The Vatican has backed a new global push urging investors to withdraw funding from mining activities linked to environmental damage and human rights concerns in local communities.
The call was made during the launch of a global divestment platform at the Holy See Press Office, led by Iglesias y Minería, an ecumenical network of church groups and Indigenous rights advocates in Latin America.
The platform seeks to encourage financial institutions, investors and other stakeholders to reconsider their involvement in extractive industries that negatively affect communities and ecosystems.
Speakers at the launch highlighted growing concerns over the impact of mining in Indigenous territories, including environmental degradation and health risks.
Yolanda Flores, an Aymara leader from Peru, pointed to contamination and exposure to heavy metals as key challenges facing affected communities. She called for greater scrutiny of mining activities and the financing behind them.
Cardinal Fabio Baggio, Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, said the initiative reflects a moral obligation to align financial decisions with the protection of human dignity and the environment.
“It is essential to listen to the voices of communities who experience first-hand the challenges caused by mining. We cannot remain silent in the face of evident injustices,” he said.
Church leaders also raised concerns about mining operations proceeding without adequate consultation with local populations, as well as the unequal distribution of benefits.
Cardinal Álvaro Ramazzini of Guatemala cited cases where mining concessions on Indigenous lands have delivered limited gains to communities while exposing them to environmental risks.
Bishop Vicente Ferreira of Brazil linked the expansion of mining to global demand for critical minerals, warning of increasing pressure on resource-rich regions and vulnerable populations.
The newly launched platform will serve as a hub for research, advocacy and information-sharing, while promoting divestment as an ethical strategy to address the negative impacts of large-scale mining.
Fr. Dario Bossi, coordinator of the network, noted that major mining projects continue to receive significant international financing, and urged investors to take responsibility for the social and environmental consequences of their decisions.
The initiative forms part of a broader effort by faith-based and civil society organisations to push for more responsible and sustainable approaches to resource extraction.
Vatican
