October 11, 2023
Dear Friends in Christ,
Last week, on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, released a new Apostolic Exhortation entitled, Laudate Deum, or “Praise God.” In this letter Pope Francis builds on what he wrote in his 2015 Encyclical Letter on Integral Ecology entitled Laudato Si, or “Praised Be.”
In both letters the Holy Father urges the faithful to take real action to care for our common home and to address the impact of human behavior on
the climate. In his most recent letter, the Holy Father wants us to understand we have no time to waste to address the devastating impacts that will follow the impending melting of icecaps, increasing severity of storms systems and irreversible damage to life-sustaining ecosystems like our own Chesapeake Bay.
As he did in Laudato Si, the Holy Father teaches us that change begins at the level each human person. In Laudate Deum, His Holiness says, “There are no lasting changes without cultural changes, without a maturing of lifestyles and convictions within societies, and there are no cultural changes without personal changes.” In this the Holy Father speaks to each of us and asks us to consider what each of us can do for the benefit of all of us.
In addition to its important teaching role, the document is also intended to serve as the contribution of the Holy See to the upcoming COP28, United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Dubai from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. In this we see how the Christian vision of creation and the human person contributes to the health of our planet and the flourishing of all human beings who have been entrusted with its care.
Care for creation which is God’s gift is part of our belief as Christians. We thank Pope Francis and Pope Benedict before him for their teaching on this important work of stewardship. Locally, we have the opportunity to put this into practice through good works already underway. In the Archdiocese, we’ve taken deliberate action to reduce carbon emissions. This includes our operation of a four-megawatt solar field that powers the Catholic Center, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, all in Baltimore City. Our parishes and schools can join a green energy co-op that allows them to purchase renewable energy. What’s more, we have encouraged all of our parish and school communities to install rain gardens and bioswales to reduce run off and eliminate any unnecessary impervious surfaces. We’ve invited the Baltimore Tree Trust and other environmental groups to plant more than 1,000 trees on Archdiocesan property.
A great opportunity is before us, and Laudate Deum offers a roadmap. We each can do our part to reject practices that exploit our natural resources, practice environmentally responsible behavior, and take a broader perspective that recognizes the interconnectivity of every person.
With kindest personal regards,
I am Faithfully in Christ,
Most Reverend William E. Lori
Archbishop of Baltimore