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On the second anniversary of the publication of Pope Francis' influential encyclical Laudato Si', Patricia Ferguson of SCIAF writes our latest blog in which she reflects on the papal message and on our collective responsibility to care for our common home.

Having chosen 'Francis ' as his papal  name it should perhaps be no surprise to us that Pope Francis expressed his concerns about the Earth in an encyclical entitled 'Laudato Si''.  Borrowing the title from the first line of his namesake,Saint Francis of Assisi's, famous, poetic prayer, the Canticle of the Sun. 

Saint Francis is revered as a champion of the environment and on the second anniversary of the publication of 'Laudato Si''it is worth reflecting on our shared responsibility for 'our common home'. 

The encyclical gives us  the opportunity to think of and reflect on our world today and to respond to the issues and problems we see around us. We are asked to reject the 'throwaway' culture that surrounds us and to remember that God is present in all of creation.

 
We are asked to recognise that many of our brothers and sisters around the world are being pushed deeper into poverty by climate change. Pope Francis urges us to hear ''both the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor ". He doesn't just want us to hear that cry he wants us to respond by taking action to make changes in our own lives and those of our communities.

 
But Pope Francis recognises that while climate change is vitally important it is part of a bigger problem about how we organise our common home. 

"If we approach nature and the environment without this openness to awe and wonder, if we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of, masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. By contrast, if we feel intimately united with all that exists, then sobriety and care will well up spontaneously." 

The Holy Father encourages us to bring our faith to bear when we consider these issues and to be respectful to the environment but also to ourselves, those around us and to sister earth who, like us, was created by God. 

'Laudato Si''has been well received around the world and has been recognised as an extremely welcome and timely contribution to the debate. In the two years since its publication there has been an upsurge in interest about the environment and in action to respond to the Holy Father's concerns. 

Two of the most popular publications produced by SCIAF in recent times have been a study guide produced to accompany reflection on the encyclical and a booklet 'Care for Our Common Home' which describes simple ways in which individuals and parishes can take action to reduce their carbon footprint and give back to their local communities. (copies of both publications are still available from SCIAF on 0141 354 5555). 

Many parishes in Scotland have also signed up to 'Eco Congregation' (www.ecocongregationscotland.org) and have received awards in recognition of their work. But there is a lot more to do and  the recent rejection of the  Paris Climate Accord by President Trump demonstrates the scale of the task ahead of us if we are to break down the walls of indifference as Pope Francis suggests. 

If you would like to know more about SCIAF's campaign work on the issue of climate justice please contact 
ww.sciaf.org.uk/campaigns. 

Living God, 
have mercy on us, 
for the times we forget 
that we belong to each other. 

You call us to be still, 
to hear the whisper of our Sister Wind, 
to feel the radiance of our Brother Sun, 
to be nourished by our Mother Earth. 

Renew us in your healing love. 
Inspire us to water the earth, 
and nurture one another, 
so all may flourish. 

Together as one family, 
may we always sing your praise. 
through Christ our Lord, 
Amen 

Prayer by Rachel McCarthy, CAFOD. 
 

In this week's blog for Justice and Peace Scotland, Dr Lisa Curtice, director of the Craighead Institute of Life and Faith, shares an insight into the Institute’s work.

The past few weeks have not been easy for many reasons, and most people agree that making decisions before entering the ballot box was harder than ever. People who attended ‘Craighead Conversations’, a series of public dialogues organised by the Craighead Institute of Life and Faith may, however, have found the process less difficult.

These conversations have asked ‘what’s faith got to do with it?’ and the first series, ‘Crossing Boundaries’ has been held with a range of partners including GRAMNET, the Poverty Truth Commission, the Electoral Reform Society Scotland and the Iona Community. Issues on the agenda have included the experiences of refugees and people in poverty, attitudes to social justice in Scotland, and Glasgow’s health divide.

The sessions have confirmed the importance of providing a forum for people with and without a faith commitment to hear about current public issues and to take part in debates about achieving social justice., and the Institute is committed to a participatory approach, engaging with people who struggle to retain their human dignity in times of austerity. 

The Institute’s history is rooted in the needs of lay people, especially those from communities under social and economic pressures, to be inspired and sustained by their faith and to continue to struggle for social justice in the midst of their day-to-day reality. Founded in 1987 by Sister Christine Anderson (FCJ), it has been based in Glasgow, having grown out of the Craighead Retreat House in Bothwell. It continues in the tradition of Ignatian Spirituality.

We are ecumenical in reach and seek to exemplify a ‘Faith that Does Justice’. Our educational programmes aim to be accessible, experiential and transformative.
One participant on our core course, ‘Integrating Life and Faith’, summed up the impact: ‘I think this module, this course, has been about...showing ways to make the Word of God alive and active in our world... I have discovered a new approach to living in faith and working for peace and justice with others.’ 

It is encouraging to hear similar comments about the Institute’s courses echoed by participants from Easterhouse to Eastern Europe, Glasgow’s schemes to Eldoret in Kenya. Perhaps this enthusiasm stems from our commitment to a participatory approach and to engaging with people who struggle to retain their human dignity in times of austerity.

Although based in Glasgow, our work covers a wide geographical area. In Fife, for example, we are working alongside a peer researcher from Glasgow Homelessness Network to build the capacity of a group of people in long term unemployment to conduct an enquiry into how employment support in their communities can be improved and their potential and wellbeing nurtured.

We have just completed the successful pilot of a new course, ‘Inspiring Unity’, developed with the Ignatian Spirituality Centre Glasgow and funded through the Scottish Government’s Tackling Sectarianism Initiative.  Members from a Catholic parish and from a Church of Scotland parish in North Motherwell worked together through seven sessions that led them deeper into sharing their faith and the desire to commit further to shared local activity.  One participant said: ‘We are all equal in God’s eyes and good is in everyone, an acceptance and understanding of others’ problems and traditions.’

A film of this work will be available soon on the Faith in Community Scotland website.

The future? Pope Francis has set out the urgent relevance of living out an active faith in the world. The requirement to equip lay people for ministry in their communities, to bridge any gulf between faith and the everyday, to be alongside those who experience poverty and stigma - these are the calls to Christians today. The Craighead Institute is ecumenical in outreach and continues to seek to partner with others, developing and celebrating the contribution of faith communities to work for justice for all people in Scotland.  

For more information: email lisa@craighead.org.uk. Follow us on twitter @CraigheadUK web: www.craighead.org.uk New website coming soon!

Our latest blog is a personal reflection by Alex Holmes on his time living in the West Bank and volunteering as an Ecumenical Accompanier, seeking to help facilitate a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.