Laudato Si On Care For Our Common Home

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Papal Encyclicals are always pretty "heady" reading.No images, just  page after page of text followed by lists of references. This is not the stuff you usually give as a gift even if it was published in hard cover.

With Laudato Si, Pope Francis takes up the cry of the poor and the earth:

 "This sister now cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods with which God has endowed her. We have come to see ourselves as her lords and masters, entitled to plunder her at will. The violence present in our hearts, wounded by sin, is also reflected in the symptoms of sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life. This is why the earth herself, burdened and laid waste, is among the most abandoned and maltreated of our poor; she “groans in travail” (Rom 8:22). We have forgotten that we ourselves are dust of the earth (cf. Gen2:7); our very bodies are made up of her elements, we breathe her air and we receive life and refreshment from her waters."

I really wish Papa Francis had taken advantage of new technology and given us a "Vatican's Got Talent" type performance on this one.The press conference launching the encyclical comes close and is worth watching.

Commentaries:



The prize for the most "left field" response has to go to UCANews Asia:  Pope criticizes abortion, population control in new encyclical Says individuals must value their body 'in its femininity or masculinity

This is not just for the pew nodders who will do "what Father says". This is a ground breaking piece of contemporary theology that engages with our dreams and hopes for the global village.

The last papal encyclical that really got Catholics jumping and twirling hoops was Humanae Vitae back in 1968. This one will also drive the Abbott of Canberra and his cabinet into a frenzy of dissidence. Can't wait to where George the Great Skeptic lines this piece up on his shelf of readings.

The climate has changed in the Vatican, Slowly and surely the red glaciers are losing their gloss and now  the  green blade riseth, piercing the walls of  infallible opinion..

May the cry "Laudato Si" rise from our lips and may our hearts be warmed by this call to relationship with our Mother Earth. May we who in the Land Downunder recognize this call as the ancient life blood of the First People of this land. May we begin our journey of healing of the earth with Dadirri,

Dadirri means inner, deep listening and quiet, still awareness. It is a 'tuning in' experience with the specific aim to come to a deeper understanding of the beauty of nature. Dadirri recognises the inner spirit that calls us to reflection and contemplation of the wonders of all God's creation. #‎LaudatoSi‬

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