27 May: European ‘Laudato sì’ Reflection Day

By Vatican News staff writer

“The Dream, the Plan, the Path” is the theme of a Day of Reflection promoted by the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU (COMECE) marking the 6th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato sí.

Much has been done in the past 6 years to transform that “Dream” into a “Plan” that has put us on a “Path” made of concrete actions and commitments as we strive to take better care of our common home.

The Day of Reflection on 27 May unfolds in the wake of the closing of the “Laudato Sí Year” and the launch of the “Laudato Sí Action Platform”, giving extra impetus to the urgent implementation of Pope Francis’s prophetic encyclical that calls on everyone to become an agent of change.

Organized by the European Laudato Sí Alliance (ELSìA), a joint venture of various Catholic Church institutions and organizations who are joining forces in Europe to promote climate and social justice, the event has a series of aims:

-      To discuss the importance of long-term thinking, even in short-term sectors such as politics

-      To hear about the Church’s and the EU’s long-term plans for a better care of creation

-      To exchange of ideas and dreams on what future we want to see

-      To find inspiration on how to be agents of change together

The President of COMECE, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich inaugurates the event, which is scheduled to last until 16.30 CEST. Other participants include the philosopher and writer Roman Krznaric; Dominika Chylewska from Caritas Laudato Sí; Fr Bernd Beermann OFM; Fr Augusto Zampini, Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; and Angelo Salsi, Head of Unit CINEA, European Commission.