Catholic Ecology: Laudato Si’ made real in Minnesota

(By Bill Patenaude, Catholic Ecology website)
September 10, 2015

Bishops, clergy, academics, and community leaders joined more than 350 Minnesotans yesterday for a heartland perspective on the global and personal implications of Pope Francis’s eco-encyclical Laudato Si’. The variety and number of those taking part made the gathering the very sort of community, dialogue-centered event that the Holy Father and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace want to see more of.

Developed by the Minnesota Catholic Conference—that is, the bishops of Minnesota—and co-sponsored by Catholic Rural Life and the University of St. Thomas, the forum allowed participants ample opportunity to chat about ecology and environmental concerns from the range of perspectives that ecological discussions should have. In part, conversations highlighted the inter-connectedness of social and individual struggles and hopes, and it showcased U.S. bishops’ support for specific federal policies designed to protect our natural resources environmental legislation.

“Since the release of the encyclical Laudato Si’, we have received an outpouring of interest from Minnesota’s Catholics and those of other faiths who want to learn more about the document and about its major themes,” said Jason Adkins, executive director of event host Minnesota Catholic Conference.

“Pope Francis is telling us that if you love God, you will love his creation and protect it. When we treat the earth simply as raw material to be exploited for power and profit, we will often do the same to human beings. The pope is calling all of us to embrace a new ethic that does justice to both persons and the environment.”

.....

Continue Reading...