"All of us can cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents."
- Pope Francis, Laudato Si'
LAUDATO SI AND FARMING
Pope Francis Affirms "Vocation" of Agriculture
Pope Francis' long-anticipated encyclical on the environment was published yesterday, and it carries enormous implications for agriculture. In fact, the pope mentions farm-related items 30+ times in the document. By tying agriculture into a document on ecology, the pope made the point that farming has to do with more than just making money; rather, it has social, ethical, environmental, and even cultural dimensions, as well.
In many ways, Laudato Si affirms what we at CRL have been saying for decades: farming is at its best when it's thought of as a way of life, and not just a way to make a living. We're advancing this message with our Vocation of the Agricultural Leader initiative. The next step of this project takes us to Milan, where a week from tomorrow we'll be having a two-day, international symposium on faith and farming. The ever-engaging Cardinal Peter Turkson will keynote the event with a speech on the connection between Laudato Si and agriculture on June 27 at 9:30 AM. If you can't attend, make sure to follow along as we live-blog the event and offer updates and transcripts!
THANK POPE FRANCIS
Sign CCC Petition in Support of Encyclical
Pope Francis took a bold stand against climate change and other instances of environmental degradation, and Catholic Climate Covenant wants to make sure he knows he has the faithful's backing.
They've started a petition that will be delivered to Pope Francis next week, when CCC's director Dan Misleh visits Rome. If you want to show your support for Pope Francis and his message of applying Catholic social teaching to the environment,
sign the petition today.
FEATURED PROGRAM
THE VOCATION OF THE AG LEADER
Helping Ag Leaders Apply Faith to Farming
CRL is collaborating with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace to produce a series of resources that will help ag leaders apply their faith to farming. We've held a national symposium in St. Paul and will hold one in Milan next week. View the website to learn more.
PRAYERS OF LAUDATO SI
Pope Includes Two Prayers in Encylical
Laudato Si may have implications for policy and economics, but it is fundamentally a theological document, reminding us all of our relationship to Creation and the Creator. As such, it was only appropriate for our Holy Father to end his document with two prayers.
One is "A prayer for our earth," and the other is called "A Christian prayer in union with creation."
You can view both at our website.
ENCYCLICAL RESOURCES
USCCB Provides Helpful Resources
Pope Francis' eco-encyclical weighs in at nearly 250 paragraphs. That's a big document. And everything under the sun (pun intended) is addressed within it.
To help people get a firm grasp on Pope Francis' teaching, the USCCB's Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development has provided the following resources:
We're the only national Catholic non-profit dedicated to addressing and overcoming the challenges facing rural America, be they social, economical, or spiritual.Please consider supporting our work by becoming a member or donating today.
LAUDATO SI AND FARMING
THANK POPE FRANCIS
THE VOCATION OF THE AG LEADER
