Catholic Leaders Letter to Sec. Rubio on COP30

November 10, 2025November 10, 2025

Eighty-five U.S. Catholic leaders asked Sec. Marco Rubio to reconsider the decision to leave the Parish climate agreement and to rejoin negotiations happening now at COP30 in Brazil.

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Dear Mr. Secretary,

As people of faith and as leaders in the Catholic community, we write with both prayerful concern and hope as the global community prepares to convene at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. Situated in the heart of the Amazon, this summit represents more than a diplomatic meeting — it is a pivotal moral moment that calls us to a conversion of heart and to bold, collective action for the care of our common home.

As Catholic leaders, we must express our deep regret that the United States has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and, consequently, will not be participating in the climate negotiations at COP30. In this crucial moment, we respectfully ask you to reconsider this decision. Re-engagement would demonstrate moral leadership, affirm the nation’s commitment to the common good, and honor the deep values of justice, solidarity, and responsibility that have long defined our nation. COP30 offers an opportunity for the United States to lead the way in fostering a just transition to a sustainable future and economy, financing adaptation and resilience for the world’s most vulnerable.

The Church teaches that creation is a gift entrusted to our care, not a possession to be exploited without regard for its integrity. As Pope Leo XIV stated at the recent Raising Hope Conference in Rome: God will ask us if we have cultivated and cared for the world that he created (cf. Gen 2:15), for the benefit of all and for future generations, and if we have taken care of our brothers and sisters (cf. Gen 4:9; Jn 13:34).”

Around the world, in dioceses, parishes, and Catholic ministries, we witness firsthand the human face of the climate crisis: families displaced by floods and fires, farmers whose livelihoods are threatened by changing weather patterns, children forced to migrate from lands their ancestors cherished, and vulnerable people everywhere who are ill from unclean air and water. At the same time, we also witness the resilience of communities who, inspired by their faith, work tirelessly for sustainable livelihoods, care for forests and waters, and protect the dignity of workers, Indigenous peoples, and the most vulnerable in every society. These efforts are beacons of hope — signs of life rooted in Gospel witness.

Please know of our prayers for you, and for all who will gather in Belém, for the courage to act together for the common good. May the Holy Spirit guide your words and decisions, so that they may reflect the truth that we are one human family, entrusted with one common home by the Lord God of all creation.

Sincerely,

Ann Hammer
Director
Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

Anna Johnson
Director
North America Laudato Si Movement

Barbara Ann Brigham
Justice and Peace Coordinator
Medical Mission Sisters

Bernie Tomasso OFS
Justice and Peace Coordinator
St. Kateri Tekawaitha SFO NYS Region

Br. Mark Joseph Costello, OFM Cap
Provincial Minister
Capuchin Province of St. Joseph

Brady Young
Manager of Communications
Franciscan Federation

Brother Damian Novello, OSF
Superior General
Franciscan Brothers of Brooklyn

Cindy Perry
Associate Director
Franciscan Associates of the Atonement

Daniel Misleh
Executive Director
Catholic Climate Covenant

Catholic Leaders Letter to Sec. Rubio on COP30

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Representing Maryknoll Fathers & Brothers, Maryknoll Sisters, and Maryknoll Lay Missioners