Pope Francis signed his latest encyclical Fratelli Tutti – his second social encyclical – on the 3rd of October 2020, in Assisi. It was the anniversary of the death of St Francis, whose name he took upon becoming Pope.
St Francis has had a huge influence on the Pope regarding ecology, love of the poor, dialogue with those of the Muslim faith, and peacemaking. The understanding that every human being is made in the image and likeness of God must overflow into active care of the most vulnerable in our world, in particular migrants and refugees. Our common humanity and our common home must be at the core of planning for the post-Covid future, the Pope says.
In this month, when we remember the dead, including those killed in wars and we are called by Pope Francis to reaffirm a commitment to working for peace and nonviolent approaches to resolving tensions.
Pax Christi International, of which of Columbans are members, and the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative have published a book marking the three-year global conversation among church leaders, peace groups and theologians about how the Catholic Church might return to its Gospel nonviolence roots. Find out more about this resource by visiting https://nonviolencejustpeace.net.
Columbans in Britain are supporting an online petition where Catholics worldwide are called to pray with Pope Francis and urge governments and corporations worldwide to make a just transition to a healthy renewable energy economy post-Covid. We’d love for you to get involved too, please visit https://standwithpopefrancis.org/ to sign the petition in support of Pope Francis’ message for a just response on Covid and the Climate Emergency.
As Columbans we must act now to protect the environment and God’s creation. If you believe the UK should end its support of fossil fuels then we encourage you to sign the Global Justice Now petition calling on the Prime Minister to stop the UK Government funding fossil fuels, details of which can be found on the Global Justice Now website.
Another way is to support the most vulnerable in our world, in particular migrants and refugees is to email MPs to urge the Government to reopen safe routes to safety so that Britain can welcome people fleeing war and persecution. Please visit the Refugee Action website for further details about how to contact your local MP to restart resettlement and welcome at least 5,000 refugees a year.
For immediate opportunities to join us in having your voice heard with respect to the climate emergency, migrants and refugees, please visit and connect with us on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube.
