The Laudato Si’ Movement was born in 2015 and is the fruit of a kairos – the Greek word
used in the Gospel to express “an opportune moment.” The kairos of 2015 was the
combination of two transformative events that would shape how the Church and
humanity responded to the ecological crisis: the Laudato Si’ encyclical release
and the Paris Climate Agreement.
First, Pope Francis wrote and released the encyclical letter “Laudato Si’: On Care forOur Common Home,” the first-ever papal encyclical devoted to the crisis of our planetary home. Inspired by his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi and his deep communion with all Creation (best captured in the Canticle of the Creatures that inspired the encyclical’s title), the Pope issued a powerful appeal to the Church and “all people of good will” to urgently come together and respond to “the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor.”
Second, with the backdrop of increasingly starker warnings from the scientific community about the severity of the climate emergency, leaders from nearly 200 nations gathered at the U.N. Paris Climate Summit (COP21) to agree and sign the Paris Agreement. After 21 years of failed negotiations, nations of the world had a deadline to finally agree on a common plan that would tackle the climate crisis before it was too late.
Pope Francis is deeply concerned about the lack of adequate response to the climate emergency.
In his new exhortation 'Laudate Deum', he gives us clear answers and guidance on how to preserve our common home.
He argues that we're not reacting enough and we're close to breaking point. He criticises climate change deniers, saying that the human origin of global warming is now beyond doubt. And he describes how care for our common home flows from the Christian faith. Click here for more details