There’s a new Apostolic Exhortation ! Laudate Deum, on the climate crisis.
Video(3mn) (associated tweet) :
« “Praise God” is the title of this letter. For when human beings pretend to take God’s place, they become their own worst enemies. »
This comes after the excellent Encyclical Letter ‘Laudato si’, promulgated on the Solemnity of Pentecost 2015.

The Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum, addressed to all people of goodwill, is composed of six Chapters :
In the first, “The Global Climate Crisis,” Pope Francis warns that climate change is undeniable, and its effects are becoming increasingly evident “despite some attempts to minimize or ridicule them” (LD 6). He further regrets that the main cause of this problem is human activity and adds that, while we cannot correct such damage, we can still take steps to prevent even more serious damage in the future.
In the second Chapter, the Holy Father addresses the “technocratic paradigm” and stresses that nature is not a resource to be exploited without end and urges us to recognize that unbridled ambition is not ethically sustainable (LD 28).
In the third Chapter, Francis refers to “the weakness of international politics” and stresses the urgent need for global cooperation through new multilateral agreements between States because current and past approaches are insufficient (LD 43).
In the fourth Chapter, the Pope reflects on “climate conferences: progress and failures” and encourages to overcome the selfish positions of countries for the benefit of the global common good (LD 44, 52) and in the fifth Chapter to reflect on “what is expected from COP28 in Dubai?” if we do not want to doom humanity.
In the last chapter, “Spiritual Motivations,” the Holy Father calls upon people of all religious confessions to respond. He also reminds Catholics that in the light of faith there is a responsibility to care for God’s creation and that this implies respect for the laws of nature and recognition of the beauty and richness of God’s creation.
Finally, Pope Francis invites us to walk in communion, together, synodically, and to commit ourselves to “reconciliation with the world that shelters us” (LD 69).
A longer tl;dr can be found here

(Here’s a thought i had yesterday, thought i may share :)
(I’m young, )I’ve taken all my life without ever giving back.

From the book of Nehemiah Ne 8:1-4a.5-6.7b-12 :
The whole people gathered as one in the open space before the Water Gate, and they called upon Ezra the scribe to bring forth the book of the law of Moses which the LORD prescribed for Israel.
On the first day of the seventh month, therefore, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, which consisted of men, women, and those children old enough to understand.
Standing at one end of the open place that was before the Water Gate, he read out of the book from daybreak until midday (…)
He opened the scroll so that all the people might see it(, for he was standing higher up than any of the people) ; [Is that one of the explanations for why we stand up during mass ?]
Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people, their hands raised high, answered, “Amen, amen !”
Then they bowed down and prostrated themselves before the LORD, their faces to the ground. [Something most christians don’t do anymore…]
As the people remained in their places, Ezra read plainly from the book of the law of God, interpreting it, so that all could understand what was read (…)[, and then said] :
“Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep”– for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.
He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared ; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength !”
And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Hush, for today is holy, and you must not be saddened.”
Then all the people went to eat and drink, to distribute portions, and to celebrate with great joy, for they understood the words that had been expounded to them.
[Am i overthinking that they understood more than simply “do not be saddened”, is this an allusion to “don’t take the law too literally but instead understand its meaning” ? Or something more exact, i.d.k…]

« Dear friends, Francis was a great Saint and a joyful man. His simplicity, his humility, his faith, his love for Christ, brought him gladness. Looking at the testimony of St Francis, we understand that this is the secret of true happiness : to become saints, close to God ! » (from the twitter account of pope Benedict XVI)

From the Gospel according to Luke Lk 10:1-12
Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.

He said to them,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few ; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way ; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals ; and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him ; but if not, it will return to you. [Interesting formulation ! This peace can’t be lost once ‘you found God’/‘God found you’]
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you, for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what is set before you, cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’ [They were advising to cure the sick, apparently convinced that any faithful servant of God can do it, if that’s not interesting i don’t know what is, shamans appeared in all cultures and still do healing sessions to this day b.t.w.]
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, ‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet, even that we shake off against you.’
Yet know this : the Kingdom of God is at hand. [a.k.a., the Paradise on Earth, this is the most important sentence i.m.h.o. !!]
I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town.” [It doesn’t work on people who don’t fear God, and are probably not virtuous, being a missionary has ~always been dangerous]

Surah 4 An-Nisa(The Women), Ayat 17-18
(And remember that) Allah’s acceptance of repentance is only for those who commit evil out of ignorance and then soon repent. It is towards such persons that Allah turns graciously. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
But of no avail is repentance of those who do evil until death approaches any one of them and then he says: ‘Now I repent.’ Nor is the repentance of those who die in the state of unbelief of any avail to them.

Saints of the day : Sts. Placidus and Maurus, disciples of St. Benedict. As well as St. Faustina Kowalska