Laudato Si’ Week 2023 will be celebrated May 21-28 with the film “The Letter” to mark the eighth anniversary of Pope Francis’ landmark encyclical on care for creation. This global celebration will unite Catholics to rejoice in the progress we have made in bringing Laudato Si’ to life, and show how the protagonists of “The Letter” are already doing so.
This year, many of the activities will be based around a new film from the Laudato Si’ Movement about the encyclical, titled The Letter.
From the film site:
The Letter, tells the story of a journey to Rome of frontline leaders to discuss the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ with Pope Francis. The exclusive dialogue with the Pope, included in the film, offers a revealing insight into the personal history of Pope Francis and stories never seen since he became the Bishop of Rome. In 2015, Pope Francis wrote Laudato Si’ (The Letter); an encyclical letter about the environmental crisis to every single person in the world. A few years later, four voices that have gone unheard in global conversations have been invited to an unprecedented dialogue with the Pope. Hailing from Senegal, the Amazon, India, and Hawai’i, they bring perspective and solutions from the poor, the indigenous, the youth, and wildlife into a conversation with Pope Francis himself. This documentary follows their journey to Rome and the extraordinary experiences that took place there, and is packed with powerfully moving personal stories alongside the latest information about the planetary crisis and the toll it’s taking on nature and people.
You can read more about the film here and view it in its entirety on YouTube.
The most important thing is what you are going to do, because this year you are the protagonist.
How? It’s very easy. We invite you to watch “The Letter” with your community, family or friends. You could simply meet at someone’s house and watch the movie together.
Why? Because “once you know what’s happening, you can’t look away” and, after watching the film, we trust that God will move you to act. There are many ways to do it. It’s up to you. You and your community, we are confident, will do what is necessary.
The climate crisis is a tangible reality in an ever increasing number of countries and affects us all.
Since the publication of Laudato Si in 2015, many things have changed. However, at the same time, we have seen the situation worsen. Today, more than ever, a “radical change in humanity’s behaviour” is needed, as Pope Paul VI warned us over 50 years ago….
Pope Francis, in the Regina Caeli on Sunday 21 May, said: “Today, Laudato si’ Week begins. I thank the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the many participating organisations. And I invite everything to collaborate in the care of our common home. There is such a need to put our capabilities and creativity together!”.
There are also two official, global events being held by the Laudato Si’ Movement. Both will be live-streamed:
“Responding to The Letter,” May 27, 7pm Rome/1pm EST
Liturgical Celebration from Assisi, May 28, 3pm Rome/9am EST
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