Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, called on the faithful to continue “the care for our common home” as part of the mission of baptized persons.
He said that “every baptized person has received a gift from the Holy Spirit that must be developed by participating in the mission itself,” one of which “is the care for our common home.”
The Filipino cardinal attended a prayer meeting in Rome on Pentecost Sunday, May 23, to mark the conclusion of the yearlong Laudato si’ celebrations.
Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment marked its sixth anniversary on Monday, May 24.
In his remarks during the occasion, Cardinal Tagle noted that at Pentecost “we know that the Risen Christ continues to be with us.”
He said everyone is invited to “be witnesses of His truth to the world,” especially during the pandemic, and know that “Jesus accompanies us” as He did with his disciples.
Cardinal Tagle said “mission” is a “lifelong call,” a “proclamation for all time,” and a means to “accompany others.”
Pope Francis on Sunday also urged the faithful to continue to listen to the “cry of the earth and to the cry of the poor.”
“It is a journey that we must continue together, listening to the cry of the earth and of the poor,” he said.
The yearlong Laudato sì anniversary observance featured Church initiatives across the world that emphasizes “ecological conversion.”
The celebration aimed to invite people around the world to respond to “a peoples’ movement” to “cooperate as instruments of God for the care of creation, each according to his or her own culture, experience, involvements and talents.”
Pope Francis announced that the “seven-year operative course” will begin immediately to guide everyone “to adopt a sustainable lifestyle.”
The program will include activities, projects, and events that local church communities and civil society groups can participate in.
Last year, the Vatican released a 200-page document that aims to inspire and guide Christians to act on the call of the Church to promote integral ecology and care of creation.
The text titled “On the Journey for Care of the Common Home” guides the public on how to perform personal tasks to achieve concrete measures, such as diet, recycling, and divestment on dirty energy sources, among others.
Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’ has, since its release six years ago, enlivened Catholic communities across the globe to work against the ecological crisis and climate emergency.