Vatican's religious dialogue body chief on Friday appealed to Buddhists and Christians worldwide to unite to combat climate change with "ecological spirituality" in a message to mark the festival of Vesakh.
"As the crisis of climate change is contributed to by human activity, we, Christians and Buddhists, must work together to confront it with an ecological spirituality,” wrote Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Pontifical Council for Interreligiuos Dialogue.
"The acceleration of global environmental problems has added to the urgency of interreligious cooperation,” Tauran added.
Followers of all religions should join together in building an "ecologically responsible" social order based on shared values, he said.
Tauran called for joint educational programmes to raise ecological awareness in countries where Buddhist and Christian communities live alongside one another.
"May we cooperate together in liberating humanity from the suffering brought about by climate change, and contribute to the care of our common home,” the message ended.
Pope Francis issued his first major teaching letter last June entitled 'On the Care of Our Common Home', inviting Catholics and non-Catholics alike to lead greener lives and end fossil fuel use to safeguard the planet.
