IN THE OPENING of the “Raising Hope for Climate Justice”international conference in Rome on October 1 marking the 10thanniversary of the landmark encyclical Laudato Si of Pope Francis, Pope Leo XIV cited the global impact and influence ofhis predecessor’s advocacy on the environment. He then affirmed that the book’s key message of “care for our common home” is more relevant now than 10 years ago, as the challenges are not only of a social and political nature but first and foremost, a spiritual one that calls for conversion.
RETURN TO THE HEART
The new pope, echoing the phrase “ecological conversion”used by Pope Francis suggesting a change in the human-nature relationship, added that to be true, “it must move from collecting data (on an environmental problem like climate change) to caring, and from environmental discourse to an ecological conversion that transforms both personal and communal lifestyles”. His advice: “Return to the heart, the locus/ place where external reality has most impact, where the deepest searching takes place, where the most authentic desires are discovered and ultimate identity is found … and ecological conversion can take place.” Also, he rallied for “unity and collaboration as we are one family… we inhabit the same planet and must care for it together.”
POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ACTIONS
Beyond spiritual exhortation, the pope also called on all people to “put pressure on governments to develop and implement more rigorous regulations, procedures, and controls …. and for citizens to take an active role in political decision-making at national, regional, and local levels”. Calling on all sectors down to the youth, he asserted that for the common good, there is no room for indifference or resignation.
The conference was attended by representatives from church, government, and civil society, with the Philippine delegation led by the chairperson of the Laudato Si movement, Yeb Sano who had figured prominently years before in an international conference on climate change.
PHILIPPINE CONTEXT
A largely Catholic nation, Filipinos should easily be able to grasp the spiritual meaning of caring for God’s creation – the earth our home, its awesome nature, the varieties of life, other human beings especially the poor and marginalized. But looks like the ways of the world easily blind us. Like in thinking humans are the special and dominant species, and nature only serves as resources with utilitarian and economic values leadingus to abuse them to our hearts’ content. Like leaders and influentials can steal public funds or ignore laws to satisfy their lusts with disregard to the injustice and misery they will inflict on the country and other citizens.
In closing his speech, Pope Leo XIV posed a question he said God will ask later: If we have cultivated and cared for the world He had created for the benefit of all and future generations.