Laudato Si’
The Earth is in crisis
The climate is changing at an alarming rate affecting the lives of the poorest who are the most vulnerable to it. And we are likely to be affected too. Pope Francis calls this an ‘ecological crisis.’ He reminds us that creation is a gift from God. We have a common responsibility to care for our common home of which we are all part. We have the knowledge and technology to repair the damage, yet because of the way we live our lives we choose not to and this is adversely affecting our planet.
Laudato Si’
Pope Francis has written a letter to everyone on the planet …
Please visit the Laudato Si’ Action Platform
Change of heart
Let’s begin with the heart because if we care about something we will do something about it. Faith contributes to how we feel and provides us with our own personal framework. Lockdown has shown that nature is good for us, and nurtures our mental wellbeing as well as our souls. Now is a time to reconnect with what we value when we see the consequences of our actions on the environment. We pray for the grace of a true conversion of heart. Look at the goodness and beauty of creation, reflect and allow yourself to change in a positive way.
Ecological conversion
So what they all need is an “ecological conversion,” whereby the effects of their encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in their relationship with the world around them. Pope Francis Laudato Si’ 217
The Church
There is a new spirituality in the Catholic Church. Pope Francis has connected everything for us in Laudato Si.’ We give thanks for the organisation of the Church, which already provides us with a structure, enabling us to get on and do things. This is the place where some might say, you will find others to change the world with.
The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales
As Christians we are inspired to be good stewards of the earth, to conserve and protect God’s creation and the earth’s resources
The Catholic Bishop’s Conference of England and Wales
The CBCEW established the Environment Advisory Group (EAG) with Rt Rev. John Arnold, Bishop of Salford as the lead. Its purpose is to make a practical response to Laudato Si’. Each diocese is preparing its own environmental policy in place. Fr Dominic Howarth, is leading an Environmental Policy Group for the Diocese of Brentwood.
For more information visit: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/our-work/environment/
Hope
We cannot fix the situation ourselves but the Lord can. We need to trust in God and have Christian hope. Without this, some may claim that our desire for a good future is not only difficult to achieve but impossible.
Let us Dream: The Path to a Better Future
This book is by Pope Francis and sets out a contemporary discipleship that helps us understand God’s closeness to the earth and the poor. It is based on the Pope’s remarkable Encyclical letter called Laudato Si’ (meaning ‘praise be to you’) and is the most published papal document.