Nine years ago, Pope Francis gifted the world with Laudato Si’, an encyclical named for the canticle of Saint Francis that calls us to care for our Common Home and listen to the cries of the earth and the cries of the poor.
Today, these cries are merging, much as Laudato Si’ predicted: "The worst impact (of climate change) will probably be felt by developing countries in coming decades." (LS25) Earlier this month, climate change-induced floods in Kenya killed 228 people and displaced over 200,000. Thousands more are missing and injured, roads and bridges are destroyed, and water sources contaminated, threatening an outbreak of cholera. Yet Kenya has contributed less than 0.1% to the greenhouse gas emissions that have caused this problem.
Pray
STUDY
The Laudato Si' Week Celebration Guide invites us to see nature “as a magnificent book in which God speaks to us and grants us a glimpse of his infinite beauty and goodness.” (LS12)
ACT
Pope Francis tells us how inseparable the bond is between concern for nature, and justice for the poor. (LS 10) Call on your Member of Congress to approve international climate finance that will aid climate-vulnerable communities such as those recently impacted in Kenya in protecting lives and homes.