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 #169: International negotiations (on climate change) cannot make significant progress due to positions taken by countries which place their national interests above the global common good. Those who will have to suffer the consequences of what we are trying to hide will not forget this failure of conscience and responsibility. We believers cannot fail to ask God for a positive outcome to the present discussions, so that future generations will not have to suffer the effects of our ill-advised delays.
Reflection: This excerpt invites us to make a national examination of conscience. How does the United States place our national interests above the global common good?
“I urgently appeal . . . for a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation which includes everyone, since the environmental challenge we are undergoing, and its human roots, concern and affect us all.” —Pope Francis