In May of 2015 Pope Francis released his Laudato Si encyclical. The name comes from the “Laudato Si, Mi Signore” or “Praise be to you, my Lord” which Pope Francis took from Saint Francis of Assisi’s beautiful canticle.
In this column, also appearing in the St. John the Evangelist weekly bulletin & email, the goal is very simple: to share with you key excerpts from this critically important document and to suggest how we can put Laudato Si into concrete achievable actions.
Laudato Si in Action Posts
Had industry-funded climate science actually been shared
You may have noticed a big pause on this blog. I sorry for not sharing sooner. I was so upset by the situation, I never commented here. But the reason I stopped updating this blog is because, after publishing all my posts in our church bulletin for almost three years, my church refused to publish…
What’s the right thing to do?
This week, I’d like to share a wonderful quote by environmental activist and author, Wendell Berry: We don’t have a right to ask whether we are going to succeed or not. The only question we have a right to ask is what’s the right thing to do? What does this Earth require of us if…
Introducing the Laudato Si Action Platform
As I have written about before, in May of 2015 Pope Francis released his Laudato Si encyclical (tinyurl.com/ReadLaudatoSi). The encyclical addresses climate change, climate injustice, and the care for creation. In the encyclical, Our Holy Father implores us to listen to “both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor” and to…
Good news and bad news on the climate in 2022
The past year brought a lot of bad climate news to the world. The planet was hit by numerous climate disasters, including massive flooding that displaced 7 million in Pakistan, Hurricane Ian which caused $100 billion damage in the US and Cuba, summer heatwaves and drought in the US and UK which caused $20 billion…
I don’t want any more pieces about the climate!
I just finished reading a book (highly recommended) called Our House Is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis, written by Malena Ernman, the mother of climate youth activist, Greta Thunberg. Ernman was a columnist for a chain of newspapers in Sweden and writes in the book how her editor emailed…
An underwater nativity
What would Jesus do if he were born into today’s climate crisis? Back in 2019, St. Susanna Catholic Church in Dedham, Massachusetts made a nativity scene that depicted Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the three wise men, shepherds, and animals in knee-deep water. The church was hoping to spark a conversation. The banner above the nativity…
A Letter to Everyone Who Has a Chance to Be Heard
This is a letter written by Greta Thunberg in 2017 or 2018, before she started her school strike for the climate; before she became famous for becoming the voice of a generation. Excerpted from Our House is on Fire: Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis. My name is Greta and I am…
Climate change and religion
Pew Research just released results from a survey conducted in April of 2022 to gauge Americans’ views on climate change. According to the researchers: Most Americans say the Earth is getting warmer, including a narrow majority (53%) who say it is mostly because of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. Most also view global…
Dreaming of a Green Christmas
According to the Stanford University recycling center, Americans make 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Year’s than at any other time of the year. Much of it, of course, is caused by the waste produced by decorating and gift giving. So why not instead strategize how each of us can make less waste instead…
What is an Ecological Conversion?
Last week I suggested to you that Advent season was a great time to undergo an ecological conversion. So what exactly is an ecological conversion? The Laudato Si’ Movement defines ecological conversion as the “transformation of hearts and minds toward greater love of God, each other, and creation. It is a process of acknowledging our…
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