(May 16 – 24, 2020)
We are celebrating this year the 5th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home addressed to all people of goodwill. The encyclical has since been an influential document not just for the religious world but also for the secular world; inspiring different groups, movements, NGO’s, CSO’s and PO’s globally.
The current COVID-19 pandemic that cost the lives of many around the world, is challenging us how to creatively celebrate Laudato Si Week in and through our present reality. Considering this, GCCM-Pilipinas would like to propose an online celebration of Laudato Si Week 2020. The celebration will focus on Laudato Si’, COVID-19 pandemic and the year of Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples. The goals of the Online Laudato Si Week Celebration are the following:
- To honor the five-year efforts to bring Laudato Si to life.
- To nurture our hope for global solidarity.
- To encourage and support initiatives to address the climate emergency.
- To affirm the Laudato Si dimension of the Year of Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples
Proposed Online Activities During the Laudato Si Week
May 16 – Online Launch of Laudato Si’ Week 2020 Celebration at 4:30 – 6:00pm
May 19 – Online Reflection w/ Fr. Sean McDonagh, SSC, via zoom at 4:00 – 5:30pm
Theme: Fifth Year of Laudato Si: Achievements and Challenges
May 20 – Online Conversation: Invest for the Future, via zoom 3:00 – 5:00pm
(This forum is exclusive to representatives from religious congregations/institutions)
May 22 – Online Reflection w/ Prof. John Feehan , Geologist and Botanist, via zoom at 4:00 – 5:30pm
Theme: Laudato Si and Biodiversity in relation to COVID-19
May 23 – Online Interreligious Prayer, via zoom at 4:00 – 5:00pm
May 24 – Online Celebration of the Holy Eucharist at 10:00 – 11:00am
– Main Presider: Bp. Broderick Pabillo, DD
Online Global Prayer at 11:30am – 12:30pm
The participants in all zoom gatherings are our partners and contacts in different parts of the Philippines. We can only accommodate 100 participants so this will be on a first come, first served basis. All events will be streamed or premiered on Facebook and Youtube.
Let us be inspired by the words of Pope Francis in his Easter Urbi et Orbi blessing :
“This is a different ‘contagion’, a message transmitted from heart to heart – for every human heart awaits this Good News. It is the contagion of hope: ‘Christ, my hope, is risen!’ This is no magic formula that makes problems vanish. No, the resurrection of Christ is not that. Instead, it is the victory of love over the root of evil, a victory that does not ‘by-pass’ suffering and death, but passes through them, opening a path in the abyss, transforming evil into good: this is the unique hallmark of the power of God.”
1 https://sma.ie/fr–sean–mcdonagh–irish–missionary–40–years–ahead–of–us–all/
2 https://iafs.ie/professor–john–feehan/
3 http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/urbi/documents/papafrancesco_20200412_urbi–et–orbi–pasqua.html
