Pope Francis Issues Encyclical "Laudato si'"

Pope Francis recently presented his Encyclical Laudato si', "on Care for our Common Home."

The Encyclical strives to seek to establish a dialogue with all - individuals as well as organizations and institutions - that share the same concerns as the Pope, approached from different perspectives, in a global situation that renders them increasingly intertwined and complementary.

The Encyclical takes its name from the invocation of St Francis of Assisi: "Laudato si' mi' Signore" "Praise be to you, my Lord." The reference to St. Francis also indicates the attitude upon which the entire encyclical is based, that of prayerful contemplation, which is designed to invite readers to look towards the 'poor one of Assisi' as a source of inspiration and as the quintessential example of "care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically."

For an overview of this encyclical, please visit:

Vatican Information Service: Overview of the Encyclical Laudato si' (18 JUN 15)

Media reports:

National Catholic Register: Pope Francis’s Environmental Encyclical: 13 Things to Know and Share (18 JUN 5)

Huffington Post: Pope Francis Releases 'Laudato Si' Encyclical And Lays Out Moral Case For Addressing Climate Change (18 JUN 15)

Baltimore Sun: Pope Francis' encyclical: a summons to a decision (19 JUN 15)

New York Times: Pope Francis, in Sweeping Encyclical, Calls for Swift Action on Climate Change (18 JUN 15)