SAN ANGELO — Most Reverend Michael J. Sis, Bishop of San Angelo, will have a news conference at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, June 18, at the Diocese of San Angelo Pastoral Center, 804 Ford Street, San Angelo. Bishop Sis will use the occasion to introduce and detail Laudato Si (“Be praised”), Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, and how it affects people of all faith backgrounds. The encyclical will be released globally on Thursday morning.
"With this encyclical, or papal teaching document, Pope Francis, speaking as a pastor, is offering moral guidance about care for others and care for God’s creation,” Bishop Sis said. “These concerns are not new; they are rooted in Scripture and in the ongoing social teachings of the Church. God created this world and he has entrusted it to our care. Today’s throwaway culture drives many of our environmental problems, and we can resist this by taking concrete steps toward simpler, fuller lives, which will help us grow closer to God and to each other.”
The Catholic Church brings a distinct perspective to the discussion of environmental questions by lifting up the moral dimensions of these issues and the needs of the most vulnerable among us. This unique contribution is rooted in the Church’s two millenia of experience and its presence around the world.
“The Church is part of the larger human community,” Bishop Sis said. “Our members include policy makers, business leaders, scientists, laborers, and families. Together we seek to serve the best interest of society. The vision of Pope Francis is that all the following values can be pursued hand-in-hand: care for the environment, sustainable economic development, and care for the poor.”
The title of the encyclical, Laudato Si, is taken from an ancient form of Italian spoken by St. Francis of Assisi. It is the first line of his famous “Canticle of the Creatures.”
Encyclicals are papal teaching documents. Originally sent by popes to bishops, they are used in modern times to express matters of concern to all people. Although not infallible documents, encyclicals contain authoritative teachings on faith and morals that are intended to help lead people to a more mature and better informed conscience.
Laudato Si is the second encyclical by Pope Francis. The first, Lumen Fidei, was promulgated on June 29, 2013.