Resources for Laudato Si’
Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si’: On the care for our common home” is inspiring people around the world to reflect on our relationships with God, nature and each other. We’ve created this page to draw together some resources to help people engage with the encyclical – do send us any we’ve missed!
- Full text of the encyclical in html and pdf
- Summaries and introductions:
- Official Vatican Overview of Laudato Si’
- Q and A, Powerpoint, and ways Laudato si inspires from CAFOD
- “Top 10 things you need to know” video by Jesuit priest James Martin
- Some notable responses
- Global Catholic Climate Movement statement
- Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, Chair of the Anglican Communion Environment Network
- Yeb M Saño, “Laudato Si: What it means for the Philippines”
- Andrew Steer (head of World Resources Institute)
- Nicholas Stern (author of the Stern Report) in The Tablet
- Catholic Relief Services’ president, Carolyn Woo (one of the panelists at the encyclical’s presentation)
- Prayer Responses
- Link to Pope Francis’ two prayers from the encyclical
- Canticle of the Creatures Powerpoint
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Perry. For details of the window, go to the Canticle of the Creatures powerpoint.
Environment Sunday Resources (2016)
This year World Environment Day and Environment Sunday fall on the same day – June 5th. If you are looking for resources to use, here are some suggestions from around the world …
- From the Catholic Health Association of the US, a lovely prayer for the day, focusing on appreciating God’s gifts and stewarding them well.
- Eco-congregation Scotland have a useful collection of ideas and resources
- From the Roman Catholic Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission, a longer World Environment Day piece with reflections and prayers around the impact of mining
- From the (Roman Catholic) Augustinian congregations, three World Environment Day services
- From international Christian conservation charity A Rocha, a collection of materials from their wonderful Environment Sunday service packs
And of course, you can use any of the other prayers from our collection!
Day of Prayer for Creation Resources
O Creator and Master of time and the ages,
Triune and Merciful God of all:
grant blessings for the course of this year,
and in Your boundless mercy save those who worship You and cry out in fear:
“O Savior, grant blessings to all mankind!”
From Orthodox Liturgy for 1 September
Many Eastern and Western churches have traditionally celebrated ‘Time for Creation’ (or Creation Time … or The Season of Creation) in the period from 1 September to 4 October. The dates are significant in the Eastern and Western traditions: 1 September is the beginning of the Orthodox Church Year, when the liturgy recollects God’s gracious creation of the world; since 1989 it has also been, in the Orthodox tradition, a day of prayer for creation. October the 4th, meanwhile, is the day when many Western churches remember St Francis of Assisi.
At the launch of the papal encyclical “Laudato Si” earlier this year, the Ecumenical Patriarch’s representative suggested that the Catholic church unite with the Orthodox in making 1 September a day of prayer for creation – and during August, Pope Francis released a letter calling Catholics to do so. Anglicans and Lutherans are also joining in, seeing the day as part of their ongoing commitment to prayer and fasting for climate justice on the 1st of the month.
This is an annual event – but it is particularly timely this year, as we prepare for the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals in September and the Paris climate talks in November/December.
You can take part at home … on your own … with friends or family … in your church. Below are some resources you might find helpful.
- Liturgy proposed by the Vatican for the World Day of Prayer
- Material prepared by the Evangelical Environmental Network (USA)
- Our September Prayer Points
- Brief ecumenical service of prayer for the environment “in a Franciscan key”
- Caretakers of God’s Creation service with focus on earth, air, fire, water
- A Collection of Greek Orthodox prayers and reflections on the environment