Saint Bonaventure held that, through universal reconciliation with every creature, Saint Francis in some way returned to the state of original innocence. This is a far cry from our situation today, where sin is manifest in all its destructive power in wars, the various forms of violence and abuse, the abandonment of the most vulnerable, and attacks on nature. (Laudato Si' 66)
On May 24 2026, we will be celebrating the 11th Anniversary of Laudato Si' encyclical, written by Pope Francis as an invitation to all people of goodwill to ecological conversion. This year is also designated by Pope Leo XIV as the Jubilee Year of Saint Francis starting from January 10, 2026 - January 10, 2027. It is the 800th death anniversary of the Saint, a peace and dialogue advocate, who died in October 3, 1226.
Given the Laudato Si' Anniversary, it is important to highlight the works that the Laudato Si' Movement is doing which includes the formation of people around the world to care for Creation through Laudato Si' Animator program (www.laudatosianimators.org). Currently, there are 20,000 animators who are working tirelessly to incarnate the love of God through caring for our Common Home through individual, community and systemic actions.
It is time to be grateful to God for the basic necessities that we receive such water to drink and air to breathe. These are basic and yet so critically important. If we cease to receive any of these, we can die. A few minutes without air can cause death while a few days without water can also cause death. The purpose of Laudato Si' Movement is to raise awareness of our responsibility and invite the Catholic communities in particular (i.e. the movement is also open to people of goodwill) to take care of our resources and address the call for ecological conversion. It is a gift that God has given to us. It is best to put measures to protect, conserve, and provide provision to allow its growth and restoration.
How do we morally shift from fossil fuel to sustainable energy and alternatives? How do we slow down and not demand for more so that our earth is able to rest?
Refusing to be part of the Unhealthy System and Shifting to Healthy Habits
Climate advocacy is important in ensuring that more people can get involved in climate actions, and resting away from fossil-fuel-business as usual. The impact of climate crisis is enormous that everyone's part is necessary. If my neighbor and the communities are not changing their habits, even if I am changing, the practices of my neighbor and my communities remain part of my responsibility and can affect my habits (e.g. styrofoam for take out in restaurants can cause an impairment on ecological person's practices, if a community is using conventional energy power source than renewable, then it contributes to fossil fuel proliferation). If any of the society's way of business or operations are using unsustainable practices and remain fossil-fuel-run-business as usual, their practices are still part of one's practice. How does one refuse to be part of that system?
Can you start to patronize good practices, and be connected to a community that support such, or educate your community?
The Throw Away Mentality
We need to advocate for sustainable practices and keep on encouraging people to take actions or change habits. Unless people understand the reason why they have to do things, the people and communities will continue to participate in this throw away culture where we use plastics and disposable products easily. The United States or modern culture is used to not fixing things, given the quality of the products that do not last after certain number of years. People in this capitalist world throw things away when things look bad and look discolored or even slightly disfigured. Similar to people, when there is something disagreeable, people dismiss people without conversation or fixing the relationships. Countries go to war because human lives are no longer treated as valuable but disposable.
The Impact of the Unrested Land, Unconverted Habits and the Fossil-Fuel Business As Usual
The fossil fuel and the attitude of the people unwilling to change are largely harming the geological state of our planet. A lot of the products heavily rely on fossil fuel and also plastic-based. This creates the climate injustice which eventually affects all creatures including human beings most specifically the vulnerable. For the countries that produce so much carbon footprint like United States, it has more responsibility to mitigate its carbon footprint on the planet as it only impacts our Common Home that belongs to all. The Global North owes its action to the Global South who has the most vulnerable parts of the society.
How do we balance or be relieved from the operation of the industries with the need to maintain an healthy eco system supporting creation that includes lives of people, and the need of the vulnerable part of creation? The human lives depends on these basic natural resources. Not to mention the pollution that is also attached to these oil and gas industries, known to cause illnesses and diseases. The need of the nature to rest from labor is inevitable. This is the value of jubilee. It is a time to release the nature from enslavement and the people from endless work. This being a Jubilee year of Saint Francis, it is a call to contemplate on what are we willing to renounce pondering on Saint Francis who renounced wealth and embraced poverty to be able to fully live the Gospel. This simplicity of life renewed the church.
This is an invitation to do one action to Care for Creation, challenge yourself to do it for a week during the Laudato Si' Week May 17-24 and celebrate your work in caring for creation. It can be not driving your car for a usual activity but taking a walk or public transport. It can be staying away from food that is wrapped or packaged in plastics or writing the business establishment to change their practices and share your reason with the uninformed. There are a lot of possibilities. The Laudato Si' Movement and the Care for Creation advocates also urge you to ask your parish priest to celebrate Mass for Creation during this week or have a prayer service.
Send photos of your acts of Care for Creation during the Laudato Si' Week through: jpic.office@amormeus.org.
Other Upcoming Dates by Laudato Si' Movement:
- Circle Training:
- May 13th 7pm EST- Zoom Registration
- May 20th 12pm EST- Zoom Registration
- Laudato Si Week: May 17-24
- Creation Care Commissioning on May 23rd
Vancouver 5:00 AM | New York 8:00 AM | London 1:00 PM | Nairobi 4:00 PM | New Delhi 5:30 PM | Manila 8:00 PM | Sydney 10:00 PM
Join a global moment of prayer, blessing, and mission with hundreds around the world. Come with your efforts, your community, your initiatives—and receive a special blessing to carry them further.
- September 1 - October 4: Season of Creation website is being updated here - the theme for this year is Living Water
- Join the Laudato Si' Texas Chapter (anytime), send us an email texas@lsmchapter.org
