“What kind of world do we want to leave to those who will come after us, to children who are growing up?” Pope Francis asks in a video message in which he announces “Laudato Si’ Week” to be held in May.

“Motivated by this question,” he says, “I would like to invite you to participate in Laudato Si’ Week from May 16 to 24, 2020. It is a global campaign on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the encyclical letter Laudato si’: on care for our common home.”

In the message, the pope renews his urgent call to be good stewards of the earth, as God commands in Genesis. “The cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor cannot continue,” he says, pointing to one of the main issues he consistently raises in speaking of the environment: That the poor are those who take the brunt of the damage done to the earth.

“Let’s take care of creation, a gift of our good Creator God. Let’s celebrate Laudato Si’ Week together,” the pope invites.

Getting involved

Laudato Si’ Week is being sponsored by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The dicastery encourages Catholic communities to find ways to help the environment during the week-long initiative.

Suggested guidance on highly impactful actions is available on the Laudato Si’ Week website.

As part of the week, communities are being invited to click on the useful toolkit to plan and implement their actions and to use the template promotional materials to share the word about activities with their members.

2020 deadlines and targets

The fifth anniversary of Laudato si’ coincides with important events in efforts to find solutions to the environmental crisis.

This year is the deadline for countries to announce their plans to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement.

The UN’s conference on biodiversity will also be held this year, with the goal of setting meaningful targets to protect the places and species that sustain all life.