 1995. He holds a doctorate in theology from the
University of Freiburg im Breisgau, and has served as parish vicar in the
Cathedral of Worms and special secretary to Cardinal Karl Lehmann. He is
currently rector of the major seminary of Mainz and president of the Conference
of rectors of German major seminaries.

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