#LaudatoSiWeek features cultural festival “Songs for Creation”

By Amedeo Lomonaco

The festival will focus on lost biodiversity in our world and the consequences humanity faces. The "Songs for Creation" event, a Laudato Si’ Week initiative is scheduled for Saturday May 22, taking place online starting at 19.00 Rome time. During the Festival, winners of a photo contest will be announced, followed by reflection on the Vatican's message for the May 22 International Day for Biological Diversity, established by the United Nations assembly in 2020.

World Biodiversity Day

The International Day for Biological Diversity is celebrated on May 22 to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on Biological Diversity (May 22, 1992). The international treaty is legally binding and has three main objectives: conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of biodiversity, and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. Its general goal is to encourage initiatives that will lead to a sustainable future. "We're part of the Solution" is the slogan chosen for this celebration. Among the goals is to increase understanding and awareness of problems related to the environment and ecosystems.

In his encyclical letter Laudato Si' Pope Francis also addresses the issue of the loss of biodiversity. Pope Francis writes: “Each year sees the disappearance of thousands of plant and animal species which we will never know, which our children will never see because they have been lost forever. The great majority become extinct for reasons related to human activity. Because of us, thousands of species will no longer give glory to God by their very existence, nor convey their message to us. We have no such right.” (Laudato si’ 33.)