The present Pope remembers, that St. Francis with his beautiful song “Laudato Si’, mi’ Signore”, warned us that our common home is also like a sister, with whom we share our existence, and like a beautiful mother who welcomes us in her arms.
The Private Mixed College of Santa Clara is an educational establishment that is very aware of being part of the change needed to face the present environmental problem. For this reason it is working on the project called “The Ecological Complex of Saint Francis of Assisi”.
The goal was to deepen the challenge that Pope Francis has made to all Christians, but especially to us Franciscans, with his encyclical Laudato si’. We thought that it could be a further way to deepen the focus in the initial formation program on the themes of justice, peace and integrity of creation, as the Ratio formationis of the Order envisions.
The Encyclical Laudato Si’, by Pope Francis, challenges us Franciscans in many ways. Before elaborating on this, there is something we need to remember. We have experienced many challenges in our Franciscan history, but I think they have played a positive role rather than a negative one.
Attention to this dimension of integral ecology is part of Franciscan identity, and therefore of our formation. It is enough to read art. 1 of our General Constitutions to understand this: it is particularly important because, at the beginning of the Constitutions, it briefly expresses our identity.
The Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation in collaboration with the JPIC-Media teams offer this resource to deepen on the World Day of the Poor in four approaches: from Integral Ecology, from a contemplation of the reality, from a discernment from the brotherhood and from a commitment of being a samaritan.