Tag Archives: Care of the Earth

“May we be sustained by the conviction that education bears within itself a seed of hope: the hope of peace and justice; the hope of beauty and goodness; the hope of social harmony,” the Pope said in his message. “We must move forward, all of us together, each as we are, but always looking ahead to the building of a ...

Pope Francis signed his new encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, on Saturday 3 October 2020 during a visit to Assisi. The phrase ‘Fratelli Tutti’ is taken from the writings of St. Francis, one of the major inspirations for Pope Francis’ third encyclical, on fraternity and social friendship. The full text of the encyclical, the third of Pope Francis’ pontificate was released on Sunday ...

Often times, as the season starts to change, we sense the subtle shifting of the light to herald autumnal days and all the leave-taking that this can ask of nature and of us.  This changing rhythm can also herald a space for change in us. Perhaps a change in our way of seeing, being, discovering or responding to the needs ...

We share a common role as caretakers of God’s creation. Our well-being is interwoven with the well-being of all of creation. So we rejoice in this opportunity to care for our common home and for the sisters and brothers who share it with us. The Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios proclaimed September 1 as Creation Day for the Orthodox in 1989, followed ...

It is past mid-summer.  Our lives seem in these days to be juxta-positioned as part of a profound and challenging landscape of suffering humanity. Perhaps we have never been so inter-connected and so interwoven into the lives of others by the very separation we endure in this COVID-19 environment, that it challenges us to love and care for the other ...

‘A quarantine of consumption’ – not my phrase but one that powerfully stayed with me from a recent article by Marcus Fairs  in dezeeen.com .  It was coined by Li Edelkoort in an interview – the full transcript of which is available in this link.  Edelkoort was born in the Netherlands in 1950 and is regarded as one of the ...

We are all too familiar with the existence and impact of the fast fashion industry (reflected in the prolific production and purchase of low quality clothes which need to be replaced more quickly to meet consumer demand).  This industry managed to entice us to embrace the so called ‘disposable clothing’ culture where the price of these garments never truly reflected ...

“LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord.” These are the words that open Pope Francis’ encyclical on ecology and care for God’s creation. These words, quoting St. Francis of Assisi’s beautiful canticle, remind us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms ...

We celebrate the 5th anniversary of the publication of the Encyclical Letter:  Laudato Si   – On Care of Our Common Home  this year, on 24th May 2020.  This unique, accessible and very powerful landmark document continues to speak to our lives and the needs of our world today when we are experiencing daily, just how intimately human and planetary health are ...

Having read many pieces written in the past weeks about what is needed to maintain one’s sanity and balance in these perilous and challenging times that we are living now, it seems to me that what is needed is something more than maintaining our balance and well-being.  It is also about sustaining and nurturing our relationship with each other and ...