When Faith Meets Defense of Creation

When Faith Meets the Defense of Creation
A Walk in Belem with Environmental Martyrs

(ANS – Belem, Brazil – November 14, 2025) – As COP 30 events gathered increasing momentum in Belem, on the evening of November 12 hundreds of people participated in a moving walk to the basilica of Nazaré in the heart of the capital of Pará state. Holding lit candles and chanting prayers, the crowd paid tribute to those who sacrificed their lives defending the poor and denouncing environmental crimes. The event embodied the very essence of COP30: protecting the Earth means protecting lives.

A Procession of Faith and Ecological Commitment

The procession to the Santuario de Nazaré saw the participation of believers, religious sisters, environmentalists attending COP 30, priests, cardinals, bishops, and numerous young people, all united in a gesture of memory and commitment. The initiative, organized by the Brazilian Bishops Conference (CNBB), sought to honor 5 environmental martyrs whose witness continues to inspire those fighting for social justice and the safeguarding of creation.

The Five Martyrs Remembered

During the walk, special remembrance was given to:

Oscar Romero, archbishop of San Salvador, assassinated in 1980 for his tireless defense of the rights of the poor and their land. His prophetic voice against social injustice made him a universal symbol of pastoral courage.

Margarida Maria Alves, a Brazilian trade unionist killed in 1983 for her commitment to defending the land and the dignity of rural workers. Her total dedication to the cause of the weakest represents a luminous example of Christian witness lived in daily life.

The Yanomami people, whose communities have suffered violence and persecution for defending their ancestral lands from the invasion of illegal miners responsible for deforestation and water pollution. Their peaceful resistance embodies the struggle of indigenous peoples to preserve not only territory but an entire worldview and relationship with nature.

Sister Dorothy Stang, a religious of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, born in the United States, who arrived in Brazil in the 1960s. A tireless advocate for the rights of peasants and the preservation of the Amazon forest, she was assassinated in 2005 because of her commitment. Her life represents evangelical radicalism lived unto martyrdom.

Chico Mendes, a rubber tapper, trade unionist, and environmental activist who dedicated his life to defending the Amazon. Killed in 1988, his figure has inspired ecological movements worldwide, demonstrating how the struggle for the environment is inseparable from social justice.

Youths Inspired by Witness

Particularly significant was the massive presence of young people during the walk and the Mass celebrated in the basilica. Among them, Melena, a senior student at a Marianist school, shared her experience: “I am deeply moved by this walk with the martyrs organized by the Church. These witnesses inspire me, especially because we are living in a time of environmental crisis.”

Her words reflect the sentiment of a generation seeking concrete models of commitment and coherence in an era marked by climate emergency. The large presence of young people testifies to how the memory of environmental martyrs is not a sterile commemoration of the past, but a beacon that illuminates the present and guides toward the future.

Martyrs of Yesterday, Witnesses of Today

The evening sparked deep reflections among the Salesian participants at the event as well. Subsequent research revealed that the 5 martyrs remembered represent only a small part of a much longer list of people killed around the world for their defense of the environment and the poor.

Participating in COP30 events, it becomes clear that even today many people in the world are committed to the cause of the poor and the environment, even at the risk of their own lives. It is a realization that resonates like a whisper of the Spirit: God continues to inspire and strengthen men and women called to protect and care for all of creation.

An Appeal to the Church: Recognize the Saints of Creation

Among the 5 martyrs celebrated during the walk, only one – Oscar Romero – has been canonized by the Catholic Church. This fact raises an important question in an era marked by climate change and increasingly frequent environmental tragedies: would it not be appropriate for the Church to recognize and canonize those who died defending the poor and the environment?

Official recognition as saints could inspire many more people to care for the planet and walk the paths traced by these courageous witnesses. It would make visible and universal a form of holiness that today appears particularly urgent and prophetic.

Guardians of Creation: A Vocation for Our Time

The walk in Belem with the environmental martyrs was not merely a commemorative moment, but a pressing appeal addressed to all believers. In an era when the climate crisis threatens the entire planet, the witness of those who gave their lives to defend our common home takes on prophetic meaning.

As Salesians, heirs of Don Bosco who saw in young people the hope of the future, we are called to educate new generations not only in technical competence but also in ecological responsibility and sensitivity toward the poor. The environmental martyrs remind us that Christian faith can never be separated from concrete commitment to justice and the care of creation.

As COP 30 continues its work in Belem, the memory of St. Oscar Romero, Margarida Maria Alves, the Yanomami people, Sister Dorothy Stang, and Chico Mendes resounds as a moral imperative: protecting the Earth is not an option, but a duty that flows from our faith and our humanity.