“More than ever, people of faith understand that we must nurture our common home, and that in doing so, we’re caring for the most vulnerable among us and lifting up the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor.”
Cardinal Peter K. A. Turkson, Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for promoting Integral Human Development, at the conclusion of Laudato Si’ Week in May 2021
Catholic efforts to undergo an “ecological conversion” in reexamining our relationships with the Creator, with creation and with our brothers and sisters now have a roadmap in the seven-year Laudato Si’ Action Plan.
Action Plan goals
The Action Plan has seven goals:
- Response to the Cry of the Earth (greater use of clean renewable energy and reducing fossil fuels in order to achieve carbon neutrality, efforts to protect and promote biodiversity, guaranteeing access to clean water for all, etc.)
- Response to the Cry of the Poor (defense of human life from conception to death and all forms of life on Earth, with special attention to vulnerable groups such as indigenous communities, migrants, children at risk through slavery, etc.)
- Ecological Economics (sustainable production, Fair Trade, ethical consumption, ethical investments, divestment from fossil fuels and any economic activity harmful to the planet and the people, investment in renewable energy, etc.)
- Adoption of Simple Lifestyles (sobriety in the use of resources and energy, avoid single-use plastic, adopt a more plant-based diet and reduce meat consumption, greater use of public transport and avoid polluting modes of transportation, etc.)
- Ecological Education (re-think and re-design educational curricula and educational institution reform in the spirit of integral ecology to create ecological awareness and action, promoting the ecological vocation of young people, teachers and leaders of education, etc.)
- Ecological Spirituality (recover a religious vision of God’s creation, encourage greater contact with the natural world in a spirit of wonder, praise, joy and gratitude, promote creationcentered liturgical celebrations, develop ecological catechesis, prayer, retreats, formation, etc.)
- Emphasis on Community Involvement and Participatory Action to care for creation at the local, regional, national and international levels (promote advocacy and people’s campaigns, encourage rootedness in local territory and neighborhood ecosystems, etc.)
RSHM throughout the world have embraced these goals. Stories gathered over the summer included ECO Schools in Portugal, a children’s choir in Brazil, and transforming used paper into walkers for handicapped children in Zambia. During the recent Season of Creation (Sept. 1 – Oct. 4), we have been united in prayer for the protection of our common home.
We welcome ideas and projects in which our sisters, our ministries, our extended family, our alumnae and friends are involved. Sharing our works and insights will energize us. The situation is grave and we must preserve God’s gift of our beautiful Earth.
I will be grateful to receive ideas for projects, reports, stories or questions at this e-mail: rscmjpicngo @ gmail.com