As the coronavirus pandemic forces us to shut our doors and stay inside longer than we’d like, the Archdiocese of Madrid is asking everyone to open up this Laudato Si’ Week, 16-24 May.
The archdiocese wants you to “share your window,” referring to the physical windows in our homes and the windows into our lives, such as those on our computer screens.
The organization plans to host two online discussions during Laudato Si’ Week about Pope Francis’ world-changing encyclical on climate change and ecology. Both will take place at 7 p.m. local time to allow participants time to open up their windows and applaud healthcare workers at 8 p.m.
Carlos Jesús with the Archdiocese of Madrid acknowledged that the fifth anniversary of Laudato Si’ marks an important moment for the Catholic Church and the world.
“This document was one of the greatest ecclesial landmarks in defense of the most
disadvantaged and a general awakening [for all], understanding that our present and future as humanity depends on how we care for and protect the biodiversity and ecosystems that make up our common home,” said Jesús, who is the coordinator of the Diocesan Commission for Integral Ecology and vice president of the Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission.
Jesús invited all people to use this time to “share faith and hope, with the themes and experiences that have emerged from the pandemic and Laudato Si’.”
The first online conference will be hosted by the Global Catholic Climate Movement and take place on 20 May. The second conference will feature a conversation on the contributions of Laudato Si’ and is scheduled for Sunday 24 May, the final day of Laudato Si’ Week.
Anyone interested in attending the discussions is encouraged to email cdei@archimadrid.es and include their cell phone number. More information is available at cdeimadrid.archimadrid.es.