Francis Offers Fierce Hope for Hard Times

As an “apostolic exhortation,” Laudate Deum does not offer new teaching, but rather applies the teaching of Laudato si’ to current circumstances and calls for renewed action. Although it quotes Laudato si’ extensively, the new letter has a much darker tone. Francis addresses “my brothers and sisters of our suffering planet” and acknowledges that “our responses have not been adequate, while the world in which we live is collapsing and may be nearing the breaking point.” ...Francis’s words are strong, but to describe them as “despair” is to misunderstand them. He writes from a tradition that understands hope and despair not as states of affairs or likely outcomes, but as dispositions toward action amid difficulty. Read Full Article »