Caring for Creation – Our Sacred Gift

It is imperative that people restore “a harmonious relationship” with the earth and with the rest of humanity, he said. It requires a new way of looking at the earth, not as a “storehouse of resources for us to exploit,” but as a sacred gift for sustaining all of humanity. – Pope Francis

ARTICLES, INFORMATION and WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

ARTICLE: Pope Calls for “Ecological Conversion” (America Magazine)
ARTICLE SERIES: EARTH BEAT by National Catholic Reporter – Stories of Climate Crisis, Faith and Action
ORGANIZATION: Catholic Climate Covenant – Catholic Climate Covenant can help you answer the call to care for creation and the poor through the sharing of Church teaching, our resources, and our programs. Loving God’s creation and God’s most vulnerable is at the heart of who we are as Catholics.
LINK: National Geographic Photo Ark. You can view images of animals facing threats all throughout the world and read about their unique stories.

What is Laudato Si?

The title is taken from the first line of the encyclical, “Laudato si’, mi Signore,” or “Praise be to you, my Lord.” In the words of this beautiful canticle, Saint Francis of Assisi reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. The encyclical is divided into six chapters which together provide a thorough analysis of human life and its three intertwined relationships: with God, with our neighbor, and with the earth.

Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home is the appeal from Pope Francis addressed to “every person living on this planet” for an inclusive dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. Pope Francis calls the Church and the world to acknowledge the urgency of our environmental challenges and to join him in embarking on a new path. This encyclical is written with both hope and resolve, looking to our common future with candor and humility.

Here is a link to much more information on Laudato Si from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops