Pope Francis has released his much-anticipated ecological encyclical 'Laudato Si' Care for our Common Home. This encyclical offers a unique opportunity for the global Catholic Community to join together and act in solidarity on important issues such as climate change, social justice and environmental responsibility.
What is an Encyclical?
Encyclicals get their name from the Greek word for circle, or circular. They are important letters from the Pope that help everyone better understand how to apply the teachings of Sacred Scripture and Catholic Tradition to a particular issue (in this case, the environment).
Traditionally encyclicals were forwarded to bishops and local churches, who would then copy and forward them to other bishops and local churches, until the entire Church received the message. Today’s encyclicals are immediately posted on the Vatican website in many languages for all the world to read, but their principal audience is still the bishops and pastors of the world, and all who teach and defend the Catholic faith.
A copy of 'Laudato Si' is available from here.
