Andrew Conradi, ofs, Victoria, BC

[I have abbreviated Laudato si’ to LS in the following]

The Season of Creation 2022 makes me wonder where is my local plan? Does your diocese or parish have a LS Action Plan? Mine does not. I, a LS Animator, am hoping that I can help to bring one about.

In supporting the LS Animators Program 1.5 hours once each week 24 Aug- 12 – Oct 2022, Victoria, BC Bishop Gary Gordon said: “It would be a wonderful gift to our Diocese if every parish and school could have one or more people participating. He describes the program as ‘a marvellous way for leaders and interested individuals to grow in our faith, which fundamentally includes integral human development and care for God’s earth.’”

In fact I, Andrew, would say that the environment, especially as viewed as creation, is a core life issue. We need to see the moral implications of LS and how they are vital to a fully pro-life vision in the church.

Bishops and pastors need to lead by example i.e. with their own plan! Needed is active, public, frequent encouragement and leadership without which laity won’t get very far. They’ll give up and have to work outside the church. A great shame because Pope Francis and Catholic Social Teaching (CST, which includes LS) support such work both within the church and in public society.

The Laudato Si’ Action Platform is in nine languages for Catholic institutions, communities and families as well as “all people of goodwill” to put into action the integral ecological vision of LS. It is sponsored by the Vatican and developed in partnership with many Catholic people and institutions. The platform includes a self-assessment, planning guides to help build an action plan, as well as space to share reflections and actions.

But such Canadian action plans are not easy to find. I looked on Google under Canadian LS Action Plans and found none. Plans exist under different names but not named LS Action Plans! Here is a short one from Ottawa-Cornwall: https://en.archoc.ca/care-for-gods-creation. A number of more comprehensive US plans can be found here.
What are some topics that have been included and could serve as examples to those of us who advocate for our own diocese and parish to draft a LS Action Plan?

Here is a suggested Goal: “Our goal is not to amass information or to satisfy curiosity, but rather… to discover what each of us can do about it.” (LS, 19)

The members of the Catholic community of the Diocese of XXX want to plan and act in Eco Social Justice Creation Care Ministry in our parishes to implement the teachings and goals of Pope Francis in his encyclical LS. We also wish to join the forces of our parishes and schools to assist the Laudato Si’ Movement and Mouvement Laudato Si’ Movement, the Government of Canada, Province of XXX and City of XXX with a target of 100 per cent renewable energy and 50 per cent reduction of greenhouse gases by 2035. And to assist them in reaching their greenhouse gas or carbon reduction targets. These are among the most important local implementations of LS and the Seven Goals of the LS Action Platform.

A LS Action Plan could:

1. Include a summary of CST and LS.

2. Celebrate liturgies with homilies and Prayers of the faithful that frequently reflect LS themes especially for Earth Day, Development & Peace Share Lent & Fall Campaign, LS Week and Season of Creation.

3. Include and formally incorporate CST especially LS in all catechist training.

4. Establish Eco Social Justice Creation Care Committees to conduct workshops on LS and CST.

5. Bulletins and mass announcements to publicise (Canadian) Mouvement LS Movement and (international) LS Movement’s courses and website. Same for Green Churches Network.

6. All churches should install solar panels and consider small wind turbines as well as plug-in stations for recharging electric vehicles.

7. Grass lawns should be wilded for bees and other animals

8. Lawns could be replaced to grow crops and fruit trees for food banks.

9. Lower fossil fuel emissions and divest from fossil fuels. (Pope Francis, 19 June 2020)

10. Promote a diet with less meat and more organic fair trade food.

11. Do not use plastic plates/bowls & cutlery. Use only compostable/recyclable items.

12. Advocate, advocate, advocate!

Space precludes more.

Andrew Conradi, a parishioner at Langford’s Our Lady of the Rosary Parish, is a Third Order Franciscan and Laudato Si’ Animator.