What Would Francis Do? (The Sequel)
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
Since this year marks the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Franciscan Order, it seems right to memorialize the patron of ecology with more than usual flair on his Oct. 4 feast day.
Hence the second of two At Issues speculating on choices the great medieval saint might make in regard to the environment were he around today.
This seems more than justified as Francis was always ahead of the curve, stressing voluntary simplicity and living in harmony with nature half a millennium before such concepts snuck into the popular consciousness.
Turning to the biggest trend in contemporary information – the Internet – it’s interesting to see how Francis emerges as a lynchpin of the environmental movement. Site after site frames him as an icon of Catholic social teaching on the stewardship of nature and a very human touchstone, drawing people time and again to his example.
There’s space here to include just a few of the sites but these are enough to set you off on the trail.
The Franciscan Action Network – www.franciscanaction.org – for instance, is a grassroots, faith-based legislative advocacy organization with a growing national base of organizations and people inspired, to quote the home page, “by the witness and example of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi.”
FAN is supported by over forty Franciscan organizations throughout the United States as it works to build a base of people dedicated to creating a coordinated and effective voice on the care of creation.
This year the organization built a terrific page on celebrating the Feast of St. Francis with an environmental focus. They took the added step of asking visitors to take the “St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor.”
The pledge was accompanied by a St. Francis Pledge insert for weekly parish bulletins, suggested prayers, liturgy and worship suggestions a poster – “Who’s Under Your Carbon Footprint” – bulletin quotes from the pope and bishops and a clip art sample page.
FAN asked for stories from readers about how they celebrated the Feast of St. Francis using the materials – a good way to build a treasure trove of contacts for the future.
Another website to check out is www.franciscaninternational.org the homepage of Franciscans International, a non-governmental organization at the United Nations that follows in the footsteps of Francis by challenging the social leaders of these times to work for “justice, peace, the care of creation and the promotion of human rights.”
A trip to the website will open the door to the work Franciscans International are doing to encourage governments around the world to control the use of natural resources such as forests, land, water and fisheries.
The organization exhorts leaders to rely on sustainable economic and social development and environmental protection with a real emphasis on increasing the productive capacity of impoverished people.
Last, but never least in this short list of websites which reflect the life an ministry of Francis is catholicclimatecovenant.org which “seeks to show respect for God’s creation by focusing on the link between creation and poverty.”
A dozen national Catholic organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, launched The Catholic Climate Covenant: the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor this year during the Easter Season with a big event on Earth Day.
The aim is to encourage greater personal and shared engagement by the Catholic community in responding to the impacts of climate change.
Considered an unprecedented initiative, it provides guidelines
for living out the faith in ways that care for God’s creation. It provides individuals, parishes, schools and other organizations with the opportunities and the concrete tools to protect the environment and vulnerable people.
This website offers lots of tips and suggestions on how to practice conservation in the home, at school, on the job and in the community. There’s a nice, easy feel to navigating this website and a personable approach that encouraged me to signup right away for internet updates.
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Since this year marks the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Franciscan Order, it seems right to memorialize the patron of ecology with more than usual flair on his Oct. 4 feast day.
Hence the second of two At Issues speculating on choices the great medieval saint might make in regard to the environment were he around today.
This seems more than justified as Francis was always ahead of the curve, stressing voluntary simplicity and living in harmony with nature half a millennium before such concepts snuck into the popular consciousness.
Turning to the biggest trend in contemporary information – the Internet – it’s interesting to see how Francis emerges as a lynchpin of the environmental movement. Site after site frames him as an icon of Catholic social teaching on the stewardship of nature and a very human touchstone, drawing people time and again to his example.
There’s space here to include just a few of the sites but these are enough to set you off on the trail.
The Franciscan Action Network – www.franciscanaction.org – for instance, is a grassroots, faith-based legislative advocacy organization with a growing national base of organizations and people inspired, to quote the home page, “by the witness and example of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi.”
FAN is supported by over forty Franciscan organizations throughout the United States as it works to build a base of people dedicated to creating a coordinated and effective voice on the care of creation.
This year the organization built a terrific page on celebrating the Feast of St. Francis with an environmental focus. They took the added step of asking visitors to take the “St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor.”
The pledge was accompanied by a St. Francis Pledge insert for weekly parish bulletins, suggested prayers, liturgy and worship suggestions a poster – “Who’s Under Your Carbon Footprint” – bulletin quotes from the pope and bishops and a clip art sample page.
FAN asked for stories from readers about how they celebrated the Feast of St. Francis using the materials – a good way to build a treasure trove of contacts for the future.
Another website to check out is www.franciscaninternational.org the homepage of Franciscans International, a non-governmental organization at the United Nations that follows in the footsteps of Francis by challenging the social leaders of these times to work for “justice, peace, the care of creation and the promotion of human rights.”
A trip to the website will open the door to the work Franciscans International are doing to encourage governments around the world to control the use of natural resources such as forests, land, water and fisheries.
The organization exhorts leaders to rely on sustainable economic and social development and environmental protection with a real emphasis on increasing the productive capacity of impoverished people.
Last, but never least in this short list of websites which reflect the life an ministry of Francis is catholicclimatecovenant.org which “seeks to show respect for God’s creation by focusing on the link between creation and poverty.”
A dozen national Catholic organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, launched The Catholic Climate Covenant: the St. Francis Pledge to Care for Creation and the Poor this year during the Easter Season with a big event on Earth Day.
The aim is to encourage greater personal and shared engagement by the Catholic community in responding to the impacts of climate change.
Considered an unprecedented initiative, it provides guidelines
for living out the faith in ways that care for God’s creation. It provides individuals, parishes, schools and other organizations with the opportunities and the concrete tools to protect the environment and vulnerable people.
This website offers lots of tips and suggestions on how to practice conservation in the home, at school, on the job and in the community. There’s a nice, easy feel to navigating this website and a personable approach that encouraged me to signup right away for internet updates.
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