Shoeless on Sinai: A Digital Pilgrimage to COP27

From 6 to 18 November 2022, the governments who are parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will convene in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt for the conference widely known as “COP27.” Sharm el-Sheikh sits on the Sinai Peninsula, the land held sacred by followers of Abrahamic religions as the place where God appeared to Moses and called him to a mission of liberation. On each day of this conference, you are invited to pray in solidarity with the whole Earth community and, in a special way, with the Catholic Sisters, Brothers, priests, and other faith leaders who will be advocating for environmental justice in the UN proceedings on the Sinai Peninsula.

Join your sisters and brothers—in Sinai and around the world—in this “digital pilgrimage” by participating in one or more of the activities below, or click here (or on the images below) to view the pilgrimage flyer in English, Español, Français, Português, and Italiano.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PILGRIMAGE ORIENTATION WEBINAR: 25 October at 6:00 (Central America) / 8:00 (Eastern USA)/ 14:00 (Central Europe/Central Africa) / 15:00 (East Africa/Eastern Europe) / 17:30 (India) / 20:00 (Philippines)

RECORDINGS AVAILABLE HERE in English, Spanish, French, and Italian!

  • Briefing on COP27 and how to follow its programme virtually
  • Introduction to the Dominican Leadership Conference’s COP27 Reflection Calendar
  • Sharing from some of the Catholic Religious who will travel to Egypt as delegates to COP27

“SISTERS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT” LAUNCH WEBINAR: 3 November at 9:00 (Central America) / 11:00 (Eastern USA) / 16:00 (Central Europe) / 17:00 (Central Africa/Eastern Europe) / 18:00 (East Africa) / 20:30 (India) / 23:00 (Philippines)

LIVESTREAM HERE: http://www.uisg.org/en/youtube-channels

English, Spanish, French, and Italian interpretation will be offered!

Launch of UISG‘s spotlight report on Catholic Sisters’ ministries for care of Earth

INFORMAL INTERFAITH GATHERING IN THE SPIRIT OF TALANOA DIALOGUE @ COP27: 6 November at 8:30 (Central America) / 9:30 (Eastern USA) / 15:30 (Central Europe) / 16:30 (Egypt/Eastern Europe/Central Africa) / 17:30 (East Africa) / 20:00 (India) / 22:30 (Philippines)

REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/3gAzrmb

This interfaith gathering will bring together climate justice advocates to reflect on solutions from a holistic perspective. It will be a hybrid event (open to participation in Egypt and online).

GLOBAL PRAYER VIGIL FOR EARTH: 7 November at 10:30 (Central America) / 11:30 (Eastern USA) / 17:30 (Central Europe) / 18:30 (Egypt/Eastern Europe/Central Africa) / 19:30 (East Africa) / 22:00 India Time / 24:30 Philippines

REGISTER HERE: https://bit.ly/3F1XqVg 

Join Catholic Religious delegates at COP27 and your sisters and brothers around the world in an online prayer service for fruitful dialogue in Egypt and inspired responses toward Earth justice in every nation.

DAILY PRAYER SEQUENCE: 6-18 November

Find time each day to remove your shoes and move through the prayer sequence below. Pray at your convenience or, if you are able, consider praying at either the hour that the official COP27 programme will commence each day (2:00 (Central America), 3:00 (Eastern USA), 9:00 (Central Europe),10:00 (Egypt/Eastern Europe/Central Africa), 11:00 (East Africa), 13:30 (India), 16:00 (Philippines)) or the time that it will be concluding (10:00 (Central America), 11:00 (Eastern USA), 17:00 (Central Europe), 18:00 (Egypt/Central Europe/Central Africa), 19:00 (East Africa), 21:30 (India), 24:00 (Philippines)).

  1. Situate yourself for prayer by removing your shoes. If possible, go outdoors to pray with your bare feet on the earth and/or orient yourself in the approximate direction of Sharm-el-Sheik Egypt. Alternatively, if you happen to live in convenient proximity to a government building or UN office, you might engage in prayer outside that building on one or more days of the pilgrimage.
  2. Read/view the day’s reflection from the COP27 Reflection Calendar created by the Dominican Leadership Conference.
  3. Enter into at least one full minute of contemplative silence, remaining in silence as long as you wish.
  4. Conclude with this prayer:

    Shoeless on Sinai     Earth, our common home, is crying out to us through famines, floods, and fires, “Remove your shoes of ignorance. You stand on holy ground.”

Earth, our community, is being forced to move away from the spaces that have nurtured our families for centuries. “Remove your shoes of apathy. You stand on holy ground.”

Earth, our common home, is calling us to recognize the true wealth we are squandering in the pursuit of human-made currency. “Remove your shoes of greed. You stand on holy ground.”

Earth, our community, is being crushed in every society and ecosystem by excess or deprivation. “Remove your shoes of individualism. You stand on holy ground.”

Earth, our common home, cannot wait any longer for us to…remove our shoes and recognize that we live on holy ground.

(If it serves you, spend another minute repeating the mantra “Remove our shoes. We stand on holy ground.”)

DAILY ACTION: 6-18 November

Carry the inspiration and passion you draw from the prayer into an action of advocacy for Earth. Consider tagging your local or national government in an original social media post or one from JCoR’s Guide to COP27. Consider posting a photo of yourself in prayer (or just your bare feet) with a message or idea that came to you while praying the daily sequence for a fruitful COP27 process.

Perhaps start the text accompanying your photo with the phrase: 

@COP27P: Praying on this #HolyGround for…

@COP27P: Oro en este #TerrenoSanto por…

@COP27P: Je prie en cette #TerreSainte pour…

You may also wish to include the hashtag: #Sisters4OurCommonHome and others featured in the JCoR guide.