'Say No to Religious Ivory and Save Thousands of Elephants'

Originally shared by Environmental Investigation Agency

'Say No to Religious Ivory and Save Thousands of Elephants'

Pope Francis is visiting the Philippines in January, a perfect opportunity for him to speak out against the use of ivory in religious iconography.  

Many of the country’s 75 million Roman Catholics believe that owning a figure made of ivory best expresses their devotion to God, a belief which fuels a huge market in religious ivory.

A clear statement from the Vatican that this practice is not condoned and must end could be pivotal in reducing the slaughter of the tens of thousands of elephants whose tusks supply this trade.

Please sign the petition at https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Pope_Francis_Say_No_to_Religious_Ivory_and_Save_Thousands_of_Elephants/ - and SHARE it wide to family and friends!

If you have a Twitter account, you can also send a message: Pope Francis @Pontifex- say NO to #ivory & help save thousands of #elephants bit.ly/1tXWSjL

For more information about EIA's Elephants Campaign, please visit http://eia-international.org/category/illegal-wildlife-trade/elephants-illegal-wildlife-trade

#elephants #ivory #Pope #Philippines

Image: Religious icons carved from ivory, the Philippines (c) Brent Stirton