Pope Francis designated May 24, 2020 through May 24, 2021 as Laudato Sí Year to commemorate the fifth anniversary of his landmark encyclical on the care for our common home. The following is an excerpt from Laudato Sí and a reflection provided by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia.
Pope Francis’s Laudato Sí #44, 46: Decline in the Quality of Human Life and Breakdown of Society: Human beings, too, are creatures of this world, enjoying a right to life and happiness, and endowed with unique dignity. So we cannot fail to consider the effects on people’s lives of environmental deterioration, current models of development and the throwaway culture. The social dimensions of global change include the effects of technological innovations on employment, social exclusion, an inequitable distribution and consumption of energy and other services, social breakdown, increased violence and a rise in new forms of social aggression, drug trafficking, growing drug use by young people, and the loss of identity. These are signs that the growth of the past two centuries has not always led to an integral development and an improvement in the quality of life.
Reflection: If you had the power to implement three initiatives that would improve the long-term quality of life for every person in our country, what three would they be? Ask your local community/family/friends what initiatives they would implement.