Pope Francis is pictured behind a sapling during a meeting of Scholas Occurentes in Rome May 19, 2022. The pope has invited everyone to take part in Laudato Si’ Week May 22-29. “Laudato Si’, on Care for Our Common Home,” was the title of the pope’s 2015 encyclical on the environment. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

By Carol Glatz • Catholic News Service • Posted May 23, 2022

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis encouraged Catholics to work together in taking care of creation.

After he led the recitation of the “Regina Coeli” prayer with visitors in St. Peter’s Square May 22, the pope invited everyone to take part in “Laudato Si’ Week,” which runs May 22-29.

The special week is an opportunity “to listen ever more attentively to the cry of the earth, which urges us to act together in taking care of our common home,” he said. He thanked the Vatican office promoting the initiative, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and other organizations taking part.

Laudato Si’ Week is a yearly event marking the anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si’: on Care for Our Common Home.”

Global, regional and local events include celebrating the progress made in bringing Laudato Si’ to life and promoting increased efforts through the Laudato Si’ Action Platform, promoted by the dicastery at laudatosiactionplatform.org.

The platform is meant to inspire, coordinate and guide Catholic institutions, communities and families to fully implement Laudato Si’.

Events can be found on LaudatoSiWeek.org. Topics to be explored include: how Catholics can fight biodiversity collapse; the role of fossil fuels in conflicts and the climate crisis; and how people can embrace the poor in daily life.