“THE vision has to become action” – Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge said, holding the Laudato Si’ Action Plan 2024-2026 in his hand at its launch at the Francis Rush Centre today.
He said there had been “so much talk” from politicians and decision makers, but “talk is not enough”.
“We have to listen to the cries of the earth and the cries of the poor,” he said, and this “listening will lead to action”.
The Laudato Si’ Action Plan was composed by voices from all agencies of the Brisbane archdiocese and leaders from Brisbane Catholic Education, Centacare, Archdiocesan Services, Evangelisation Brisbane and the Office of Legal, Governance and Risk were present for the launch.
The plan outlines seven goals for Brisbane archdiocese over the next two years:
- Response to the Cry of the Earth
- Response to the Cry of the Poor
- Ecological economics
- Adoption of sustainable lifestyles
- Ecological education
- Ecological spirituality
- Community resilience and empowerment
Laudato Si’ Action Plan co-ordinator Emma Beach said the action plan was not just a piece of paper to go into the back of a drawer – it was “going to happen”.
She said while it was a relief to launch the plan, “now we’ve got to do it”.
“We’ve got to continue to find creative ways to make a difference,” she said.
“We’ve got some big ticket items in there about investment, about our (car) fleet, about our procurement – it’s big stuff.”
She said the plan was for the whole archdiocese and while elements of it affect parishioners, parishes were encouraged to look at the plan as stimulus for finding actions in their own contexts.
Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ was not only about taking care of the environment, she said, it was about the interconnectedness of all creation covering topics like caring for the poor, truth-telling and nuclear disarmament.
The action plan’s goals come with detailed actions, including expected timeframes and who would be responsible for carrying it out.
Under goal one, response to the cry of the earth, the first action is to improve the way the archdiocese acquires its car fleet to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.
This action has a four-year time frame.
Under goal three, ecological economics, the second action is to amend investment policies to include annual reporting to councils on exposure to fossil fuel and other activities in investments “contrary to Church beliefs”.
This reporting is expected to commence January 2025.
Under goal five, ecological education, parishes will be expected to be recruited to develop Laudato Si’ commitments, enrol in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform and receive training.
It expects 15 parishes to be recruited by 2025-2026.
To find out more about Brisbane archdiocese’s Laudato Si’ Action Plan, head to: https://evangelisationbrisbane.org.au/inclusion_archived/laudato-si-action-plan/
