Province commits to Laudato Si’ Action Platform
The Australian Provincial, Fr Quyen Vu SJ, has committed the Province to the Vatican’s Laudato Si’ Action Platform. The platform was launched in 2021 by the Vatican and this initiative encourages Catholic organisations around the globe to reduce their negative impact on people and the environment and increase their positive impact on our world.
The platform was launched in 2021 by the Vatican and this initiative encourages Catholic organisations around the globe to reduce their negative impact on people and the environment and increase their positive impact on our world.
“By enrolling in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, I am committing the administration and projects of the Society of Jesus in Australia to take action to firstly reduce our negative impact on creation and then move towards being agents of healing and growth”, said Fr Quyen.
Last year, the Jesuit Superior General, Fr Arturo Sosa SJ had encouraged all Jesuit provinces and ministries to enrol in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform to take immediate action. The platform allows ministries and institutions to articulate their commitment to work towards the seven goals of Laudato Si’:
Response to the cry of the Earth
Response to the cry of the poor
Ecological economics
Adoption of sustainable lifestyles
Ecological education
Ecological spirituality
Community resilience and empowerment
The Laudato Si’ goals provide guidance on how to take action. They call for a spiritual and cultural revolution to realise integral ecology. After enrolling, ministries do a self-assessment on the profile of buildings and services and how they impact on people and the environment. There are a number of helpful resources and guides provided on the platform that each organisation can use to reduce the negative impacts and increase the positive impacts. Each ministry can put together an action plan around that assessment. As part of that agreement, ministries agree to provide an annual report on their status and progress on reaching these seven goals.
“It is a significant step for the Australian Province in its commitment to care for our common home”, said Lawrie Hallinan, Chair for the Care for our Common Home committee of the Society of Jesus in Australia. “The committee is really pleased with the support that Province ministries are making to the whole area of responding to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor,” said Lawrie.
As this is a commitment to an action plan for the services and operations of the Australian Province office, other Australian Jesuit ministries such as parishes and schools are encouraged to sign up and develop their focused action plan.
Find out more about the Laudato Si’ Action Platform.
Watch the video statement by Fr Quyen Vu SJ.
Feature photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.
Article published on Australian Jesuit website.