Laudato Si

Living the Laudato Si’

In releasing Laudato Si’, Pope Francis encouraged all people take its words to heart. Some have sought to do this is by living what is written in encyclical. The Catholic Multicultural Center in Madison has been trying to do that, even before the release of Laudato Si’.

Photo Credit: http://www.madisoncatholicherald.org /news/around-diocese/6015-cmc.html

This community seeks to live as stewards of the environment and their neighbors who are less fortunate. Some ways they are achieving this include installing solar panels to cut costs and reinvest the money in charitable programs, and running a local food garden. Members of this community have also helped to install rain gardens and find innovative ways of serving their neighbors. These activities help to bring people closer together as well as care for the planet. To learn more about the Catholic Multicultural Center in Madison, visit their home page here.

The People’s Pilgrimage

COP-21 was recently held in Paris, where leaders from countries all over the world met to discuss potential climate change plans. In addition, hundreds of thousands of people of various faiths made their way to the convention. They journeyed to Paris in a pilgrimage of solidarity. People of all faiths were in attendance to rally together and show how religious consciousness is now linked with environmental stewardship. To get a better look at the involvement of faith communities in COP-21, as well as specific stories about the People’s Pilgrimage, check this out.

Introduction

Photo Credit: http://peoplespilgrimage.org/evoke/blog/introduction-and-itinerary/view?category=Yeb%27s+Journey

One group walked 1,500 km. from Rome to Paris. Among this group was Yeb Saño, the representative of the Philippines in COP-19. He has become a well-known activist, as his homeland was ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan during COP-19. The pilgrimage brought copies of Laudato Si, the Islamic Declaration on Global Climate Change, and the Buddhist Climate Change Statement to World Leaders 2015 to show how invested the faith communities are when it comes to climate change and environmental issues. To read more about the People’s Pilgrimage, click here.