“What kind of world do we want to leave to those who will come after us, to children who are growing up?” Pope Francis asked people in his video message released on the 5th anniversary of the publication of the Encyclical Laudato si’.

Insisting on the call for “care of our common home”, Pope Francis emphasised the need to look back and conserve our planet and all the lives in it. The encyclical is a reference point for Church, its people, humanitarian organisations, Government and environment protection groups to conserver our mother earth.

In Covid-19 lockdown, mother nature is trying to revive/replenish/recuperate herself due to no human activity. The sky is clear, the pollution level has come down, the ozone layer is healing, there are more life forms which are now visible to us.

In Northeast India, the celebration of Laudato Si was marked by Caritas India through awareness building on the environment and its importance. This is the first time that the two ongoing programmes FARM Northeast Phase III and Anti Human Trafficking (AHT) Phase II has collectively reached out to the villages and communities to organise the event. The team has planted more the 280 saplings in sixty different locations through the local people to create greater bonding between nature and human beings. The message reached beyond the catholic population in the villages and people were engaged in Cleanliness drives, Promotion of paper bags, Promotion of natural resources for storage, Distribution of vegetable seeds and Promotion of kitchen gardens.

Caritas India dedicated each day of the week with a significant theme to promote Laudato Si. A series of events were also arranged to mark its importance among the masses.

Cry of Poor

Caritas India encouraged communities to sow seeds in their fields and plant trees to care for Mother Nature. The emphasis was laid on interdependence and interconnectedness between human and nature to revitalize and restore the lost connection.

Cry of God

A crisis allows listening to the cries of the creator and take individual measures to conserve his creation. Self-reflection and prayer can be a great tool to understand and take action to heal the planet. Plantations coupled with prayer to the creator witness large participation of the people. The appeal of nature has been recognized through the various catastrophes that the whole world is facing. And to end this, we need to listen to the divine inner voice by employing nature’s gift carefully.

Garden of Eden 

Being close to nature is possible if we inculcate the practice of harnessing the nature around us. Promoting Garden of Eden is an idea promoted to encourage every household in the North East Region to have a Kitchen garden or a backyard garden. This initiative not only strengthens the bonding but also sustain the food security of the people.

Carbon Fasting 

Carbon fasting is a call to people for reducing their carbon footprints. It helps in restoring the eco-systems and to build up solidarity among ourselves. The Community during this week were engaged in the cleanliness of their villages. Women, men, youth and children took part in recognizing that cleanliness is next to Godliness. They have cleared a few public places that were dammed with waste. Communities also promoted paper bags and storage materials made of natural resources.

Caritas India through its partners has been able to spread the message of the papal encyclical to the people across the North East Region. Pope Francis reminds us that “We are called to solidarity with the poor as well as stewardship of the Earth. Our deep regard for the dignity of every person commands us to cultivate a climate of life where each of God’s children thrive and join with creation in praising our Creator” is what Laudato Si stands for and Caritas India is committed to take forward the message of Laudato Si to the people in different corners of the country.