Grace Cathedral

Dear Friends,

God has an impeccable sense of timing, calling His Holiness Pope Francis to heaven on Easter Monday, the Eve of Earth Day, the beginning of Climate Week. Resurrection happened. In 2025, even our disparate liturgical calendars aligned and the whole Christian world, East and West, gathered to celebrate on April 20 Christ’s triumph over death; from the glow of the new fire, we were commissioned to share the good news with all who were awaiting it, that is, with the whole creation.

Although he is the titular head of a particular branch of Christianity — the Roman Catholic Church — the Pope is for many the most public representative of Christians writ large. HH Pope Francis spoke powerfully beyond the Roman Catholic world, and will be remembered by people of all faiths and none for his advocacy for the care of the planet and care of the poor. The most developed representation of this is found in his 2015 Encyclical — papal letter to the Roman Catholic bishops — Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home.

Laudato Si takes its title and spirituality from our patron saint and the papal namesake, Francis of Assisi. The encyclical builds on the integral ecology movement, recognizing that environmental and social issues are interconnected and interdependent. Those factors which most impact the planet also impact human economic, political, and social systems. Moreover, the healing of the planet is not principally a technical or political undertaking; it is a moral one. Planetary healing requires an inward and personal conversion to recognize the divinity of the natural world, embracing our relationship with the created order as part and parcel of our relationship with God.

Like any community or undertaking, an integral ecology demands active stewardship. HH Pope Francis writes in Section 14: “Regrettably, many efforts to seek concrete solutions to the environmental crisis have proved ineffective, not only because of powerful opposition but also because of a more general lack of interest. Obstructionist attitudes, even on the part of believers, can range from denial of the problem to indifference, nonchalant resignation or blind confidence in technical solutions.” In the fullness of Easter joy, we know that it is God’s Power working in us that redeems. We cannot afford to be indifferent, resigned, or technocratic, before this Power that even death could not contain.

As we pay homage to HH Pope Francis’ life and ministry, and give thanks for the inheritance we share with him, let us renew our own efforts to meet the Living God in the planet and the poor. As we discern wise stewardship of our resources and moral authority, let us be mindful of the disproportionate burden borne by the poor and seek to advocate for environmental policies that renew every dimension of life. Amid nationalism and aggressive market tactics, let us remember that the common good knows no borders, and that the good news of resurrection cannot be bought or sold — it can only be shared.

Love,

Anna