To celebrate the end of the Laudato Si’ Special Anniversary Year, Pope Francis is inviting the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics to participate in Laudato Si’ Week 2021, to be held 16-24 May.
The Vatican-sponsored celebration will bring Catholics together to rejoice in the great progress they’ve made in bringing Laudato Si’ to life and to plan ambitious action ahead of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15), the 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the decade ahead. As is evident in the rapid pace of species extinction and climate change, urgent action is needed to create a more just and sustainable future.
As Pope Francis said on Earth Day, “When this destruction of nature is triggered, it is very difficult to stop it. But we are still in time. And we will be more resilient if we work together instead of doing it alone.”
During Laudato Si’ Week, there will be presentations from world-renowned leaders that will showcase how they’ve transformed their communities and invite Catholics to take similar action regionally and locally. The dialogues will carry a special focus on advocacy efforts aimed at raising the Catholic voice ahead of COP15 and COP26.
The week will finish with a preview of the tool that will help the global Church realize more progress in the decade ahead: the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. The Vatican-led effort will empower Catholic institutions, communities, and families to implement Laudato Si’.
Laudato Si’ Week 2021 is sponsored by the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and facilitated by the Global Catholic Climate Movement in collaboration with dozens of Catholic partners.
To learn more about the week’s events, go to www.laudatosiweek.org
