The Vatican celebrates the 5th anniversary of Laudato si 'with a year of celebrations



On May 24, the Vatican will launch a one-year celebration of Pope Francis 'environmental encyclical Laudato si' on the occasion of its fifth anniversary.

The "special anniversary year of Laudato si" is an initiative of the Dicastery for the promotion of integral human development and will include a wide range of events, starting with a world day of prayer and ending with the launch of plans for multi-year sustainability actions.

Five years after the signing of the document by Pope Francis, "the encyclical appears increasingly relevant", according to a statement by the dicastery.

He noted that the anniversary of the environmental encyclical also falls in the midst of the global coronavirus epidemic, stating that "Laudato si's message is as prophetic today as it was in 2015".

“The encyclical can truly provide the moral and spiritual compass for the journey to create a more caring, fraternal, peaceful and sustainable world,” said the Vatican department.

The year will begin on May 24, the day when Laudato was signed by Pope Francis, with a day of prayer for the earth and for humanity. For the occasion, a prayer was written that people are encouraged to say at noon anywhere in the world.

The integral development department also organized events in the week leading up to the anniversary, including several talks with the Global Catholic Climate Movement on the Zoom video conferencing software, for “Laudato si 'Week“.

"We hope that the anniversary year and the decade that will follow will truly be a moment of grace, a true Kairos experience and a time of" Jubilee "for the Earth, for humanity and for all God's creatures", the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development said.

The initiatives, undertaken in collaboration with other groups, have "a clear emphasis on" ecological conversion "into" action ", he continued.

In June, according to a program published by the dicastery, a document on the “operational guidelines” for Laudato si 'will be published.

Just some of the other special projects that will be launched during the year are the new annual Laudato si 'Awards, a documentary film about Laudato si', a tree initiative and a social media “Read the Biblical Contest”.

In 2021 the dicastery will launch institutions such as families, dioceses, schools and universities on a seven-year program to work towards integral ecology through the goal of Laudato si “.

The goal of this program, as established by the dicastery, is to respond in a concrete way to the cry of the earth and the poor, promote the economy and ecological awareness and adopt simpler lifestyles.

Other events scheduled are a webinar on June 18, on the occasion of the anniversary of the publication of the encyclical, as well as participation in the ecumenical month of "Creation Season", September 4-October. 1.

The Vatican events, "Reinventing the Global Educational Alliance" and "Economy of Francis", which were supposed to take place this spring and which have been postponed to autumn, are now also classified under the celebrations for the anniversary year, according to the program.

In January 2021, the Vatican will host a panel discussion on the World Economic Forum in Davos. There is also a proposal for a gathering of religious leaders in early spring 2021.

The year will end with a conference, the performance of a musical work and the awarding of the first Laudato si prizes