eConnections - August 2015

Connecting Peace, Ecology and Justice from the Gospel Perspective - August 2015


Image: Ecumenical Patriarchate

Laudato Si’ On Care for our Common Home

It is just a little over a month since Pope Francis launched Laudato Si' and it has already wrought changes. The Columbans have responded with enthusiasm around the globe. This month we feature some of those responses.

Fr Sean McDonagh was interviewed for America Magazine. Sean was one of those consulted for the encyclical and who has been a prophetic voice for ecological conversion since he had his own eco-conversion experience in Mindanao, the Philippines in the early 1970’s. In this interview he talks about some of the background to Laudato Si’ along with his ideas for the future. The Columbans in Pakistan have begun translating the encyclical into Urdu in order to continue their work in ecological education. The Columbans in the USA have prepared a Study and Action Guide for individuals and small groups.

The Faith Ecology Network held a successful forum in Sydney on July 23 on the topic of the ‘Growth Economy’.  A keynote speech was delivered by Dr Haydn Washington from the Institute of Environmental Studies at UNSW. This was followed by responses from representatives from the five major world religions and ended with a stimulating discussion. FEN will soon make the video footage of the event available for use as a resource. FEN supporters and E-Connections readers will be notified as soon as this becomes available.

We look forward to sharing with you the ongoing work that has just begun with the publication of Laudato Si’.    

Anne Lanyon
Co-ordinator of the Centre for  Peace, Ecology and Justice

	Peace, Ecology and Justice Laudato Si’ has energised Columbans around the world and affirmed their work in ecological education and actions. A Prehistory of Laudato Si’ – with Sean McDonagh  (read more) Spreading Laudato Si’ in Pakistan – in Urdu (read more) What Excites Me About Laudato Si’ (read more)
	Reflection “The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven,” and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day.” (read more)
	Growing a Culture of Peace Bulletin For those who are paying attention and not living in denial, the life of the world that we inhabit is facing an ecological crisis.  (read more)
	News from the Centre At the very successful FEN Forum held in Sydney on July 23rd, representatives of different faith groups agreed, “The Earth is our common home. It is sacred and in urgent need of protection.” They also agreed that many of the threats facing planet Earth have been created by heavy reliance on economic growth and that this needs to change. (read more)
	Take Action - Help Get Millions of Catholics Signing the Climate Change Petition Columban John Leydon has been part of the founding team of the Global Catholic Climate Movement which is calling on leaders to act decisively to drastic cuts in carbon emissions at the Climate Change Summit in Paris in December.  (read more)

Read other eConnections editions:

• November 2015
• October 2015
• September 2015
• August 2015
• July 2015
• June 2015
• May 2015
• April 2015
• March 2015