Three years ago, Pope Francis released his landmark environmental encyclical, Laudato Si’. The encyclical laid out an integral ecological vision of humanity – bringing together a concern for creation with a concern for the needs of vulnerable communities around the world.
In Australia, North Sydney Parish hosted a Laudato Si’ Mass on 17 June to mark the anniversary of the encyclical.
Meanwhile, Jesuits around the world are marking the anniversary in a number of ways.
Laudato Si’ Conference
The Vatican is hosting an international conference, ‘Saving our Common Home and the Future of Life on Earth’, on 5 and 6 July.
The conference is bringing together representatives from civil society and religious groups.
EcoJesuit is hosting a session featuring indigenous and youth representatives from the Asia Pacific and Oceania regions.
Another Jesuit group will present on Tarumitra (‘Friends of Trees’), a movement of 2000 schools in North India
The conference will be live-streamed here: http://laudato-si-conference.com/
Reconciliation with Creation
EcoJesuit has released a video that features nine points to guide us as we respond to the need for reconciliation with creation.
‘Living Laudato Si’ is an action of taking time and finding the process by which I can care more’,
The nine points link the healing of creation with our own need for healing and reconciliation with God.
The video provides a helpful tool for classrooms and prayer groups: http://www.ecojesuit.com/living-laudato-si-video-2/11415/
Click here for more on the Province’s Reconciliation with Creation activities.
Catholic institutions declare ‘We Are Still In’ on the Paris Agreement
Nearly 600 US Catholic organisations, including a number of Jesuit schools, colleges and communities, used the occasion of the anniversary to declare that they are ‘still in’ to support the Paris Agreement.
The agreement deals with greenhouse gas emissions mitigation, adaptation, and finance starting in the year 2020. In June 2017, US President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw his country from the agreement.
Read more about the ‘We Are Still In’ campaign and the signatories here.