Celebrating Laudato Si' Week

Ahead of Laudato Si' Week, SCIAF's Senior Campaigns Officer, Jonathan McAveety, writes on our responsibilities as global citizens to take climate action. 

Laudato Si' Week begins on Saturday 16 May and ends with a Global Day of Prayer on Sunday 24 May. This month we celebrate five years since Pope Francis published his landmark encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si’.

Laudato Si’ calls on us to “care for our common home” and its publication in 2015 was a revolutionary moment for the Catholic Church and the global movement for action on climate change. Pope Francis has invited all of us to join together during Laudato Si’ Week to reflect on “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=DHlzOWp8ZQY 

Now more than ever, we appreciate Laudato Si’s message that “everything is connected” as we deal with the horrific consequences of the coronavirus pandemic. Our world has been turned upside down and no country has been left untouched by the health, economic and social scars caused by the virus.

As we join in prayer and reflection during these challenging times, we look to our shared faith and the messages of Laudato Si’ to guide us for what should come next. Every decision we make now, and in the months ahead, as individuals, communities, businesses and governments is a chance to bring us closer to a fairer, greener world that works for all of us. Together we’ll get through the crisis but let’s ensure that when we rebuild our broken economy and society we do it in a way that leaves no-one behind.

SCIAF has a long and proud history of taking action and lobbying for changes to improve the health of our planet – because we know the direct impact that climate change is already having on the health of our brothers and sisters in the world’s poorest countries. Many developing countries are currently facing a climate breakdown with increasingly severe droughts, floods and unpredictable weather patterns leaving millions of people short of food and water.

It would be easy to feel depressed when we see the news about what is happening in our world today but Laudato Si’ offers hope that change is still possible.

As Pope Francis says:

Truly, much can be done!

Let’s be inspired by his optimism and answer the call to care for creation.

Most of the in-person gatherings planned for Laudato Si’ Week have been postponed for obvious reasons. Instead, we are asking people to reflect together and prepare to put our faith into action during the Season of Creation in September and beyond.

Unite in Prayer

Join Catholics all around the world in a massive wave of prayers for our common home. The Catholic family everywhere will pray together next Sunday, 24 May, at noon local time.

We may not be together in person during this crisis, but we can still connect with each other in spirit.

Unite in Action

You can take a pledge now to become a 'SCIAF Climate Champion' and find out more about how you can organise your parish and community to care for our common home. 

We’ll be organising more activities and events later in the year during the Season of Creation as we build towards the COP26 global climate summit in Glasgow.