by Angela Powell, CAFOD Community Participation Coordinator for the diocese of Leeds and the diocese of Hallam
On 15th June there was a 10th birthday party of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si, to remember how justice for the poor and justice for the planet are related.
Laudato Si is named after the Canticle of St Francis of Assisi which begins ‘Praise to You (Laudato Si’), Lord, in all your creatures’.
At the 9.15 mass at St Mary and St Monica’s, Cottingley, there was beautiful music and a celebration after including a short talk. The children produced prayers and delighted in some special party activities, and of course there was birthday cake.
Angela Powell, CAFOD’s local staff member emphasised the immense importance of Laudato Si, and affirmed how our work together with parish communities helps ensure that our acts, around the world are not only providing real impact for the poorest and most vulnerable but done in a way that cares for the earth. Enabling more of us to seek, to hear and respond to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth.
The parish volunteers encouraged everyone to sign a parish petition calling for debt justice, to enable some countries who are currently forced to spend up to 5 times more on foreign debt repayments than vital services such as hospitals and doctors. The consequences of this are that families forgo medical care, children miss school and small scale farmers face the devastating impacts of climate change without support.
At the start of the Jubilee year, Pope Francis talked about the ecological debt we owe to countries in the global south who suffer the most from climate impacts – either droughts, floods, degraded soil and extreme weather. Tackling the debt crisis is also another way to release funding for the climate crisis.
It was wonderful to have an opportunity to include a debt action in this holy year, and there is still time for others to Join CAFOD in campaigning for debt justice in the Jubilee Year
For more about Laudato Si see https://cafod.org.uk/news/uk-news/pope-francis-encyclical