By Christina Bagaglio Slentz
In May 2015, Pope Francis released his encyclical, “Laudato Si,” which highlights the gift of creation. Drawing from Scripture, tradition, and magisterial teachings of our faith, the encyclical frames the revelation of God’s love for us and calls us to healing action to respond to today’s environmental crisis.
Pope Francis explains, “Nature cannot be regarded as something separate from ourselves or as a mere setting in which we live,” rather, today’s environmental crisis reflects and is entangled with a grave social crisis (139).
Cardinal Robert W. McElroy recognized this complex crisis as an “estrangement” from God, creation, and each other, and, shortly after the publication of “Laudato Si,” the Diocese of San Diego went to work caring for our common home in concert with the global Church.
From Rome to Paris
Addressed to “All People of Good Will,” “Laudato Si” carried influence well beyond the Church, to include a significant impact on the UN’s December 2015 Paris Agreement. Adopted by 196 countries, this treaty on climate change aims to limit global average surface temperature to rising to less than 2°C (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. To do so, greenhouse gas emissions must decline 43% relative to 1990 levels by 2030.
This is no easy feat, but with well over half the parishes and schools in the diocese having deployed solar energy systems in the past 10 years, as well as the diocesan Pastoral Center, our community is on track. Additionally, the diocese’s divestment of fossil fuels, confirmed in 2023, eliminated our carbon footprint in the financial world, aligning with the USCCB’s “Socially Responsible Investment Guidelines,” which prescribe investment in businesses models “consistent with the emission reduction goals of the Paris Agreement” (25).
Unfortunately, climate cooperation is problematic, as many seek individual profit over collaboration. Livelihoods and lives are at stake, however, with the poor and vulnerable suffering the most immediate and intense effects. Addressing the enormity of this dilemma in a just way requires an equally massive and transformative approach.
A new ministry
Local retired priest Father Emmet Farrell quickly understood what needed to be done. He had lived in close contact with the earth much of his life, growing up on a farm and serving 16 years as a missionary in Peru.
After reading the encyclical, gaining training from Georgetown University, and engaging with Dr. V. Ramanathan, a local UCSD professor and member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Father Farrell decided to start a volunteer Creation Care ministry in the diocese.
Around the same time, the Global Catholic Climate Movement (later “Laudato Si” Movement) and the Catholic Climate Covenant organizations began to animate Catholics around the world. Many built creation care action plans, and the budding San Diego team published its own plan in 2019, outlining prospective actions that could be taken in our region. This plan still serves as a critical planning resource and can be found at https://sdcatholic.org/life-peace-and-justice/care-for-creation/how-to-take-action.
Soon after, the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development developed an online platform to inspire and consolidate “Laudato Si” action through a seven-year program of ecological reflection and commitment to action.
The University of San Diego was the fourth university to enroll in this “Laudato Si” Action Platform globally. Upon formalizing Creation Care Ministry with the hiring of a full-time associate director in the Office for Life, Peace and Justice, the Diocese of San Diego became one of the first U.S. dioceses to enroll in 2022.
Currently, 10 of our parishes/schools are enrolled. Any parish, school, religious community, business or household is welcome to participate at laudatosiactionplatform.org, and the next “LSAP” workshop is coming up on June 9. Register and find more information at bit.ly/LSAPWorkshop9JUN25.
Moving ‘from words to action’
Associate Director for Culture of Life Maria Valencia writes, “‘Laudato Si’ is an invitation to reconsider the value of life, to reconnect with God, nature and our brothers and sisters. It is also an invitation to experience awe when we see beautiful things, and to use our freedom, will and creativity to change our lifestyles in order to make decisions in favor of the common good.”
Former Regional Director of Catholic Relief Services West and Diocesan Creation Care Team Volunteer Jim DeHarpporte emphasizes the “Laudato Si” message that “EVERYTHING is INTERCONNECTED.” He shares, “We are not only connected to each other but to every living creature, to all of creation, and to the incarnate Son of God,” and asks, ”When we realize this, how can we not treat all creation with reverence and not be filled with awe and gratitude for this awesome gift from the Creator?”
Finally, from the amazing St. Francis of Assisi, Vista Team: “Pope Francis felt that ‘Caring for our Common Home’ should be a hallmark of our faith. We pray that he will continue to guide our ministry to live our faith with joy.”
On the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, 2023, Pope Francis released his “Laudate Deum” exhortation, expressing great dismay at the lack of action taken since “Laudato Si” was published.
Similarly, we have learned our new Pope Leo XIV has argued against tyrannical domination of the earth and calls for less rhetoric and more execution.
To this end, the Creation Care Ministry of San Diego will continue this work. Contact us for help in learning about today’s crisis and for guidance in creating your own “Laudato Si” Action Plan. Bring your plan to our next Season of Creation Mass, Sept. 20, at The Immaculata, where we will collectively offer our plans and receive a blessing from the bishop. Following Mass, we will celebrate those who have taken action in the previous year with “Laudato Si” Champion Awards. Maybe you will be one of them!
