The living legacy of Laudato Si'
Pope Francis plants a tree in the Vatican Gardens October 4, 2019. (Laudato Si'Movement)
By Tomás InsuaDespite the noisy splattering of news headlines on the surface, Laudato Si' set in motion a powerful undercurrent that is sweeping through the ocean. Or, rather, it dramatically accelerated an undercurrent that was already underway. • The birth of the global Laudato Si'Movement, with its nearly 20,000 grassroots leaders trained as Laudato Si' animators, and of ecclesial networks regionally. • Countless projects in parishes and local communities to install renewable energy, divest from fossil fuels, and other tangible steps, supported by the Vatican's Laudato Si' Action Platform. • Beautiful artistic interpretations of the encyclical, such as the film 'The Letter: A Message for Our Earth' by an Oscarwinning company. • Academic ventures such as the joint diploma in integral ecology by pontifical universities in Rome or the Laudato Si' Research Institute at Oxford University in England. • The ASSISI Terra Laudato Si' initiative in the Franciscan sanctuaries of Assisi, Italy. The list goes on and on. Moreover, Francis coupled the Laudato Si' release with an equally important sister. Just a few weeks after publishing the encyclical, he instituted the World Day of Prayer for Creation on Sept 1 — also known as Creation Day or the Feast of Creation — in response to an invitation of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Through annual statements marking that special day, Francis continued to motivate the church to bring Laudato Si' to life in collaboration with fellow Christian churches, also as part of the larger Season of Creation celebrations throughout September. Thousands of parishes and local communities celebrate it every year. The most important legacy of Laudato Si' will be the decisive attention it brought to the spiritual and moral roots of these interconnected crises. Given the sheer scale of this mess, it is imperative to address those root causes.
The theology and spirituality of Laudato Si' are beginning to permeate the ethos of the Catholic Church. That is the powerful undercurrent in the ocean. Slowly but steadily, creation is gaining more attention in Christian spirituality, theology, liturgy and catechesis, with countless books and initiatives underway. Creation Day on Sept. 1, in particular, stands out for its potential to become a liturgical feast in many Christian churches, grounded in ancient and rich symbolism in the Eastern Church. Tomás Insua, --NCR
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