Laudato Si‘ Movement

Brother Angel Cortez, OFM, joins the Laudato Si' Movement podcast to talk about his faith journey and why he felt called to become a Franciscan.

“When I encountered [St.] Francis, as I mentioned, I started to explore more about him, his spirituality, what are the friars doing. And one thing that struck me the most is the simplicity of life, the radical expression of the Gospel. Being with the people, especially with the poor. And I think those are the things that made me excited to really respond to the call and develop my vocation.”

Note: This podcast was recorded in November 2021. At the time, Brother Angel Cortez was serving as the vice director for the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office in Rome.

He is now serving as the Provincial Animator, Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office - Franciscan Province of San Pedro Bautista Philippines.

Three incredible Laudato Si' Animators from across the world join this special Laudato Si' Dialogue and share what it means to be a Laudato Si' Animator, how Animators lead their communities, and how the free leadership development course changed their lives. 

Featuring Simone Seym, USA; Sister Immaculate Tusingwire, Malawi; and Emanuela Chiang, Italy. Become a Laudato Si' Animator today by going to LaudatoSiAnimators.org.

Laudato Si' Animator and Columban Sister Kate Midgley didn't use to be so passionate about working against the climate crisis. (She's now protesting in front of the UK parliament for an end to fossil fuels.)

In this Laudato Si' Movement podcast, Sister Kate shares her ecological conversion story, why she calls the climate crisis the "moral issue of our time," and how you and others can join her in taking action by becoming a Laudato Si' Animator.

Learn more about Sister Kate: https://laudatosimovement.org/news/laudato-si-animators-praying-creation-cop26-en-news/

Become a Laudato Si' Animator today: LaudatoSiAnimators.org

On Saturday, 15 January 2022, Laudato Si' Movement turns seven years old. To celebrate this milestone for this movement, we're bringing you a podcast from the Philippines, where this movement has its roots.

Father Tony Labiao of the Philippines joins the podcast to talk about his faith journey, how Pope Francis' Laudato Si' has motivated him and his country, and how the supertyphoons and typhoons in recent years have affected him.

He also makes a plea to everyone out there, but especially those in wealthier countries, just weeks after yet another supertyphoon has tragically hit the Philippines.

Last month, more than 400 people died in the Philippines from Typhoon Rai, the 15th and deadliest typhoon to strike the Southeast Asian nation in 2021.

"I made a resolve in myself: we have to do something," Father Tony said after a 2009 storm devastated his country.

Laudato Si' Movement: https://laudatosimovement.org/

More about Father Tony: https://philippines.licas.news/tag/father-antonio-labiao/

Merry Christmas from Laudato Si' Movement! In a special Christmas- and 2022-themed podcast, Lorna Gold, chair of Laudato Si' Movement Board, talks about the power of faiths in 2021, and we look ahead to what we can expect in 2022.

Links mentioned:

Pope Francis uniting faith leaders: https://laudatosimovement.org/2021/10/04/pope-francis-faith-leaders-sign-joint-appeal-before-un-climate-summit/

Faith Invest: https://www.faithinvest.org/who-we-are

What happened at COP26? Was it an incredible success or an abject failure? Laudato Si' Movement talks with four global experts on what happened and where we go from here.

Guests

Sister Marvie Misolas of the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns is an NGO representative of the Maryknoll Sisters to the United Nations. She also serves on the Laudato Si’ Movement Global Membership Council.

Yeb Saño is the executive director of Greenpeace Southeast Asia and vice chair for the Laudato Si’ Movement Board. He has been a delegate at past UN climate change conferences for the Philippines. 

Sister Kate Midgley with the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban participated in COP26 and prayer vigils throughout Glasgow.

Lindlyn Moma is the Advocacy Director for Laudato Si' Movement and also participated in COP26 in Glasgow.

More about COP26: Catholics reflect on COP26 successes, disappointments

Bishop Martin Hayes is Bishop of Kilmore, Ireland, the coordinating bishop for Pope Francis' Laudato Si’ for the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, and a member of the Council for Justice & Peace of the Bishops’ Conference.

He is attending the United Nations 26th Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, and we spoke to him in Glasgow about his thoughts on the conference so far, what he's heard from developing countries in the various meetings he's attended, and why he feels compelled to act on Pope Francis' Laudato Si'.

“I think Pope Francis always gives us a sense of what each on one of us as individuals can contribute and all of us holds out a sense of hope."

More about Bishop Hayes attending COP26: https://www.catholicbishops.ie/2021/10/28/39429/

More about Catholics at COP26: https://laudatosimovement.org/2021/11/07/laudato-si-movement-marches-for-climatejustice-at-cop26-in-glasgow-en-news/

Father Cornelius Ejiogu of St. Luke Roman Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., talks about how they're celebrating the Season of Creation, the annual ecumenical celebration of prayer and action for our common home.

Father Ejiogu also talks about growing up in Lagos, Nigeria, how God called him to be a priest, and his love of rap music, including Coolio, The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur.

More about the Season of Creation here.

More about St. Luke Roman Catholic Church in Washington, D.C.

Laudato Si' Animator Nicholas Collura of EcoPhilly in the U.S. reads his recently-published story titled, "I couldn't find any Catholic creation care efforts in my archdiocese. That gave me an idea."

You can read his story at LaudatoSiMovement.org.

Learn more about EcoPhilly at ecophilly.com.