WASHINGTON - As world leaders gather for the 31st annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), the bishops who chair committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that address climate policy were joined by the president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to call on world leaders to decisively act to protect life on our common home.Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, and Mr. Sean Callahan’s statement follows:“As leaders gather at COP31, we recognize the need for decisive action that will protect and promote human flourishing and our common home. The global Church continues to witness the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor. We accompany those most impacted by a changing climate and the resulting extreme weather, rising seas, and biodiversity loss. Young people in particular are leading this response, demanding climate justice for their generation and generations to come. Their witness is our hope: proof that our faith

WASHINGTON - At Masses on the weekend of November 14-15 – the World Day of the Poor – Catholics in dioceses across the United States will be invited to give to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), the domestic anti-poverty program of the U.S. bishops.“Created in the image of God, every person has inherent dignity and the capacity to contribute to the flourishing of their families and communities. Our faith calls us to stand in solidarity with people experiencing poverty, supporting their leadership as they work to address the root causes of poverty and build a better future,” said Bishop Timothy C. Senior of Harrisburg, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. “Through CCHD, the Church puts this commitment into action, accompanying communities as they work toward a future in which all people can flourish,” he continued.The U.S. bishops launched CCHD in 1969