Vatican urges Catholic organizations to divest from mining sector for the common good

The Vatican on Friday helped launch a campaign encouraging Catholic organizations, bishops’ conferences, and religious communities to divest from the mining sector for the sake of human ecology — one of several initiatives marking last year’s 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, which called for greater care toward environmental issues.

Sister Nina Krapić, MVZ, in her first press conference since Pope Leo XIV appointed her deputy director of the Holy See Press Office, noted how institutions have responded to environmental crises by incorporating Pope Francis’ teachings.

“In response to the reality of environmental crises, around 40 faith-based organizations have come together to launch the ‘Platform for Divestment in the Mining Industry,’” she said. “This initiative promotes ethical finance within the framework of integral ecology and Church documents on technology and responsible investment.”

Cardinal Fabio Baggio, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said that while the mining industry is necessary to access essential minerals, it has negatively impacted local communities.

“We know that minerals are necessary for many aspects of contemporary life. However, we also know that too often their extraction has been done without listening to local communities. It is important to listen to the voices of the communities that directly experience the challenges and conflicts due to both legal and illegal mining,” he said.

Guatemalan Cardinal Álvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri recounted how he was personally affected by mining in his Diocese of Huehuetenango.

“A Canadian mining company came to buy land after discovering it had gold and silver. It promised our people jobs, but environmental damages soon began. Destruction of nature, indiscriminate use of water, and use of cyanide,” he said. “Was it legal? Yes. Did it promote the development of these populations? No.”

Yolanda Flores, an Indigenous leader from Peru, expressed with emotion the need for clergy, religious, and lay faithful to accompany Indigenous peoples.

“Our agriculture, and especially our waters, our rivers, our streams, and our high-altitude wetlands are burned and destroyed by mining,” she said. “Why do these things happen? We want our bishops, our parish priests, not only to dedicate themselves to the sacraments but to be right there with us, guiding us, walking together to build new routes, new paths.”