Minute for Mission: National Gun Violence Remembrance Day

Witness, Share and Evangelize: Minute for Mission: National Gun Violence Remembra...: Image Artwork by: Blake Johnson Today is National Gun Violence Remembrance Day, and the month of June is set aside as Gun Violence Awareness...

WCC NEWS: Faith-based groups submit OECD complaint concerning HSBC financing linked to Cerrejón coal mine in Colombia

Churches and faith-based organizations from Colombia, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, together with investment and ecumenical partners, have submitted a complaint under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct concerning HSBC Holdings plc and its financial relationship with Glencore, the company operating the Cerrejón coal mine in La Guajira, Colombia. Headquarters of the HSBC bank in Canary Wharf, London. Photo: Sean Hawkey/WCC 05 June 2026 The complaint to the UK National Contact Point was jointly submitted by Iglesia Metodista de Colombia (Methodist Church in Colombia), Methodist Church of Great Britain, Methodist Church in Ireland, Epworth Investment Management Ltd, and CEPALC (Ecumenical Centre for Communication in Latin America) on 5 June. The complainants argue that financial institutions have a responsibility to ensure that financing and investment practices are aligned with human rights, environmental standards, and their own climate commitments. The Cerrejón mining operation has for years faced concerns and criticism related to environmental degradation, impacts on water access, displacement of communities, and health impacts affecting local and Indigenous populations in La Guajira. The complaint calls on the UK National Contact Point to examine whether HSBC’s financing relationship with Glencore is consistent with the OECD Guidelines and expectations regarding responsible business conduct and due diligence. The submission is supported by the World Council of Churches (WCC) as part of its “Hope for Children through climate justice” initiative. Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay, WCC general secretary, said: “Faith communities have a moral responsibility to advocate for climate justice, human dignity, and responsible stewardship of creation. This initiative reflects growing concern among churches and communities worldwide regarding the role financial systems play in shaping the future of people and planet.” The WCC emphasized that the initiative is not intended as a campaign regarding a single financial institution, but rather as part of a broader call for responsible finance and accountability in the context of the climate crisis. “The issue goes beyond one company or one bank,” said Pillay. “Communities affected by extractive industries deserve to be heard, and financial institutions should align their financing practices with their own climate and human rights commitments.” The OECD complaint mechanism provides a non-judicial international process through which organizations and communities can raise concerns regarding responsible business conduct by multinational enterprises and financial institutions. The complainants expressed their willingness to engage constructively in dialogue through the OECD process and reiterated their call for greater transparency, meaningful due diligence, and a transition toward sustainable and ethical financing practices. The organizations involved in the initiative are also encouraging wider discussion within faith communities, financial institutions, and public on the responsibility of global finance actors in addressing climate crisis and protecting vulnerable communities. WCC’s initiative “Hope for Children through climate justice” The WCC initiative “Hope for Children through climate justice” equips churches to engage with legal and accountability mechanisms in cases where children’s rights are affected by the actions of financial institutions, especially through investments into fossil fuels expansion.  Media resources Background resources for media, including Q&A list, photo coverage, feature material and testimonies from affected communities in La Guajira, Colombia, are available upon request. Andrew Harper: Why more faith investors are advocating for sustainable finance (WCC interview, 03 June 2026) Learn more about the Churches’ Commitments to Children and Climate-Responsible Banking See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

Tell Congress: No Fossil Fuel Immunity

Fossil fuel companies are pushing for new legal protections that would make it harder for communities harmed by pollution and climate-fueled disasters to hold them accountable. GreenFaith's No Fossil Fuel Immunity petition is a clear message to policymakers: communities deserve justice, not special protections for polluters.

Will you sign and share the petition today?

Yes! I'll Sign + Share the Petition!

At the same time, GreenFaith is building pressure beyond our borders. In just 10 days, Gulf South frontline advocates Misha Mayeur and James Hiatt will travel to Germany to share what LNG expansion is doing to communities across coastal Louisiana. They will bring firsthand stories of families living alongside refineries, pipelines, and export terminals into international conversations about energy policy, public health, and climate justice.

These efforts go hand in hand.

While Misha and James help ensure the voices of Gulf South communities are heard internationally, we must continue organizing here at home. The fossil fuel industry is working to expand its influence in Washington, and now is not the time to be silent.

Real change happens when people speak up everywhere—from community meetings and congressional offices to international forums and faith communities around the world.

Please add your name and help us build the public pressure needed to stop fossil fuel immunity.

Sign + Share the Petition

In solidarity,

Rev. Amy Brooks Paradise
Organizing Coordinator, GreenFaith US

EarthBeat Weekly: Pope joins chorus of concerns with AI-fueled data center boom

Pope joins chorus of concerns with AI-fueled data center boom   EarthBeat Weekly Your weekly newsletter about faith and climate change June 5, 2026   Spencer Snakard, president of Protect Fauquier, speaks Aug. 29, 2022, at a rally near Manassas, Va., protesting a newly built data center for Amazon Web Services. Virginia currently houses 609 data centers, the most in the United States. (AP/Matthew Barakat, file) There is plenty to unpack from Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, a 200-plus page document on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence.  That's equally true on the environmental threats and potential posed by AI that the pope raised in the encyclical. Last week, I reported an overview of how the environment and technology intersected in the encyclical. Today, a new story at EarthBeat examines the issue of data centers specifically. In many U.S. communities, concerned citizens have mobilized to express worry and outrage about the hypersonic expansion of data centers — largely driven by AI's rapid rise — in their towns and fields. A main focus has been the amount of energy and water required to power and cool data centers, which threaten to both deplete resources and raise utility bills. In Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo spoke directly about data centers in a section where he warned the rapid and uncritical adoption of AI "exposes us to a range of risks, including the tendency to overlook the environmental impact." "Current AI systems require enormous amounts of energy and water, significantly influencing carbon dioxide emissions, and place heavy demands on natural resources," he wrote in paragraph 101. "As their complexity increases, especially in the case of large language models, the need for computing power and storage capacity grows too, which requires an extensive network of machines, cables, data centers and energy-intensive infrastructure," he said. "For this reason, it is essential to develop more sustainable technological solutions that reduce environmental impact and help protect our common home." A typical AI data center uses the same amount of power as 100,000 houses, according to the International Energy Agency. Add to that significant water demands — to cool the around-the-clock graphics processing units training generative AI models — and the ecological impacts come into focus quickly. Those strains on resources have a cascading effect on residents' utility bills, driving up costs for all. "We're not anti-development, but what we're seeing on the ground is not sustainable for the people or the places that we love and inhabit in the South," Amanda Garcia, a senior attorney who leads data center advocacy for the Southern Environmental Law Center, told me.  Garcia called it "extremely important and encouraging" to hear a world leader like Pope Leo raise the threats and concerns of the AI-fueled data center boom, lending his voice to the many communities facing these developments in their backyards. Read more: Pope's AI encyclical lends church support to calls to slow rapid expansion of data centers What else is new on EarthBeat:   New arrests made in murder of Catholic activist in Honduras by Paul Jeffrey "This is an important step toward justice for Juan, and we're hopeful that we're getting closer to the true masterminds who ordered and paid for this crime," Fr. Carlos Orellana said. Read more here »   Pew: Most Americans who attend religious services have heard about political, social issues recently by Kate Scanlon, OSV News Most U.S. adults who regularly attend religious services have heard their clergy speak about at least one political or social issue recently, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Read more here »   From village to village, we share food and pray with suffering Malawians by Jacinta Chiwayu In Malawi, families have been left without food after recent years of drought and cyclones. Responding with a traveling feeding program, Presentation Sisters have become more deeply aware of communities' struggles. Read more here »   Inside a Benedictine monastery, nuns raise lambs whose wool is for the pope by Chris Herlinger A new Italian documentary, "Agnus Dei," follows the Benedictine sisters who care for two lambs whose wool becomes part of a vestment for the pope and archbishops — a centuries-old tradition. Read more here » What's happening in other climate news: Think it's hot now? The next five years will smash records, UN says —Seth Borenstein for the Associated Press A strong El Nino may be imminent. Climate change will make its effects worse —Kate Abnett for Reuters Trump expected to announce $700M boost for coal —Rachel Frazin for The Hill Democrats pledge to fight Trump's removal of ocean monitors —Lisa Friedman for The New York Times House passes bipartisan measures to speed geothermal energy projects —Maria Gallucci for Canary Media In a years-long fight, the Illinois environmental justice movement gets a win —Keerti Gopal for Inside Climate News Supreme Court's limitation on wetlands protection will make flooding worse —Lisa Sorg for Inside Climate News The surprising climate fix that Democrats and Republicans both love —Matt Simon for Grist Final Beat: The World Cup begins next week.  For the month that follows, futbol's finest — or soccer if you prefer — are set to take the pitch in stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the United States (including down the road from NCR headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri). Beyond the teams and fandom accompanying the quadrennial tournament, an environmental angle is at play at the World Cup, too.  In May the Washington Post reported on a study projecting this World Cup could be among the hottest ever, exposing players and fans alike to dangerous levels of heat and humidity. This World Cup could also be the most polluting, climate scientists and advocates told the Los Angeles Times, in part due to air travel (by both teams and fans) across three countries, producing upwards of 9 million tons of carbon emissions — double the amount from recent World Cups. A major sponsor of the tournament is Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil and gas company. Nevertheless, Catholic dioceses across the U.S. see the World Cup as both a pastoral opportunity and an unprecedented moment of global encounter, as John Knebels reported for OSV News this week. As always, thanks for reading EarthBeat.   Brian Roewe Environment Correspondent National Catholic Reporter broewe@ncronline.org     Featured Advertisers   Looking to Hire? Offering Retreats? Selling Books? Place an Ad in NCR's Online Classified Section for Only $75 per Month!   Advertisement

Truth and Action Roundup 6.5.2026

View this email in your browser Welcome to the Truth and Action Roundup, your reliable weekly source for information, inspiration, and opportunities for action during the second Trump administration.  Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up here to continue receiving it. This week marked the remembrance of George Floyd’s death on May 25, 2020, with vigils and programming from churches across the country. Despite the current nadir in social justice under the Trump Administration, pastors and faith leaders throughout the country were determined to keep the memory of this tragic moment, which called the country to address policing throughout the country. Unfortunately, the necessity of these efforts was driven home by two events which followed closely. The Minnesota Republican Party marked the moment a few days after the anniversary by holding a moment of silence for Officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted for the murder of George Floyd. One of the two major American parties using its time during a state convention to honor someone convicted of murder demonstrates the growing acceptance of such outwardly hateful rhetoric in our politics. Then, on Monday, the acquittal of Rick Chow in the murder of Cyrus Carmack-Belton echoed the outcomes of trials in the deaths of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman and the grand jury process in the killing of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson. These moments moved people to action, and in many communities, churches answered the call in leading demands for the value of Black lives. As we have seen a retreat from these demands, we have also witnessed a rise in white Christian Nationalism. With the National Guard continuing to occupy our cities, ICE and Border Patrol targeting people in our communities, and rising militarism in Iran, Cuba, and elsewhere, we must once again demand that we recognize the image of God in every life. –Rev. Moya Harris and Chad Stanton, Sojourners P.S. We are continuing to build an intentional community of people looking to enact their faith in our Sojourners Faith and Practice Forum on Mighty Networks. Please consider joining us. In the News The Trump administration continued carrying out its cruel deportation agenda, even as Congress debated passing billions of dollars in additional funding for it. The Senate moved ahead with legislation to fund immigration enforcement agencies after dropping Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund for election deniers and insurrectionists from the bill. The bill would inject roughly $70 billion into immigration enforcement agencies. Chidozie Okeke, a Nigerian immigrant who was arrested outside a New York City hospital last month, is accusing ICE officers of violating his constitutional rights in a lawsuit filed this week. The suit alleges he was pulled over without probable cause, threatened at gunpoint, beaten, and tased by officers. The lawsuit asks the court to immediately terminate Okeke’s removal proceedings. Trump administration officials apparently can’t get their story straight on whether there is a hunger strike going on at the Delaney Hall detention facility in New Jersey. DHS has denied the existence of a hunger strike, then threatened to force-feed the strikers whose existence they deny. New Jersey activist groups, meanwhile, say that hundreds of detainees launched a hunger strike over Memorial Day weekend to protest insufficient and spoiled food, medical neglect, poor living conditions, and abuse. The cost of living continued to rise, especially for economically vulnerable people who have benefited from government programs such as SNAP and Medicaid. Food banks across the country are bracing for a surge in demand this summer as childhood hunger, which is already a bigger problem when school is out, collides with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s cuts to SNAP (formerly known as food stamps). Participation in the SNAP program is already down nearly 9 percent since the OBBBA’s signing last year, a drop that equals about 3.5 million people losing access to the program. A rushed Medicaid review in Minnesota has left thousands of care providers suddenly without funding, putting services and jobs at risk. The review was triggered when the Trump administration withheld $2 billion in Medicaid funding from the state over dubious claims of fraud. The state was asked to complete a review process in five months that normally takes two years. Gas prices, though falling slightly from the highs of mid-May highs, are still well over 40 percent higher nationwide than they were before the Iran war began. In foreign affairs, Secretary Rubio faced a barrage of questions at several hearings this week, and a shift in the Ukraine war became more evident. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended U.S. military strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean during a Senate hearing on Tuesday, claiming the Defense Department determined each strike’s legality. Many legal experts have concluded otherwise, arguing that the strikes, which have killed over 200 people to date, are not consistent with the laws of war or Article 2(4) of the UN Charter. Rubio was also repeatedly pressed by Sen. Tim Kaine to explain why lawmakers have not been given an unredacted version of the Office of Legal Counsel opinion justifying the legality of the Iran war. Kaine pointed out that in the past, it’s been common for Congress to receive classified legal rationales for other operations. Rubio reportedly appeared visibly uncomfortable but did not commit to securing the release of the unredacted memo. The tide in the Ukraine-Russia war appears to be turning against Moscow. Ukrainian forces, thanks to NATO support, have managed to retake territory for the first time in years. According to British intelligence, nearly 500,000 Russian soldiers have been killed since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Up to 140,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, according to CSIS. Take Action Cosecha is calling on lawmakers to free the people detained in Delaney Hall. We’re continuing to call for an end to the blockading of Cuba. What We’re Reading “Ken Paxton Insists God Is Male. The Bible Says Not Quite” | “The GOP nominee in the Texas Senate race is wrapping his campaign in a debate that scripture answered long ago.” (by Heather Brady) “An Archive of Queer Catholic Histories Didn't Exist. So I Made One” | “When I was coming out of the closet, I was looking for someone—anyone—to share about their experience of coming out as a queer woman raised Catholic.” (by Emma Cieslik) Deep Breaths Access As this nation marches toward its semiquincentennial, we are watching a battle over truth. This administration is working hard to curate a sanitized origin story, offering the world a polished myth while burying the violence that underwrites the American project. Painting over cracks and fissures with fake gold, while attempting to exude wealth and splendor, actually spotlights the lies and gaslighting. Pay close attention to the words, the symbols, the currency, the monuments, and even the commemorative coins that are being rolled out for this 250-year moment. They are sermons in metal and marble, catechisms in red, white, and blue. They preach a story about who is fully human, who belongs, and who must stay invisible to keep the fantasy intact. A whitewashed history produces a whitewashed god. What happens when the full story is not told? When genocide, enslavement, and racial caste are edited out, it trains future generations to see hierarchy as normal and Black suffering as background noise. When a distorted representation of the imago Dei is centered, racism becomes folk theology: some lives reflecting God, other lives rendered disposable. Lies preached long enough to become liturgy. Langston Hughes’ words still ring true, reminding the nation of its unsettling history, saying, “I, too, sing America… I am the darker brother.” His words testify that America tries to hide its darker kin in the kitchen, out of sight when “company comes,” and yet the darker brother keeps singing, keeps growing strong, keeps insisting, “I, too, am America.” Hughes is prophesying a reordering in which those pushed aside stand in the full light of dignity. Right now, the table is being set for a dystopian 250-year celebration. This table continues to be guarded, fenced, and surveilled by white supremacy. Access to citizenship, safety, dignity, bodily autonomy, and economic possibility is being attacked in statehouses, courthouses, and school boards across the country. This is a direct assault on the God-given image of those forced to the margins. So the question is not only, “What will the church say?” but “What will the church do?” Will we bless a dishonest birthday party, or will we stand in the tradition of prophets who tear down idols and tell the truth when it is most inconvenient? Will we cling to a cheap peace that depends on someone else’s silence, or will we move the obstacles out of the way so that those long kept from the table can sit, speak, and shape what comes next? –Rev. Moya Harris, Senior Program Director, Sojourners The Truth and Action Roundup is compiled by Sojourners staff: President: Rev. Adam Russell Taylor Senior Research Associate: J.K. Granberg-Michaelson Digital Content and Community Specialist: Kassandra Tapia Chief Program and Impact Officer: Bryan Epps Political Director: Chad V. Stanton Senior Program Director: Rev. Moya Harris Digital Education and Outreach Specialist: Cortnie Brooks Policy and Action Assistant: Trinity Williams Donate Subscribe Unsubscribe or update email preferences Copyright © 2026 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842