As the Laudato Si’ Special Anniversary Year draws to a close at the end of Laudato Si’ Week on 25 May, the next stage of the journey begins. Registrations for a Seven-Year Journey towards seven Laudato Si’ Goals will open at the end of the Season of Creation when the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development will launch its online Laudato Si’ Action Platform. The Platform will offer practical guidance on actions in line with the Laudato Si’ Goals, a supportive community of practice, and milestones for our journey together.
The Laudato Si’ Goals and the Laudato Si’ Action Platform were announced at the beginning of the Special Anniversary Year. The seven Laudato Si’ Goals are:
- Response to the Cry of the Earth
- Response to the Cry of the Poor
- Ecological Economics
- Simple Lifestyles
- Ecological Education
- Ecological Spirituality
- Community Engagement and Participatory Action
Work on the multilingual online Platform is also underway. The Platform is a program and associated website that will equip Catholic institutions, communities, and families to take action on Laudato Si’. It is sponsored by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and is being developed in partnership with a diverse range of Catholic people and institutions. Several Australians, including myself, are involved in different aspects of the work. The Platform will provide access to:
- a toolkit to plan your community’s journey to living Laudato Si’
- a library of resources for addressing the Laudato Si’ Goals
- webinars on actions and events
- inspiring news and stories about people who are taking action
- guidance on how to strengthen your community
- resources to build relationships
- spaces of encounter, including forums to connect with other participants and a map of volunteer advisors around the world
Our own Bishops Conference is committed to taking the seven-year journey and this year’s Social Justice Statement will be a key step. In coming editions of Social Justice Trends there will be more exciting announcements about the journey towards caring for our common home.
Dr Sandie Cornish
Social Justice Officer
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Office for Social Justice