SACRAMENTO — The Catholic bishops of California have issued a pastoral statement calling on all people to “contribute to the ecological well-being of our state.”
“We are publishing our Pastoral Statement on the fourth anniversary of [Pope Francis’ encyclical] Laudato Si’ with a two-fold vision in mind,” said the bishops: “To animate and energize the implementation in California of what Laudato Si’ calls us to do, and to offer a dynamic teaching and evangelization tool for our Catholic faith community and beyond, especially for young people.”
In “God Calls Us All to Care for Our Common Home,” the bishops challenge the people of California to appreciate the beauty of the state and to apply — both individually and collectively — the teachings of Laudato Si’ in safeguarding our natural gifts. The statement emphasizes the Catholic concept of the common good — “the sum total of social conditions that allow us to access the resources and services necessary for a dignified life” — in relationship to the environment and the people of California. The complete text of the document as well as a two-page summary is available on www.cacatholic.org in both English and Spanish.
