Pilgrims start Climate Change march to Paris

  ROME —The People’s Pilgrimage for Climate Action departed from St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City at 1.30 p.m. on Wednesday on the first leg of a 1500km, 60-day walk to Paris. The group will arrive in the first week of the 196-nation UN Climate Change negotiations, COP21, starting on 30 November. 

  Prior to departure, a group of pilgrims attended the Pope’s Audience, starting at 10 a.m on Wednesday, where Yeb Sano, the man leading the walk, had a moving meeting with the Pope. Yeb showed him the handwritten version of the Encyclical, which he and his fellow pilgrims will be writing throughout the journey, which "the pope looked [at] with real interest. It was a hugely emotional and inspiring moment which really energised me for the 1500km ahead" said Yeb. 

  Speaking to reporters in the Square, Yeb stated the pilgraimage "is a signal to the world's government meeting in Paris that we, the people, want action on climate change. We are following the inspiring leadership of His Holiness the Pope given in his recent Encyclical Laudato Sii, which calls for a rethinking of our economic system to protect creation and elimate poverty."

  A venture of the global interfaith campaign for climate action, Our Voices, (www.ourvoices.net), the pilgrimage is led by Yeb Sano, a former Climate Change Commissioner of the Philippines. 

  Several hundred Italian activists from the Italian Climate Change Coalition departed from St. Peter’s Square. Mr. Sano will lead a group of twenty fellow pilgrims for the entire route, but be joined by hundreds of others along his way through Italy, Switzerland and France, who will walk with him for varying periods of time.

  The first event was held at Civitavecchia (5:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.) on Wednesday evening. The group will spend St. Francis day (4 October) in Assisi, making their way to Perugia, Florence, Genoa, Aosta and various smaller towns in between. 

  Logistics, including accommodation and meals for the Italian leg are being provided by the Italian Climate Change Coalition, with special support from FOCSIV, the development NGO.

  Mr. Sano will carry on his person the 100,000 signatures obtained thus far to the Climate Change Petition launched last May by the Global Catholic Climate Movement, showing the Catholic faithfuls’ worldwide support for the Pope’s call for climate action and signed on his behalf by the Pontifical Ceremonieri, Guillermo Karcher. The petition will be presented to political leaders present at the UNFCCC in Paris.