It would be hard for me to claim that I'm not a church nerd while admitting that I follow Vatican News on Twitter. Pope Francis perplexes me at times and yet I'm encouraged by his outlook on the environment and Creation care. His Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home encyclical is a more sophisticated document on the subject than just about anything else published by a Christian denomination. Here is a summary of Francis' appeal to pray, reflect and act to protect an endangered environment in a message released to mark the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
Pope Francis underlines that “this is the season for letting our prayer be inspired anew by closeness to nature, which spontaneously leads us to give thanks to God the Creator.” Our prayers and appeals, he says, “are directed first at raising the awareness of political and civil leaders”, especially those governments “that will meet in the coming months to renew commitments decisive for directing the planet towards life, not death.”
During this month, the Pope says that it is “a season to reflect on our lifestyles, and how our daily decisions about food, consumption, transportation, use of water, energy and many other material goods, can often be thoughtless and harmful.”
Now is the time, he adds, “to abandon our dependence on fossil fuels and move, quickly and decisively, towards forms of clean energy and a sustainable and circular economy. Pope Francis also invites people to learn from “indigenous peoples, whose age-old wisdom can teach us how to live in a better relationship with the environment.”
In the message the Pope urges the faithful undertake prophetic actions. “Many young people all over the world are making their voices heard and calling for courageous decisions”, he comments.
Pope Francis stresses that, “we owe them real answers, not empty words, actions not illusions.”
To this I figure all Christians and all those who care about the planet could say "Amen!"
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