I am thankful to Pope Francis for his bold encyclical, “Laudato Si, Sulla Cura Della Casa Commune, Praise Be To You, On Care Of Our Common Home.” It has already advanced the global dialogue about our responsibility to be faithful stewards of all of God’s creation. The Holy Father challenges us as individuals and as a universal society to live responsibly; healing, preserving and enriching the earth. He writes in the encyclical, “The urgent challenge to protect our common home includes a concern to bring the whole human family together to seek a sustainable and integral development, for we know that things can change.” In general, encyclicals are written to the Catholics of the world. “Laudato Si” is a gift to all, helping us to understand the moral imperative of being environmental missionaries who lead each other to an encounter with God in the beauty of creation. Pope Francis helps us recognize that by treating the earth with love and respect, we are treating our brothers and sisters who share our home with affection and dignity. I know that “Laudato Si” will be an enduring contribution to our collective understanding of the global duty we share, leading us in “The care of our common home.”
Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller