Letter from the Pope addressed to each and every one of us, says climate activist

“Laudato Si’ is a letter that Pope Francis has written to you,” says Dr. Lorna Gold, Chair of the Laudato Si’ Movement. “He wrote every person on the planet a letter to share his concerns about the state of the world.”

So begins the powerful film The Letter: A Message for our Earth, which was screened recently at St. Thomas More College.

The film tells the story of a journey to Rome of frontline leaders to discuss the encyclical letter Laudato Si’ with Pope Francis.

Published in June 2015, Laudato Si' (which means Praise Be to You and has the subtitle On Care for our Common Home) is the second encyclical of Pope Francis. In it, the Pope critiques consumerism and irresponsible development, laments environmental degradation and global warming, and calls all people of the world to take "swift and unified global action."

His Holiness specifically called to hear four different voices in his encyclical: the voice of the poor, the voice of the indigenous peoples, the voice of the youth, and the voice of nature.

The Laudato Si’ Movement invited representatives from all four groups to travel to the Vatican for a dialogue with Francis and filmed the encounter. One of the stories presented shows the efforts of 13-year-old activist Ridhima Pandey, from India, who petitioned her national government over its inaction in the face of the climate crisis at the age of nine, and in 2019, along with 15 other child petitioners, filed a lawsuit against five countries in the United Nations.

“Every single time when I talk to the kids from any part of the world, the one thing that I find common amongst all our stories is that climate change has impacted and is still impacting our lives in one way or another,” Pandey said.

Pope Francis said that his hopes rest with the wisdom and passion of the youth of the world.

“I believe that the greatest strength is that of the popular movements and the youth,” said Pope Francis. “That’s where new strength will come from. Young people working together.”

More than 30 attendees took up the invitation to watch the film together at STM and participate in a panel discussion afterward on Jan. 12, 2023. The event was sponsored by the Irene and Doug Schmeiser Centre for Faith, Reason, Peace and Justice and Mouvement Laudato Si’ Movement Canada, through Faith & the Common Good. The event was organized by STM graduate students James Powell, Brett Christoff and Mykan Zlipko.

The panelists were Agnes Richard, Mouvement Laudato Si’ Movement Canada Coordinator, Sister Judy Shachtel, presenter on Ecological Spirituality, Eco Justice, and Laudato Si’, and Dr. Chris Hrynkow, Co-Director, Irene and Doug Schmeiser Centre for Faith, Reason, Peace, and Justice.

“When I think about this movie, and the connection to action, what I try to do is try to keep the global problems in my mind but find ways to act locally,” said Richard. “I try to encourage anyone who is engaging on climate issues to be persistent. I try to encourage the ability to keep chasing after hope.”

“Hope is in hearing these stories that we heard tonight, but also telling and hearing our own stories.”

That message to think globally and act locally was reiterated by Sister Judy Shachtel and Dr. Chris Hrynkow.

“The encyclical is interesting because it has everything from these grand, political recommendations that we should affirm, like that we should have a global, effective climate treaty that deals with these issues and has real consequences for nations that don’t do their share, and then it tells you to turn off the water while you’re brushing your teeth,” said Dr. Hrynkow. “And each one of those things, because it’s understood to be within a system, can help. And that a really powerful thing.”

The Letter: A Message for our Earth is available to watch for free on YouTube at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rps9bs85BII