Let Justice and Peace flow

“Let Justice and Peace Flow” is the theme chosen for Season of Creation 2023, the ecumenical celebration we hold each year from September 1, World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, to October 4th, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

In the Time or Season of Creation (from 1.09 until 4.10), all churches worldwide (with 2.2 billion Christians) work together for the care of our common home, with meditation, prayers, actions and the celebration of the Day of Creation.

The prophet Amos cries out, “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream!” (Amos 5: 24), and so we are called to join the river of justice and peace, to take up climate and ecological justice, and to speak out with and for communities most impacted by climate injustice and the loss of biodiversity.

“A mighty river” is the symbol chosen to go with this theme, representing biodiversity at risk. The urgency grows and we must make visible peace with Earth and on Earth, at the same time that justice calls us to repentance and a change of attitude and actions. When we join the river of justice and peace together with others, it creates hope instead of despair.

All are invited to join the river of justice and peace on behalf of all creation and to converge our individual identities, of name, family or faith community, in this greater movement for justice, just like tributaries come together to form a mighty river.  

Vatican 2.02.2023: Pope Francis establishes the Laudato Si'  Center for Higher Education (with university functions) “a scientific, educational and social organization, working for integral formation”  in the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo, near Rome. 

The centre manages the "Borgo Laudato Si" project for training in integral ecology. The Borgo Laudato si' wants to present itself as a concrete sign of the applicability of the principles which Pope Francis outlined masterfully in the encyclical "Laudato si'".The aim is to create an educational place for integral ecology that is open to all people of good will. The activities and initiatives that will be implemented in the coming months aim to combine education in integral ecology, circular and ecological economy and environmental sustainability.

Pope Francis wanted to make a "concrete contribution to the development of environmental education" by providing a new training and awareness-raising space.

The Centre will also gradually take over some of the competencies of the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo, including the Papal Palace and the Pontifical Gardens.

The Planetary Health for All Initiative

BALTIMORE 01.12.2022:  Today the Nova Conference "Flourishing FUTURES -  People ⋅ Places ⋅ Planet" led by Susan Prescott started with very informative presentations and discussions. Sam Myers Director of the Planetary Health Alliance and Principle Research Scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health sees not only an ecological and health emergency, but an increasing humanitarian and social justice crises. One reason for him is a spiritual crisis of humanity.

During the conference, the idea for a Planetary Health for All Initiative -  was presented for the first time, which will comprises various programmes and projects until 2030 under one umbrella. Two projects are contributions of the Laudato Si Action Platform. 

One goal is to concretise "the moral obligation to cooperate in the healing of the planet" of the spiritual and faith leaders signed on 4.10.2021 in the Vatican. An first take-off is planned for 4 October 2023, the global roll-out with the Planetary Health Assembly in Malaysia in 2024.

BREAKING NEWS - A sensational film for people of all faiths and non-believers. More than one million people have viewed this grandiose film in the first three days. 

VATICAN 4.10.2022 Feast of St. Francis .A great new film “on humanity’s power to stop the ecological crisis” facing the world was presented at the Vatican on Tuesday. The film “The Letter,” says Cardinal Michael Czerny, “is a clarion cry to people everywhere: we have to act together, we have to do it now.” “The Letter”  premiere on the YouTube Originals channel was at 6:30 pm CEST on Tuesday 4.10.2022, the same day the Holy See becomes the latest nation to enter into the landmark 2015 climate accords known as the Paris Agreement and the last day of the Season of Creation 2022.

Organizations from across Europe come together to address the Planetary Health crisis being precipitated by the Earth crisis

Planetary Health leaders unite to build transformational change

AMSTERDAM - A new network of over 72 organizations from 12 countries was activated during a convening at ARTIS on September 26-27. Representatives are aligned around the transdisciplinary field and social movement of Planetary Health, which analyzes and addresses the impacts of human disruptions to natural systems on human health and all life on Earth. The Planetary Health European Hub consists of organizations from sectors including universities, healthcare, youth, business, civil society, and more. 

Co-organized by the Planetary Health Alliance (PHA) and the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils Network (EEAC), the new hub was conceived to focus on the policy, funding, and organizational landscapes that make Europe rich in opportunities for building transformational change. 

“From the European Green Deal, the Health Environment Research Agenda for Europe, to the upcoming Horizon Health 2023 Agenda, now is the time to connect the dots, build collaborations, make links within the policy community, and fund Planetary Health priorities at scale,” said Sam Myers, Director of the Planetary Health Alliance and Principle Research Scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Members of the European Hub, including the FRANCIS OF ASSISI ACADEMY FOR PLANETARY HEALTH, came together in person and online and agreed on the Hub’s principles, developed working groups to tend to plans in research, education, policy, and movement building, shared lessons learned, built relationships, and set the framework for sustaining the Hub into the future.

How we can stop the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of species ?

Pope Francis urges world leaders to protect 50% of lands and oceans for the survival of biodiversity and humanity.

In a press conference where the Papal Message for 2022 Celebration of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation was presented, Card. Michael Czerny S.J. said that Pope Francis support the historic to protect 50% of lands and oceans for the survival of biodiversity and humanity - this concept is called: HALF-EARTH . The Holy Father highlights the need for a new UN agreement to stop the destruction of ecosystems and the extinction of species. At least half of the earth and oceans need to become protected areas by 2030, and ravaged ecosystems must be restored, always upholding the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities. May this limit the harm inflicted by “the great extractive industries” that Pope Francis calls out – “mining, oil, forestry, real estate, agribusiness”. 

The concept was developed by the famous Harvard biologist E. O. Wilson, in his book Half-Earth where Wilson proposed that half of the Earth's surface should be designated a human-free natural reserve to preserve biodiversity.The concept was first developed by Tony Hiss in his Smithsonian article "Can the World Really Set Aside Half the Planet for Wildlife?"

Let me repeat: “In the name of God, I ask the great extractive industries – mining, oil, forestry, real estate, agribusiness – to stop destroying forests, wetlands, and mountains, to stop polluting rivers and seas, to stop poisoning food and people” (Pope Francis)

On 6 July 2022 His Excellency Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia, Permanent Observer to the UN, deposited before the Secretary-General of the United Nations the Instrument with which the Holy See, in the name and on behalf of Vatican City State, accesses to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). At the earliest possible date, considering the legal requirements of the Paris Agreement, the Holy See, in the name and on behalf of Vatican City State, will deposit the instrument of accession to the latter.

At the earliest possible date, considering the legal requirements of the Paris Agreement, the Holy See will deposit the instrument of accession to the latter, continues the statement.

Emergency Call for Action for the Universal Church and World Religions for 100% Renewable Energy Power until 2050

This is an important step for the Church but also for the other religions to actively contribute to climate neutrality by 2050.  We - the Academy - have proposed this important step for a long time, because joining the Climate Framework Convention makes all words and deeds of our Church more credible and also gives powerful motivation. For the internal effect, this means that now every diocese, every Catholic institution, from the orders, parishes, universities, schools must set out here - concretely means to investigate all possibilities of reducing CO₂ , how climate neutrality can be achieved and implement appropriate measures quickly for e.g. deinvestment. This is a Herculean task. We will only achieve this goal if we 1.3 billion Catholics, together with all religious communities, practice a climate-neutral lifestyle which is in harmony with following Jesus. We need a "devotio ecology" - a powerful synergy of Sustainable Lifestyles, Ecological Spirituality and innovative Global Energy Solutions  - towards powerful Christian Actions transforming our unsustainable world.

“We cannot have a healthy planet without a healthy ocean. Our failure to care for the ocean will have ripple effects across the entire 2030 Agenda,“ said Secretary General António Guterres

The second United Nations Ocean Conference (27/06 to 01/07) has begun in Lisbon - Portugal's capital is on the Atlantic coast - with emotional appeals and urgent demands to save the world's oceans, increasingly battered by littering, overfishing, climate change and acidification. Thousands of politicians, experts and environmentalists have come together to try to save the fragile health of the oceans from harmful "cascading effects," according to organizers.

The Pontifical Academy of Science inspired by Pope Francis’ Encyclical Laudato Si  develeoped following statement: "On Health of the Seas and Oceans and their Role in the Present and Future of Humanity"

From May 22 to 29, on the occasion of this anniversary, the Catholic Church invites to celebrate the Laudato si' Week. The main objectives will be to raise awareness of the importance of the encyclical, to promote the principles of integral ecology and to begin together the journey towards ecological conversion.