Season of Creation: A Call for Environmental Justice

The Season of Creation began Sept. 1 and continues through Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis, the patron saint of ecology. In 2015, another Francis—Pope Francis wrote the Encyclical Laudato Si’ On Care for our Common Home, utilizing words from St. Francis’ Canticle of Creation, “Praise be to you, my Lord through our Sister Mother Earth, who sustains us an governs us, and who produces various fruit with colored flowers and herbs.”

In the encyclical he calls the earth our common home where humans, creatures, and the environment are all intimately related. He writes,

The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all.”(23) Pope Francis expresses his grave concern that “Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.”(25) He calls on us humans to protect creation and to change practices that are harmful to the earth and environment.

One can readily do this by recycling, maintaining our cars in good repair, driving the speed limit, avoiding the use of Styrofoam and plastics, reducing water consumption, turning off unnecessary lights, growing house plants, visiting and supporting our National Park System, or any number of other practices.

Following in the footsteps of youth all over the world, a campaign called #StrikeWithUs has started to organize climate strikes to take place all over America. On Sept. 20, three days before the United Nations Climate Summit in New York City, young people and adults will strike all across the U.S. as part of a global #ClimateStrike to demand transformative action be taken to address the climate crisis.

• In many states, there are climate strikes throughout the week, click here to find one near you: https://www.brightest.io/cause/fridays-for-future/activity/global-climate-strike-september-20/.
• To educate yourself on the environment, see the Global Catholic Movement website: https://catholicclimatemovement.global/.
• Read Pope Francis’s Encyclical Laudato Si’ On Care for our Common Home on line https://laudatosi.com/watch and take the Laudato Si’ pledge http://livelaudatosi.org/.
• Another great read is The Earth Charter. It was developed over ten years by an independent commission with over five thousand people contributing worldwide. It helps guide the transition towards a just, sustainable, peaceful world. For more information, visit EarthCharter.org.

In the meantime don’t forget to enjoy the beginning of the autumn season.

On Sept. 20, three days before the UN Climate Summit in NYC, young people and adults will strike globally, to demand transformative action be taken to address the climate crisis.