Catholic Earthcare Australia is celebrating the very first World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on September 1 by releasing a short video entitled Laudato Si’ – An urgent appeal for action.
The video features three prominent Catholic leaders – Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana (Apostolic Nuncio to Australia), Bishop Michael Kennedy (Bishop of Armidale and Chair of Catholic Earthcare Australia) and Jacqui Rémond (Director of Catholic Earthcare Australia). It offers a unique Australian perspective on Pope Francis’ new Encyclical Laudato si’, and a direct call to action for the Australian Catholic community.
The message in Laudato Si’ – An urgent appeal for action resonates strongly on World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. Pope Francis would like this day to be a time for individuals and communities to “reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care, and to implore his help for the protection of creation as well as his pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live.” This video highlights the urgent nature of his appeal, particularly here in Australia.
Catholic Earthcare Australia hopes that this video will act as a catalyst for reflection and action. Jacqui Rémond, Director of Catholic Earthcare Australia, is urging communities, schools and parishes to watch the video together, to reflect on its message and then dialogue about what actions can be taken at an individual, family, community and national level to care for Planet Earth, our common home.
The video can be viewed online at: http://catholicearthcare.org.au/project/laudato-si-an-urgent-appeal-for-action/.
Since 2002, Catholic Earthcare Australia has worked to stimulate and sustain an ecological conversion with all people of good will. This is done through a range of initiatives that focus on environmental education, research, building national networks, transformation and advocacy at the individual, organisational and community level. For more information please see http://catholicearthcare.org.au/.