SJES ROME

Over the past month, we have witnessed many positive developments, both before and during our participation at COP30. I can say that the Jesuit Campaign for Climate Justice has been a success until now. While those of us who prepared and attended COP in Brazil gained valuable insights, it remains clear that much work remains ahead...

Most media outlets have painted a disastrous picture of the thirtieth COP, held this year in Belém, Brazil—on the edge of both the Amazon rainforest and the ocean. Yet, when examined more carefully, the overall picture is less bleak than it first appears...

A Jerusalem Voice for Justice: an ecumenical witness for equality and a just peace in Palestine/Israel

Martin Maier, SJ reflects on his lifelong journey in the Jesuit mission of faith and justice, shaped by encounters with poverty, martyrdom, and global struggle. From formative experiences in El Salvador and the legacy of Archbishop Óscar Romero to supporting refugees in the Balkans and advocating for marginalized communities in India, his vocation deepened through direct engagement with suffering and hope. Through journalism, theological study, and leadership in humanitarian work, Maier highlights the universal mission of the Society of Jesus—building bridges, defending human dignity, and promoting justice inspired by the Gospel and the vision of Pope Francis.

Around Belém, Pará, Brazil where COP30 is being held, communities that care for their land are meeting on concerns also tackled in the UN climate summit. But these communities are not listened to in the expanding world of COP that appears like a visiting circus in the city, with all its buses, posters, and greenwashing of Parque da Cidade (City Park), a new urban park built to host the COP30 conference center.

COP as a spiritual experience sounds like a contradiction in action and in being. For many, it will begin to happen on the way home with so much tiredness, along with transit flights for most. There is much acceptance that this is the way things are and is a realization also of self-limitations. Perhaps there is a sadness in what was not achieved or expected.

Press release

Jesuit Missions and the London Jesuit Centre will host a hybrid panel discussion on Thursday 4th December, looking back at COP30 and what this means for the future.

Jesuit of the Secretariat of Social Justice and Ecology highlights the urgency of plural listening, collaboration between initiatives and global reeducation as ways to face the climate emergency

Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, FABC President, summed up well the message to take back home to communities that will help deepen the awareness of climate change, the COP process, and call for implementation. Platforms must be identified for broader sharing of what was learned and what actions are being taken locally.