It flows naturally

On January 17, 2026, more than two hundred Christian leaders from different denominations from across Ireland met in Newry for a time of reflection and sharing on environmental issues. An unprecedented ecumenical event in the country, a direct result of the Raising Hope conference held in Castel Gandolfo (Italy) last October.

“Let justice flow like a river,” proclaimed the organizers, taking up a biblical call from the prophet Amos (5, 24). An invitation to mobilization in the country, while the largest lake in the United Kingdom, Lough Neagh, is experiencing increasingly massive pollution. Last summer, the presence of toxic algae of the cyanobacteria genus increased further, suffocating the entire natural ecosystem. This essential reservoir irrigates almost half of Northern Ireland and provides half of Northern Ireland’s drinking water.

The causes of this pollution are known: excess phosphorus and nitrogen (nearly 16,000 t, in 2024 alone), mainly from surrounding agricultural and industrial practices. This is a great challenge for Christian communities who demand justice for this land and its inhabitants. They are already invited to actively prepare for the month of prayer for Creation in September 2026, which will have the theme “Living Water”, of course!