General
Summary of Activities of the U.S. Church in Response to Laudato Si’
Background: In the encyclical Laudato Si’, Pope Francis observed that “the ecological crisis is also a summons to profound interior conversion,” where “living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or secondary aspect of our Christian experience” (no. 217). On occasion of the fifth anniversary of the encyclical, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development has announced a year of celebrations to encourage the faithful to embrace its message on the care of our common. The Catholic Church throughout the United States has joyfully received and implemented the invitation of Laudato Si’ in diverse and creative ways.