On 2 February 2023, the anniversary of the conversion of St. Camillus de Lellis and the World Day of Consecrated Life, CADIS International hosted a screening of the film ‘The Letter - a message for the Earth’, inspired by Pope Francis‘ Encyclical Laudato Si’. The screening was held at the parish Basilica of San Camillo de Lellis in Rome, welcoming over 30 people to reflect together on the issues of our time: climate change, the need to act now to preserve our common home, the Earth. Among the faithful was the Superior General of the Order of the Ministers of the Infirm (Camillians) Fr Pedro Tramontin, together with the Order's General Council and the President of CADIS International Fr José Ignacio Santaolalla. A presence that reinforced the message of the documentary: we can all act.
CADIS is one of the promoters of the Laudato Si' Action Platform (LSAP), a global movement to act in defence of the environment and support integral ecology, promoted by Pope Francis. There are many things that everyone, individually or in groups, can do. First, subscribe to the Laudato Si' platform, available in 9 languages, to share and support the action of thousands of people around the world. Then, you can organise awareness-raising events with young people and children, Eucharistic celebrations in your parish community, outdoor activities, discussion groups, and much more.
The basic essence is to realise that we can all change the course of events and slow down the climate crisis, for us and for those to come.
As Fr. Aristelo Miranda, CADIS Director, recalled during the Eucharistic celebration that followed the screening of the film, ‘Jesus accepted the consequence of his mission, his death on the cross, to bring humanity back to perfection and restore the right order of this world, the interconnectedness of all that exists in our common home mistreated by humanity due to greed for power and wealth.’
The turning point to be reached as soon as possible is the ecological conversion that starts from the conversion of the heart. Indeed, Fr Aris continues in his homily,
‘without a conversion of the heart, we too easily fall into the trap of the mind, where we fill our heads with honest good intentions, positive thoughts and ideas, but at the same time we lack the inner drive and motivation to bring about the change we seek. At the core of our faith is the call to ecological conversion. Christian spirituality shows us that the path to genuine joy and happiness is found when we draw from within, from the eternal source, God. Consumer society, on the other hand, convinces us that joy and happiness are found when we draw from without, through the possession of material goods and the accumulation of wealth. At the heart of this crisis is a crisis of the heart’.
.png "Getting ready for the 9th CADIS Leadership Conference in Bangkok")
