It has been record-breaking heat on earth where people
had to endure the brutal hot temperature in longest days of July. This has not happened in 120,000 years as
reported by scientists in the news. San
Antonio hit a triple digit temperature for the most days of July with 125
degrees in some areas of Southern Texas.
The end of the Summer this year is about to come by September 22. It comes with hope that the change in season will
soften the blow of the summer’s raging temperature. The end of the season does not, however, end
the truth on Climate Change. On October 4, Pope Francis will publish an exhortation as another message calling us to reflect on our call to revisit Laudato Si, the encyclical published on October 2015 in lieu of the call for ecological conversion.
The summer’s wildfires and bush fires have impacted
lives of people, animals, and even cost billions of dollars of damages to the environment
and livelihood across the country and in other parts of the world such as
Greece, Canada, Australia, Croatia, France, Spain, etc. A lot of these wildfires are record-breaking
in in terms of the number of fires and the extent of the burned areas. As scientists already reported, this climate
change is anthropogenic. This means,
what we are experiencing is caused by human activity and not by cosmic-induced
phenomena. The solution is in our
hands. The greenhouse effect of burning fossil
fuels, and other carbon-emitting human-based activities causing atmospheric
changes. The symbiotic relationship of the
atmospheric changes to the geological, biological, and ecological system is getting
manifested through the changes in weather patterns becoming erratic, and more dangerous. We are observing the occurrence of natural
disasters such as typhoons, storms, and hurricanes that are becoming more
frequent and more disastrous which the climate scientists have already warned us. If human beings are resilient and adaptable to
changes, why bother about this Climate Change?
Weather patterns as part of the climate of a region help people and even
animals to adapt to the kind of living environment and sometimes survival
mechanism. As we are already experiencing effects of Climate Change, the urgency
about this crisis demands our action now.
The United Nations (UN) sees 1.5 °C as a critical turning point
to avoid cataclysmic results by the end of the century.
There have been several actions such as studies, and even
Kyoto Protocol treaty to moderate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 1997 even
before the historic Paris Climate Agreement in 2015. The Paris Climate Agreement marked the world-wide
commitment of 194 parties to tackle Climate Change. Pope Francis wrote the Laudato Si encyclical
in 2015 to educate us of our interconnectedness with the creation, and to
invite us to answer the call for ecological conversion. The world has not been more aware of this
call.
This is the time to pray, reflect, and take action. Today is the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. It is today when St. Helena, while on a pilgrimage on the events where Jesus Christ had thread upon, discovered the true cross in Jerusalem in 320 AD. It was on September 14 that her son Constantine dedicates the Church of the Holy Sepuclcher in September 14, 335 AD. Today, we offer our prayer, reflection, and works that Jesus Christ will be triumphant in our lives to pray, reflect and take actions. As we have learned in the movie "The Letter" as part of the Laudato Si project reflecting the situation in the world, the four vulnerable recipients of the environmental phenomenon are the poor, indigenous, nature, and the youth. This is an invitation to reflect the call to be united in a cause for ecological conversion and to be especially united in solidarity with our vulnerable brothers and sisters incuding the Creation where we all belong.
+JMJ
Message from Laudato Si Movement Program Coordinator for Texas and New Mexico
Rally for the Climate Emergency
Texas State Capitol
Sunday, September 17
Noon – 2 p.m.
Calling all
Catholics! In support of restoring God’s
creation to have clean water and air, abundant biodiversity, rich soil quality,
protect human health from conception to natural death and to bear witness to
the climate emergency we face, you are invited to the south steps of the TX
State Capitol. Come stand and raise your
voice for those whose voices are not heard, suffering from environmental
injustice and racism. Hear and learn
from speakers and organizations about what more you can do and more importantly,
be witness to all political and business leaders to take collective action to
end the war against our Earth. We do this in solidarity with the NYC March to End Fossil Fuels, for the upcoming start of the UN
Climate Ambition Summit, as we demand a rapid, just and equitable
transformation to save our planet.
Catholics will gather at 11 a.m. at St. Mary’s Cathedral at 203 E. 10th
St. for prayer before proceeding to the capitol at 11:45 a.m. as a people of
faith. You do not need to register but
to help with a head count, please let us know how many you are bringing to the
event at SignUp
Genius *This is a permitted event by
the State Preservation Board.
Rally for the Climate Emergency
Texas State Capitol
Sunday, September 17
Noon – 2 p.m.
People of good will who care
about clean water and air, biodiversity, soil quality, the climate crisis or
human health, are invited to this state permitted event on the south steps of
the TX State Capitol. Come stand and raise your voice for those whose
voices are not heard, suffering from environmental injustice and racism.
Hear and learn from speakers and organizations about what more you can do and
more importantly, be witness to all political and business leaders to take
collective action to end the war against our Earth. We do this in
solidarity with the NYC March
to End Fossil Fuels, for the
upcoming start of the UN Climate Ambition Summit, as we demand a rapid, just
and equitable transformation to save our planet.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laudatositexas/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laudatositexas/
Other Information on the Catholic Youth Conference: Join or support young Catholics marching for their future (salsalabs.org)
