Vatican City, Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, 28 May 2021 -- In the midst of the busy end of May we could just miss the conclusion of the Laudato Si' Week (May 17-24) or the end of the Laudato Si' Year (May 24, 2020-2021). At the same time, under direct inspiration of Pope Francis' Encyclical published in 2015, the Vatican Dicastery for Integral Development (Card. Peter K.A. Turkson) launched the long planned 'Laudato Si' Action Platform' (https://laudatosiactionplatform.org).

This means that 6 years after the publishing of the Laudato Si' Encyclical (2015), the whole Catholic community around the world is invited to embark on another 7-year path, to bring about an effective global impact on caring for our common home. The Vatican-led tool will empower Catholic institutions, communities, movements, religious congregations and families to implement Laudato Si' with concrete goals, strategies and resources. There is already an ambitious plan to motivate the 'critical mass' of 3.5% Catholics around the world in order to make this movement truly effective. Cardinal Louis Antonio Tagle has already officially sent out the first 'Laudato Si Animators' on the last day of the Laudato Si' Year, May 24: Laudato Si’ Animators are local leaders who strive to live Laudato Si’ in their own lives while inspiring and motivating others in their communities to bring Laudato Si’ to life as well. We need each other in this journey for a better future. Working together, we are building a mass scale movement to address the ecological crisis and climate emergency. (https://laudatosianimators.org).

On 25 May, the following Catholic leaders brought the impactful Laudato Si' special anniversary year to a close and launched the resourceful and motivating platform with 7 main strategic action spread across the next 7 years: Card. Peter Turkson (Prefect of the Dicastery), Fr Joshstrom Isaac Kureethadam, SDB (Head of the Ecology and Creation Office), Sr Sheila Kinsey, executive co-secretary of the JPIC (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation) Commission of the International Union of Religious Superiors General and Ms Carolina Bianchi (Laudato Si Animator) of the Policoro Youth Project of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI).

The seven goals of the Laudato Si movement include:

1.Response to the Cry of the Earth

2.Response to the Cry of the Poor

3.Ecological Economics

4.Adoption of Simple Lifestyles

5.Ecological Education

6.Ecological Spirituality

7.Community Involvement and Participatory Action.

Fr. Joshtrom, SDB explains the 7-year journey: "It is a journey to be realized in time. Inspired by the biblical theme of the Jubilee we chose the time frame of seven years. We envisage the first year to be dedicated to the three fundamental tasks of community building, resource sharing, and drawing up concrete action plans for the realization of the seven Laudato si’ Goals. This will be followed by five years of concrete action (some might finish this part of the journey even quicker). The final year will be the Sabbatical year to praise and thank God... the future can be prepared only working together, in dialogue among many ecclesial groups, institutions, movements, NGOs, religious congregations".. We are happy to find the Don Bosco Green Alliance (DBGA) among the dozens of organizations.

Our common home is waiting for your personal - small, but important - contribution! Don't miss this historic opportunity!

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