Laudato Si’ Week, May 21 – 28, 2023 - Sister of Charity of Saint Jeanne Antide Thouret

LAUDATO SI’ WEEK began in 2016 to celebrate the first anniversary of Pope Francis’ Encyclical Letter. Since then, the celebration has become annual and today is a way for all catholics to come together and engage in prayers and actions for our Common Home.

The “Encyclical Letter Laudato Si’ of the Holy Father Francis on the Care of the Common Home” was published on May 24, 2015, on the Solemnity of Pentecost and by now every year, in the week around the date of publication, we celebrate the so-called Laudato Si’ Week.

It is a global celebration that unites catholics around the world with prayers, reflections and events; in this way, all can share and rejoice in the progress made in bringing the Pope’s Encyclical to life and find inspiration for future endeavors.

This year will be celebrated May 21-28 and will be the eighth anniversary of Laudato Si’. The Week is organized by the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development and facilitated by the Laudato Si’ Movement, along with other partners.

This year’s theme – which will guide all activities promoted during the week – is “HOPE FOR THE EARTH. HOPE FOR HUMANITY“, and the main resource to be used in organizing the events of Laudato Si’ Week 2023 is the film “THE LETTER,” co-produced by the Laudato Si’ Movement.

“The Letter” tells the story of four “social poets”-as Pope Francis himself called them-who, affected firsthand by the climate crisis, travel to Rome to meet with the Pope himself: Chief Dada, Voice of the Indigenous People – Ridhima Pandey, Voice of the Youth – Robin Martin and Greg Asner, Voice of the Wildlife – Arouna Kande, Voice of the Poor – will accompany us during this year’s Laudato Si’ Week to bear witness to their commitment to the planet and stimulate in all of us the will to do.

This is precisely what the Week is all about: organizing events and participating in the campaign helps reinforce the message on global climate and ecological justice by reaching out and mobilizing people to respond to this urgent call from the Pope to care for our Common Home.

On Sunday, May 21, Pope Francis will kick off the celebrations during the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square.

A number of global events and many local events will follow during the week, and all will be animated by the same spirit: responding to the Pope’s call to “listen as much to the cry of the earth as to the cry of the poor.” In addition to the many film screenings, masses, prayers and Creation walks, Creation talks and tree planting are planned.

The Week will conclude on Sunday, May 28 – Pentecost Day – with a Liturgical Celebration from Assisi.

Laudato Si’!