“What kind of world do we want to leave to those who will come after us,
to children who are growing up?" 
Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ #160

Celebrating the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’ with dialogue and solidarity around the future of our common home

In the five years since Pope Francis signed his groundbreaking encyclical Laudato Si’ calling on everyone to care for our common home, the ecological crisis has intensified and the current coronavirus pandemic is laying bare the deep injustices and inequalities still present in our world. Laudato Si’ continues to be a compelling source of hope, guidance and inspiration for creative initiatives including the formation of the Global Catholic Climate Movement which has grown to over 900 member organizations seeking to bring Laudato Si’ to life and respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.

Motivated by the question “What kind of world do we want to leave to those who will come after us, to children who are growing up?”, Pope Francis invited Catholics around the world to participate in Laudato Si’ Week May 16 – 24 and to take care of creation. This Vatican-sponsored week commemorating the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’ is facilitated by the Global Catholic Climate Movement and Renova in collaboration with many partners including Faith & the Common Good

“Everything is connected” is the theme of Laudato Si’ Week, which calls for solidarity so a more just and sustainable world arises after the coronavirus pandemic passes. The Laudato Si’ Week website offers a Reflection Guide to help reflect on the coronavirus pandemic in light of Laudato Si’. It highlights how much the present health catastrophe has in common with the ecological catastrophe:

• Both are global emergencies that will affect many people, both directly and indirectly.
• Both are experienced most deeply by the poor and vulnerable, and both expose the deep injustices in our societies.
• Both will be solved only through a united effort that calls on the best of the values we share.

During Laudato Si’ Week Catholics around the world are uniting online to reflect, pray and prepare for building a better future together. This week provides spiritual and practical preparation to deepen efforts to care for our common home including putting preparation into action during the Season of Creation in September.

Laudato Si’ Week online events begin with two connected Laudato Si’ retreat sessions. Weekday events focus on eco-spirituality, sustainability, advocacy, and social action. In addition, GCCM Canada offers a free webinar Women of Faith – EcoLeaders, focusing on Indigenous and ecological justice and featuring Sister Priscilla Solomon, CSJ and Sister Linda Gregg, CSJ. All of these events are free but registration is required—see the schedule and registration links at the end.

There will be a worldwide day of prayer on Sunday May 24^th and people are invited to bring their community into this time of shared reflection and preparation by hosting an online prayer service. A common prayer and suggestions for organizing a group prayer service are provided.

Following Laudato Si’ Week, the Jesuit Forum for Social Faith and Justice is offering a series of webinars on Tuesdays that explore new ways to dialogue about how we can care for our common home, inspired by the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’. The first webinar on May 26 is a dialogue with liberation and eco-theologian Leonardo Boff on key themes arising from Laudato Si’. Registration is required for these free webinars—see details and registration links at the end.

May these events inspired by the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’ deepen our efforts towards growing what Pope Francis calls “a culture of care” where “Love, overflowing with small gestures of mutual care, is also civic and political, and it makes itself felt in every action that seeks to build a better world” (Laudato Si’ #231).

Laudato Si’ Week Schedule*—in Eastern Time (Toronto):

Saturday May 16, 2020 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM:  Laudato Si’ Retreat; registration here…

Sunday May 17, 2020 1:00 - 2:30 PM:  Laudato Si’ Retreat; registration here…

Monday May 18, 2020 8:00 AM:  Laudato Si’ at 5; registration here…

Tuesday May 19, 2020 9:00 AM:  Eco Spirituality Session; registration here…

Wednesday May 20, 2020 9:00 AM:  Sustainability Session; registration here…

Wednesday May 20, 2020 11:00 AM:  Advocacy Session; registration here…

Wednesday May 20, 2020 1:30 PM:  Women of Faith – EcoLeaders; registration here…

Friday May 22, 2020 9:00 AM:  Social Action Session; registration here…

Sunday May 24, 2020 12:00 noon:  Worldwide Day of Prayer

*If registering for an event please check for any time or date changes by the organizers. If you aren’t able to register for laudatosiweek.org events, visit the Global Catholic Climate Movement Facebook page  at the time each event starts to see a Facebook Live broadcast in English.

Jesuit Forum Webinar Series on Tuesdays 1:00 - 2:30 PM:   

May 26          In Dialogue with Leonardo Boff:  Jesuit Forum's Mark Hathaway in conversation with liberation and eco-theologian Leonardo Boff on key themes arising from Laudato Sí: 

- Why the ecological crisis is, at its heart, a crisis of relationships;
- How integral ecology weaves together social, economic, environmental, and spiritual dimensions;
- How to respond to the call to radical ecological conversion; and
- How to live out an ecological spirituality in practice.

Event in Spanish and interpreted into English and French. Information and registration.

June 2           Women Resisting Extractivism:  Expert panellists discuss how women are differently and disproportionately affected by resource extraction as well as how women’s perspectives on sustainability and community well-being are often not heard or understood when evaluating a project's risk and benefits. Event in English and Spanish with interpretation.

Information and registration.

June 9           Towards a Just Transition:  Mirian Vilela (Executive Director of the Earth Charter Initiative), Aliénor Rougeot (Fridays for Future), Mauricio Lopez (Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network), and John McCarthy (Canadian Jesuit Coordinator for Ecology) explore the ethical roots of the current ecological crisis, the responsibility of humans to the wider community of life, and the invitation to embrace an integral ecology and a just recovery for a healthy future for the planet.

Information and registration.