What is Laudato Si' and what does it say?
Laudato Si’ is an encyclical written by Pope Francis, it was published on the 18 June 2015. Encyclicals are open letters written by the pope.
Laudato Si’ discusses the damage being inflicted on the Earth by humans and calls on ‘every person living on this planet’ to make urgent changes to our lifestyles and how we consume energy in order to protect the planet.
It deals with many environmental issues including:
pollution
climate change
water
loss of biodiversity
decline in the quality of human life.
In his letter Pope Francis implores us to work together to create a better world for future generations and asks us to make the necessary changes in our lives in order to take care of, respect and value our ‘common home’.
"Laudato Si for children" aims to inspire our children to be good stewards of the Earth, to be aware of the impact of their actions, and to make choices that help protect the environment. By understanding and following the teachings of "Laudato Si," our children can play an important role in creating a better and more sustainable world for themselves and future generations.
At St Marys, we all take part in being active Stewards of Creation to ensure that we live our Catholic Mission.
Pope Francis has written a letter to everyone, asking us to reach out to our sisters and brothers in need, whoever they are, wherever they may come from. We are all challenged to think of ourselves as a single global family living in a common home, and neighbours to all.
At St Mary's, we believe this means moving towards a world where everyone can be the best person they can be.