Spiritan Generalate: Pentecost with Cardinal Peter Turkson

Tony Neves, Spiritan Missionary and Paul Samasumo, Vatican News.

Cardinal Turkson’s visit to the Spiritan Generalate last Sunday was in response to an invitation and is the fruit of the Cardinal’s good relations with members of the congregation -cultivated when he was still a Bishop in his native country of Ghana.

Courage to proclaim the Gospel

During a colourful, multilingual Pentecost Mass, celebrated with the Spiritans, (sometimes also referred to Holy Ghost Fathers) Cardinal Turkson spoke of the courage to proclaim the Gospel filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. The Cardinal further dedicated time to speak about the Laudato Sì Year, and the Laudato Sì Action Platform put in place by the universal Church. During the Pentecost Regina Coeli Prayer, Pope Francis also made special reference to the importance of the Laudato Sì Action Platform, commissioned worldwide this week.

What is the Laudato Sì Action Platform?

The Laudato Sì Action Platform is an initiative entrusted to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The purpose of the Laudato Sì Action Platform is to create communities around the world that are totally sustainable in the spirit of the integral ecology of the document, Laudato Sì.

In the months that will follow, the Action Platform and its planned seven-year rollout will be explained and resourced through the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development in Rome. This will be done via working group participants and via direct communication to various institutions and organisations. Participants will be expected to engage with the seven Laudato Sì goals drawn from the Encyclical document, Laudato Sì.

The Action Platform’s seven-year plan

In other words, over the next seven years, the seven goals from Laudato Sì will provide the focus for seven key groups across the worldwide church community to include: Families, dioceses, parishes, schools, universities, hospitals/health care centres, Businesses/Farms and religious congregations or provinces.

An inclusive Action Platform

Taking a leaf from Pope Francis’ words at the Pentecost Sunday’s midday Regina Coeli prayer, Cardinal Turkson explained that the Laudato Sì Action Platform was one meant to be inclusive. No one would be left out of the initiative. 

“It is a journey that we must continue together, listening to the cry of the earth and of the poor. Therefore, the Laudato Sì Platform will begin immediately …towards assuming a sustainable lifestyle,” said Cardinal Turkson.