Pilgrimage for the Planet
From May 10-12, the Climate Justice Committee of the Eastern Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) in collaboration with various ecumenical partners hosted the Pilgrimage for the Planet, a climate action pilgrimage and peaceful demonstration in support of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Pilgrims completed a 194-kilometre trek from Montreal to Ottawa by bike over the course of two days. They biked through rain and sun and slept in churches along the way. The pilgrimage culminated in a peaceful demonstration on Parliament Hill in Ottawa calling on the federal government to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty on May 12. KAIROS supported the demonstration, with KAIROS staff and network joining a gathering of 100 people on Parliament Hill for speeches, music, poetry, chants and more.
Following the rally, a coalition of representatives from various churches and non-profit organizations including KAIROS spoke at a Parliamentary Press Conference to call on the federal government to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty. Under the treaty, Canada would have an obligation to stop all new fossil fuel projects and wind down the existing production of fossil fuels. KAIROS Canada became a signatory to the Treaty initiative in 2021.
The pilgrimage and rally occurred on the heels of the federal election in Canada and amidst turbulent Canada-U.S. relations, where we saw heightened narratives equating Canada’s economic security and resilience with the construction of pipelines. KAIROS stands with many Indigenous Peoples, civil society, faith bodies, unions, and others in declaring that fossil fuels are not the solution. We agree that Canada must respond to this moment by investing in national projects but must do so by addressing the economic, social, and environmental challenges we face together.
Beth Lorimer (Ecological Justice Program Coordinator, KAIROS Canada) joined the other speakers at the press conference including Étienne Eason, main organizer of The Pilgrimage for the Planet, Paul Gehrs (assistant to the Bishop, Justice and Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada), Agnes Richard (Canada chapter animator, Laudato Si Movement), and Angela Keller-Herzog (founding executive director, Community Action for Environmental Sustainability – CAFES Ottawa). In her statement Beth highlights:
